A Study of the Background, Level of Job Satisfaction, Maturity, and Morale of "Delayed Vocation" Catholic Priests
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was a positive relationship between "late vocations" and more mature, satisfied priests. It also sought to determine if there were some demographic differences that distinguish second-career priests from first-career priest...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
1981
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| In: |
Review of religious research
Year: 1981, Volume: 22, Issue: 4, Pages: 328-345 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | The primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was a positive relationship between "late vocations" and more mature, satisfied priests. It also sought to determine if there were some demographic differences that distinguish second-career priests from first-career priests. The subjects for the study were 67 men ordained from Pope John XXIII National Seminary for Delayed Vocations in Weston, Massachusetts, during the years 1967-1975. Each of these priests was matched with a first-career priest on the basis of number of years ordained, diocese, and type of work engaged in as a priest. Significant demographic differences were found in the areas of family size, parents' educational and occupational level, Catholic school training, number of relatives in religious life, and ordinal position in the family. The findings did not support the theoretical assumptions that second-career priests would have a greater degree of job satisfaction, maturity, and morale, at least as these variables were measured by the "Job Descriptive Index," the "Personal Orientation Index," and the "Purpose in Life Test." But both groups of priests came across as very normal groups of men. The findings would not raise any doubts about the wisdom of making greater efforts to recruit older men for the priesthood, though they would call attention to some functional realities of the priesthood that appear to be a cause of dissatisfaction for priests. |
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| ISSN: | 2211-4866 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Review of religious research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/3509766 |