Washington D.C., Nov 19, 2009 / 20:53 pm
Presenting the results of the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) study on vocations to religious life at the U.S. bishops’ fall assembly, a religious brother has encouraged the bishops to work more closely with religious institutes to create a “culture of vocation” to all forms of ordained and vowed religious life.
Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, Executive Director of the Chicago-based NRVC, presented the results at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) fall assembly in Baltimore.
The study’s key findings include the need for dioceses, Catholic educators and families to collaborate in creating a “culture of vocation” within the Church, a press release from the USCCB reports.
The NRVC’s Study on Recent Vocations to Religious Life in the United States showed a 65 percent drop in religious vocations since their peak in the mid-1960s. The study also found that new members bring increased ethnic and cultural diversity and a strong desire for communal living, prayer and Catholic identity.