Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University is pleased to offer the Catholic Ministry Formation Directory 2013 (available May, 2013). CARA is also offering online access to the Ministry Formation Directory.

The Ministry Formation Directory is a revised and expanded bound and online edition of the indispensable reference for seminary, diaconate, and lay ministry formation programs, vocation offices, career counselors, parishes, and many others. The 2013 Directory contains a detailed analysis of participants in Catholic ministry formation programs – seminarians, deacon candidates, and men and women preparing for lay ecclesial ministry positions. It also contains a complete listing of the more than 550 Catholic ministry formation programs sponsored by the Catholic Church in the United States, organized by type, by state, and by diocese. Each entry includes a listing of current leadership for each program, enrollment data, contact information, and a detailed program description. The Directory also contains a statistical overview of ministry formation enrollments. The online Directory features an easy-to-use search function, as well as downloadable data and customized reports for an annual subscription fee of just $30.00.

For more information:

Ministry Formation Directory Statistical Overview

In American Catholics in Transition, the fifth book in this series on the American Catholic laity, sociologists William V. D’Antonio (of The Catholic University of America), Michele Dillon (of the University of New Hampshire) and Mary L. Gautier (Senior Research Associate at CARA) expand on the topics that were introduced in the first four editions using a series of surveys of American Catholics, age 18 and older, from 1987 to 2011.  This volume includes data on four distinct generations of Catholics active within the Church today.

The book provides timely information pertaining to Catholics' views regarding current pressing issues in the Church, such as the priest shortage, alternative liturgical arrangements, and same-sex marriage. The authors also provide the first full portrayal of how the growing numbers of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. are changing the Church.

The authors are able to point to dramatic changes in and across generations and gender, especially regarding Catholic identity, commitment, parish life, and Church authority. For example, many Millennial Catholics continue to remain committed to and active in the Church, but there are some interesting patters of difference within this generation: Hispanic Catholics are more likely than their non-Hispanic peers to emphasize social justice issues, such as immigration reform and concern for the poor; likewise, while Hispanic Millennial women are the most committed to the Church, non-Hispanic Millennial women are the least committed to Catholicism

For more information or to purchase the book, click below.

More information Purchase the Book Blog Post

Largest In-Pew Study of Catholics Released

The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project continues to release research reports intended to showcase the variety and impact of new models of pastoral leadership in the Catholic Church in the United States. Its vision is for a more fully collaborative, competent, and mission-focused pastoral leadership, strengthened in their service to parish communities at all levels. The project is made possible by the generosity of the Lilly Endowment Inc., and is sponsored by a collaboration of five national Catholic ministerial organizations. CARA has conducted a series of surveys in parishes nationwide since the project began in 2009.

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