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Catholics entering religious life in 2020 are on the young side, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) found that the average age of respondents of the “Entrance Class of 2020” is 29. Half of the respondents are 26 or younger.
CARA surveyed some 309 members of the “Entrance Class of 2020,” consisting of 166 men and 143 women. The youngest sister or nun who responded to the survey is 18 and the oldest is 66. Among the men, the youngest is 19, with one man entering at the age of 65. Regardless of gender, nearly nine in 10 respondents (86%) are 35 or younger.
Responding postulants were born in 21 countries. About eight in 10 (77%) respondents were born in the United States. One in 10 (12%) was born in a country in Asia, mainly in Vietnam and the Philippines. One in 16 was born in a country in Latin America, mainly in Mexico. Six were born in Europe, and two in Africa.
Most are “cradle Catholics,” but regardless of the religious tradition of their parents, two in three (64%) respondents report that religion was “very important” to their mothers and nearly half (45%) report that religion was “very important” to their fathers.
Other facts CARA uncovered include:
Entrants in 2020 were asked how much various elements attracted them to religious life. Nearly all respondents were “somewhat” or “very much” attracted to religious life by a desire for prayer and spiritual growth (99%) and a sense of call to religious life (98%). Three in four or more were “very much” attracted by these aspects.
Nine in 10 respondents were at least “somewhat” attracted to religious life by a desire to be part of a community (94%), a desire to be of service (92%), and a desire to be more committed to the Church (88%), with six in 10 or more saying these attracted them “very much.”
One of the common aspects that most attracted respondents to their religious institute is the sense of mission and ministry of the institute. Some of their responses include:
An open-ended question invited new entrants to respond in their own words to “What do you find most challenging about religious life?” Respondents shared a variety of challenges, including community life, maturing into religious life, adaptation to religious life, and decreasing access to family and friends.
