Ordination Class of 1999

In January Father Timothy Reker of the U.S. Bishops' Office on Vocations asked if the Life Cycle Institute could assist the Committee on Vocations on a survey of men ordained to the priesthood in 1999. 1 met with Father Reker to design the questionnaire to be sent to dioceses and religious communities. In late January Father Reker sent a short questionnaire to each diocese and religious community asking if one of its staff could list the names of the men ordained in 1999, and either complete a one-page questionnaire on each or ask the men themselves to do so. After some days of phoning and reminding, Father Reker achieved 418 completions by the March 19 deadline (340 ordinands to the diocesan priesthood and 78 to the religious priesthood). They came from 175 of the 193 dioceses and 85 religious communities. A graduate student, Patrick Lynch, and I computerized the data under Father Reker's direction.

The questionnaires were one page long, and they asked twelve questions about the ordinand's age, background, education, work experience, activities, hobbies, and recognitions. To select codes for the open-ended questions we listed all of the responses based on the 1998 questionnaires. We then coded all the questionnaires.

One question asked for "principal work experience," and since many questionnaires listed more than one, we coded up to two per person. Similarly we coded up to two hobbies. Below is a summary of the questionnaires. All numbers are percentages unless noted.

Table 1: Age

Table 2: Race

* Less than 1/2 percent

Table 2 shows that 10 percent of the ordinands are Hispanics (Latinos), a figure higher than in recent years. For example, a 1984 nationwide survey of Catholic seminarians (Hemrick and Hoge, 1987) found that 7 percent were Hispanic. Still the figure is lower than the percent Hispanic in the total U.S. Catholic population today (estimated at 25 to 30 percent). Table 2 also shows that 9 percent are Asian or Pacific Islanders, a figure higher than the percent in the total U.S. Catholic population (an estimated 2 to 3 percent; see Davidson, et al., 1997, p. 16 1). Also 2 percent are African-American, which is less than the percentage African-American in the U.S. Catholic population (estimated at 3 to 4 percent; see Davidson, et al., p. 159).

Table 3: Country of Birth

* Less than 1/2 percent

Table 4: Highest Education Before Entering Seminary

Table 5: Any Catholic Education

The levels of Catholic schooling are much higher for the ordinands (Table 5) than is true of the total U.S. Catholic population. For example, in a 1993 nationwide Gallup survey, 54 percent of Catholics 54 or younger reported that they had attended Catholic elementary school and 26 percent said they had attended Catholic high school. The percent 35 to 54 years old who had attended Catholic college was only 10. (See D'Antonio, et al., 1996, p. 71.)

Table 6: Principal Work Experience

NOTE: Only 326 ordinands mentioned work experiences. Some mentioned more than one, so we coded up to two experiences.

* Less than 1/2 percent.

Table 7: Noteworthy Activities

NOTE: A total of 93 ordinands mentioned activities.

Table 8: Noteworthy or Interesting Hobbies

NOTE: A total of 185 ordinands mentioned hobbies.

Table 9: Recognitions

NOTE: A total of 29 ordinands mentioned recognitions.

* Less than 1/2 percent


References

D'Antonio, William V., James D. Davidson, Dean R. Hoge, and Ruth A. Wallace. Laity American and Catholic (Kansas City: Sheed and Ward, 1996).

Davidson, James D., et al. The Search for Common Ground: What Unites and Divides Catholic Americans (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1997).

Hemrick, Eugene F., and Dean R. Hoge. Seminary Life and Visions of the Priesthood: A National Survey of Seminarians (Washington, DC: National Catholic Educational Association, 1987).

3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington DC 20017-1194 | (202) 541-3000 © USCCB. All rights reserved.