Quotations

"Today, because of their number, priests by themselves cannot fulfil this complete three-fold role of evangelising, sanctifying and shepherding, especially in big parishes where the needs are too great, too numerous and too various.   The decline in vocations to priesthood is therefore, not only a challenge to pray for more priests, but also a challenge to avail of the talents of many lay people...But just as the priest needs the cooperation of the laity to fulfill his role, the laity too, need the priest to fulfill theirs. First and foremost they need him for his proclamation of the Word and his celebration of the Eucharist."

(Saint Josephs Young Priests Society)


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Positive Statistics Realeased
Rev. Fr. Dr. Micheál MacGréil launched his report on religious attitudes in the Republic 2007-2008 on Tuesday last in Maynooth.
This is what he said about Vocations to the Priesthood and Sisterhood:
Attitudes toward a vocation to the priesthood and the sisterhood were measured by means of a question replicated from the 1988-89 survey, i.e. “If you had a son/daughter and he/she came to you and said he/she had decided to become a priest/nun, how would you respond? The replies of respondents were quite supportive. Some 64% and 61% respectively would encourage their sons or daughters to pursue their vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Only 12% and 15% would discourage them to become a priest or a nun (respectively). Once again this relatively high support was down by 15% and 14% nominally since 1988-89 and the discouragement percentage was up 9% (see Table No. 7.2, page 112). In the case of the ‘marital status’ variable, it was interesting to record that ‘married’ and ‘widowed’ respondents were most supportive of their children pursuing vocations (see page 118). In other words, those likely to have children were more favourably disposed than respondents who were ’single and unmarried’.

Fr. MacGréil named the two ministries he would prioritise if he was a bishop: to women and to third-level students.  At the end of his report, he also made these Suggestions and Recommendations;

1. Serious research into the causes of religious indifference;
2. The setting up of a Church Commission to report on the urban pastoral situation;
3. Support for family and local community, including family prayer;
4. Catechetics and pastoral pedagogy should be re-appraised;
5. The need for a range of liturgical services to respond to the variety of cultural tastes in the community;
6. Respond to crisis in vocations on a broad basis;
7. Urgent need for a revival of the Sacrament of Penance;
8. A united Christian Churches' initiative towards Christian ecumenism, leading to an "integrated pluralist form of unity", is called for.



Meitheamh 2009. Micheál MacGréil, S.J. (Author and Director of Research).
The full report is available in Veritas and in the Gardiner Street bookshop.
 
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