Teens Urged to Consider Religious Vocation
A National Catholic Youth Conference encouraged the nearly 24,000 teenagers attending to consider religious vocations and help reverse the declining number of priests, sisters and brothers.
Participation by 49 bishops in round-table discussions underscored the need for young recruits.
Brother James McVeigh, a Franciscan vocation director in South Huntington, N.Y., said youths in the current generation are more open to making a commitment than their predecessors.
From 1965 to 2001, the U.S. Roman Catholic population grew from 45.6 million to 60.6 million while the number of priests dropped from 58,632 to 45,191. During the same period, the number of sisters declined nearly 57% and the number of religious brothers dropped by 55%.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
