Class of 2026: Ordinands to Priesthood

This report presents findings from a national survey of seminarians scheduled for ordination to the priesthood in 2026. The report is a part of collaboration between the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and CARA. The purpose of this report is to compile information regarding men who are ordained to priesthood in the United States, within a particular year. CARA has conducted this research annually with the USCCB since 2006.

An example of findings from this years report (left) show the trends in the relationship between Catholic education and ordination. Catholic schools, parish-based religious education, and schooling in a Catholic home are all contributing. Read the full report by clicking below:

Entrance Class of 2025

Since 2014, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has commissioned CARA to conduct annual surveys of women and men who enter religious life each year in a religious congregation, province, or monastery based in the United States. CARA gathers information about the characteristics and experiences of these women and men in a fashion similar to the survey of perpetually professed that CARA conducts each year for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, To read this year’s report click below.

The Impact of Marian Devotions on Vocations

This report presents findings from a survey of U.S. bishops, diocesan priests, permanent deacons, deacon directors, and major superiors of men and women about the impact of Marian devotion on their ecclesial vocations. The survey was designed by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University in collaboration with the Diocese of Saginaw. Altogether there were 1,091 respondents.