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| Fr. Mark P. Scalese, S.J. |
Once there were nearly 100 Jesuits — members of an order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in the 16th century — at Fairfield University. Today, there are 22. Only six are professors; the others are administrators, or retired. That means some of the university’s 3,200 undergraduates will make it through four years without having a single Jesuit professor. The graying of the Jesuit population is felt at each of the 28 Jesuit-run institutions of higher learning in the United States, from Georgetown University in Washington, founded in 1789, to Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, established in 1954. Nationwide, the number of Jesuits has declined, to under 3,000 from about 10,000 in 1965. More than half are over age 60.
That they aren’t being replaced by younger Jesuits is the result of social and economic circumstances, including increased opportunity for poor Catholics and the stringent requirements of the priesthood. (“In my experience, mandatory celibacy is far and away the biggest deal breaker,” says Father Scalese.)
But the declining numbers “don’t mean we’re all sulking off into the sunset,” says the Rev. Dr. Charles L. Currie, president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
Link (here) to read the full New York Times article
6 comments:
"Mandatory celibacy is far and away the biggest deal breaker"
That doesn't seem to be holding back recruitment by some of the newer orders.
It certainly was not a problem in the 60's at the height of the Jesuit vocations boom. Sounds like Father took an opportunity to promote his own personal politics.
Maybe if we live long enough we will see married homosexual priests w/ "same sex" benefits...
I'm sure celebacy is to blame for the vocation crisis. It has nothing to do with the fine example of campus minister Fr. Paul Carrier, who was shagging (then student, now convicted pedophile) Doug Perlitz. Nope, nothing at all.
They get the vocations they deserve.
Put a collar on Padre! Your a priest, not Martin Scorsese.
As I write this, I see above the text box the words "Respectful and thoughtful comments welcome." Yet so many of the comments are snide and negative. You take Fr Scalese to task because he says that in his experience mandatory celibacy is a deal-breaker for people considering a vocation. That's not his fault. He has committed himself to celibacy, so why are you taking it out on him? So many blogs with a Catholic theme lack any of the charity that out to characterize our discourse. Time for an examination of conscience.
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