428 Men Preparing for Priesthood: Prayer & Encouragement

WASHINGTON — A Georgetown University study of men entering the priesthood this year found that prayer and personal encouragement shaped their path to ordination.

The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate surveyed 334 of the 428 ordinands scheduled for ordination in 2026 across 110 U.S. dioceses and 34 religious institutes. The survey, released ahead of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 26, offers a snapshot of future priests who may serve parishes including those in Miami-Dade County.

Most ordinands maintained robust prayer lives before seminary. Eighty-one percent participated regularly in Eucharistic adoration, 79% prayed the Rosary regularly, 52% joined prayer or Bible groups, and 48% practiced Lectio Divina.

Personal encouragement proved decisive in their discernment. Ninety-two percent said someone urged them to consider priesthood. Parish priests led at 70%, followed by friends at 49% and parishioners at 44%.

The survey found 17% of respondents identified as Hispanic or Latino. Ninety-three percent were baptized Catholic as infants, and 97% were raised primarily by their biological parents.

Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, called vocations "a sign of God's free gift of merciful love to a world in need of salvation."