(OSV News) -- Personal encouragement to consider whether Jesus Christ is calling them to priesthood, along with regular Eucharistic adoration, continue to be key factors for young men seeking to become priests, according to a new report.
"Encourage a young man to consider the priesthood or to attend Eucharistic adoration; he could be your future pastor," said Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing, Michigan.
The bishop, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, shared his thoughts in an April 24 statement announcing the release of the 2025 "Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood."
Since 2006, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, or CARA, has overseen the report that is provided to the USCCB.
The report comes in advance of the 62nd annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated this year on May 11, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday in the Latin Church. The Gospel passage (Jn 10:27-30) for the Mass highlights Jesus' role as the Good Shepherd.
In what would be his final message for the day of prayer, Pope Francis -- writing from Rome's Gemelli hospital March 19 amid his final illness -- urged that "every effort be made to foster vocations in the various spheres of human life and activity, and to help individuals to be spiritually open to the Lord's voice."
He also exhorted the faithful to "have the courage to pause, to listen to what your heart tells you, and to ask God about his dreams for you."
The late pope's emphasis on the need for prayer and communal support for men and women discerning their vocations dovetailed with the data in CARA's report. It found that 78% of the survey participants had participated in regular Eucharistic adoration before entering the seminary, with 89% encouraged to consider priesthood by someone in their life: either by a parish priest (60%), friend (52%) or fellow parishioner (42%).
Jesuit Father Thomas P. Gaunt, CARA's executive director, told OSV News "there's been more emphasis on Eucharistic adoration in the last couple of decades," adding, "It's just become a more common devotional prayer practice."
He also said that "folks have just become more cognizant" of the CARA report's "point about encouragement" as a factor in developing priestly vocations.
This year's online survey, conducted from Jan. 10-March 10, was completed by 309 out of the 405 men being ordained priests this year who were invited to participate, a response rate of 76%. The ordinands represent 115 U.S. dioceses and eparchies and 36 distinct religious institutes.
Among the responding dioceses, 36 reported they did not have any men set to be ordained in 2025.
Most of the respondents (80%) are preparing for ordination to a diocese or eparchy, with 20% seeking ordination in religious institutes.
A majority said they had first considered priesthood at age 16. The average age for ordination, 34, is consistent with the age range of 33-37 reported since 1999.
Most (69%) of the 2025 ordination class is white or Anglo, with 12% Hispanic or Latino, another 12% Asian or Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, and 6% Black, African American or African.
Just over a quarter of responding ordinands (26%) are foreign-born -- coming to live in the U.S. on average 15 years ago at 21 years old -- with Mexico (5%), Vietnam (4%), and the Philippines (3%) the most common countries of origin among them.
An overwhelming majority (92%) had been baptized Catholic as an infant; those who reported becoming Catholic later in life typically did so at an average age of 22.
Close to nine in 10 (85%) respondents said they grew up with both parents as Catholics, and most (95%) were raised by their biological parents during the most formative part of childhood.
About one third (31%) reported having a relative who is a priest or religious.
More than half of the respondents (63%) had completed an undergraduate (41%) or graduate (22%) degree prior to entering the seminary, with philosophy, engineering and business topping the areas of study.
At least 73% of responding ordinands attended a Catholic school before entering the seminary. Among the responding ordinands, 46% had attended a Catholic elementary school, 36% attended a Catholic high school and 36% attended a Catholic college.
Most (66%) ordinands had worked full time prior to entering the seminary, with 6% serving in the nation's armed forces.
While most respondents reported receiving personal encouragement regarding their vocations, 43% noted they faced discouragement from pursuing priesthood, usually by a friend, parent or other family member.
Along with Eucharistic adoration, praying the rosary (72%), participating in a prayer or Bible study group (48%) and Lectio Divina (41%) were significant practices cited by respondents. More than half (51%) had been in a parish youth group prior to their seminary entrance.
"We pray for the continued fidelity of the newly ordained to the voice of God and for the faithful to whom they will minister," said Bishop Boyea. "As witnesses of hope, we thank them for their courage to commit their lives to what Pope Francis said is a call that embraces their entire existence."
