Most religious orders in the U.S. suffer from aging membership, diminishing numbers and few if any new candidates, according to the study conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate for the National Religious Vocation Conference.
The report confirmed what many have speculated: The few orders that are attracting and retaining younger members are more traditional. That generally means fidelity to the church and members who live together, take part in daily devotions together and explicitly choose religious orders that require habits.
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2 comments:
As I read this my mind flashed to:
"To the Jews I am a Jew..."
I had the same thought a few days ago when I walked past a table staffed by religious people to promote their religion. Could they be any more alienating?
Good priest friends also bemoan the steady and palpable decrease in the average IQ of seminarians.
In the long-term, this will greatly change the church's character and standing in society.
At the end of the day, we may have a very traditional and faithful church, which essentially is a cousin to the Civil War reenactment societies.
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