Washington D.C., Aug 8, 2004 / 22:00 pm
As a kid, Timothy Pfander probably never thought of becoming a priest. He grew up without a formal religion, and became a Lutheran in his adult years, before converting to Catholicism. This year, he was ordained for the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama.
Patrick Forsythe was over 60 years old when he was ordained for the same diocese this year. After 40 years in medicine, when most doctors start dreaming of retirement, he studied for the priesthood.
Fr. Pfander and Fr. Forsythe are only two of a number of priests, whose faith journeys and vocation stories are becoming more common in today’s U.S.Church.
That’s what a new report, issued by sociologist Dean R. Hoge of the Catholic University of America Life Cycle Institute, suggests. According to the Report on Survey of 2004 Priestly Ordinations, men ordained to the priesthood today are older, more educated and come from more varied cultural, religious and professional backgrounds than in years past.