Same Call, Different Men

by Gautier, Mary L.; Perl, Paul M.; Fichter, Stephen J.

• ISBN13: 9780814634295
• ISBN10: 081463429X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-05-15
• Publisher: Liturgical Pr

Summary

Far-reaching changes continue to take place in the American priesthood. Building on insights gained from four previous surveys, Same Call, Different Men uses fresh data from a 2009 survey-jointly implemented by the National Federation of Priests' Councils and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate - in which nine hundred priests shared attitudes and stories about their lives and ministry. Among topics covered are the challenges of ministry with fewer ordinations and larger parishes, ministering to an increasingly multicultural laity, collaboration with lay leaders, and personal reflections on the sexual abuse issue. It also relates the many satisfactions of being a priest, one who brings Christ to others and who is invited into many profound moments of individual lives. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Mary L. Gautier is a senior research associate at CARA, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, where she specializes in Catholic demographic trends in the United States and edits The CARA Report, a quarterly research publication. She taught sociology at Louisiana State University and Texas Christian University and has served as a lay pastoral associate. She holds a doctorate in sociology and has coauthored several books. Paul M. Perl is a research associate at CARA, focusing on attitudinal surveys of lay Catholoics and surveys of priests for dioceses. His research interests include the effects of Catholic schooling, public opinion in reaction to the sex abuse scandal, and Spanish-speaking Catholics. He has a PhD in sociology from the University of Norre Dame and lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and son. Stephen J. Fichter is a research associate and former in interim executive director at CARA and the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Haworth, New Jersey. He specializes in clergy research and leads the collaboration between CARA and the National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy. He has a PhD in sociology from Rutgers University.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Introduction and Background	p. ix
Demographic Changes and Changes in Priestly Ministry	p. 1
Satisfaction in Priestly Life and Ministry	p. 18
Challenges in Priestly Life and Ministry	p. 48
Collaboration in Ministry	p. 70
The Multicultural Reality of Priestly Ministry Today	p. 92
Effects of the Sexual Abuse Scandal	p. 112
The Sexual Abuse Scandal and the Stories of Nine Priests	p. 148
Looking to the Future: Who Is Encouraging the Next Generation of Priests?	p. 184
Commentaries:
Reflections from an Archbishop	p. 204
Reflections from a Former Seminary Rector	p. 209
Reflections on a Changing Ministry and Changing Ministers	p. 217
Reflections on the Happiness of Priests and the Impact on Parishes	p. 225
References	p. 233
Index	p. 237
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