Typical new US priest: 34-year-old cradle Catholic who prays Rosary, takes part in Eucharistic adoration

April 17, 2025

The typical member of the priestly ordination class of 2025 is a 34-year-old cradle Catholic, according to a newly released survey of 309 of the 405 men slated to be ordained to the priesthood in the United States this year. The survey was conducted for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

The typical ordinand regularly took part in Eucharistic adoration and prayed the Rosary before entering seminary, according to the survey.

80% of the men were preparing for the diocesan priesthood, with the largest number of responses coming from seminarians in the Diocese of Arlington (ten) and the Diocese of Cleveland (seven). Among members of religious communities, the largest number of respondents came from the Jesuits (twelve) and the Dominicans (nine).

37% of the men attended seminaries in the Midwest, 29% in the South, 16% in the Northeast, 13% in the West, and 5% abroad.

26% of the ordinands are foreign born, with the most typical foreign countries of birth being Mexico (5%), Vietnam (4%), and the Philippines (3%). On average, these foreign-born seminarians have lived in the United States for 15 years and arrived in the US at the age of 21.

A disproportionately high percentage of ordinands attended a Catholic elementary school (46%), Catholic high school (36%), or Catholic college (36%).

In addition, a disproportionately high percentage were home schooled: 15% were home schooled, typically for nine years, at a time when 3% of US children were educated at home. If one assumes that all of the homeschooled seminarians came from the United States, then 20% of US-born ordinands were home schooled.

Among the survey’s findings:

• the typical diocesan ordinand lived in his diocese for 17 years before entering seminary
• the typical religious ordinand knew members of his religious institute for six years before entering seminary
• 69% of ordinands are white, 12% are Hispanic, 12% are Asian-American, and 6% are black
• 8% are converts, with the average age of reception into the Church being 22
• 31% have a relative who was a priest or religious
• 85% of the time, both parents were Catholic when the ordinand was a child
• 89% of the time, the ordinand, when a child, grew up in a home with a married couple living together (typically parents, and sometimes grandparents). 3% grew up with a separated or divorced parent, and 3% with a widowed parent.
• 6% have served in the US Armed Forces; 12% had a parent with a military career
• 72% regularly prayed the Rosary, and 78% regularly participated in Eucharistic adoration, before entering the seminary
• ordinands typically first began to consider the priesthood at 16
• 66% were encouraged by a parish priest to consider a vocation; 52% were encouraged by a friend, 42% by a parishioner, 38% by their mother, and 29% by their father.
• 43% were discouraged by someone from considering a priestly vocation. 5% were discouraged by a priest or other clergy; 12% were discouraged by their fathers, 12% by their mothers, 21% by other family members, and 19% by a friend
• ordinands, on average, have three siblings; 21% have five or more siblings, and 3% have no siblings
• 31% are the oldest children in their families; 30% are the youngest
• 63% had earned their undergraduate degree before entering seminary, and 22% had earned a graduate degree
• 27% had educational debt when entering seminary (median amount: $20,000 upon entrance to seminary, $13,000 at ordination). 36% received assistance from family members, and 19% from a religious community, in paying down their debt.
• 51% took part in a parish youth group, 35% in Catholic campus ministry, 23% in the Knights of Columbus or Knights of St. Peter Claver, 22% in a parish young adult group, 21% in Boy Scouts, and 10% in a pro-life group
• 10% took part in the charismatic renewal, and 4% in Cursillo
• 15% took part in a Franciscan University of Steubenville high school youth conference, 14% in a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) SEEK conference,11% in a World Youth Day, and 8% in a National Catholic Youth Conference
• 73% had served as altar servers, 46% as readers, 34% as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and 32% as catechists before entering seminary
• 46% participated in a “Come and See” weekend before entering seminary

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