Same Call, Different Men: The Evolution of the Priesthood since Vatican II

Far-reaching changes continue to take place in the American priesthood. Building on insights gained from four previous surveys, Same Call, Different Men uses fresh data from a 2009 survey-jointly implemented by the National Federation of Priest's Councils and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate-in which 900 priests shared attitudes and stories about their lives and ministry. Among topics covered are the challenges of ministry with fewer ordinations and larger parishes, ministering to an increasingly multicultural laity, collaboration with lay leaders, and personal reflections on the sexual abuse issue. It also relates the many satisfactions of being a priest, one who brings Christ to others and who is invited into many profound moments of individual lives.

Mary L. Gautier is a senior research associate at CARA, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, Washington, DC, where she specializes in Catholic demographic trends in the United States, and edits The CARA Report, a quarterly research publication. She taught sociology at Louisiana State University and Texas Christian University and has served as a lay pastoral associate. She holds a doctorate in sociology and has co-authored several books.