Entering Priesthood/Convent is Not What Catholic Parents Encourage

 

In the past when families were large, entering the priesthood training was the pride of parents and siblings. Now it is seen as peculiar. The commitment of years in training and celibacy is no longer on the table for either many parents or children. Some lament this and blame parents and young people. 

We all know the variables punishing against being in the Catholic clergy. Plenty of Protestant denominations need clergy but also have in place ridiculous obstacles. 

A couple of generations ago families were bigger. Parents may not have lamented a childless child of their own. With only one or two children, the notion of a celibate adult child may not seem as appealing.

College costs are more formidable today. Even with the denomination subsidizing the entire life package may not look appealing. If one works all of his/her life, the retirement reward of a nice place in Florida may look better than the denomination's housing for poor clergy. 

Most young people look forward to a career doing something that seems important to them. When the faith slides in popularity one would expect working in it seems less important than in previous decades.

For Catholics, importing young men from poorer countries was a way to staff priest positions. Such young men may have seen being a priest in the U.S. as stepping up in economic class. With Trump stopping so many from entering the country this must be causing shortages. 

In both the Catholic and Protestant branches, lots of clergy selling the faith as volunteers is needed. The economic model of expensive training followed by little pay will not work.