Catholic University of America launches study on priests leaving ministry

The Catholic University of America has started a study to investigate why some priests leave public ministry within a few years of ordination. University official Sara Perla said the research addresses a perception among some bishops and Catholic leaders that more men are leaving the priesthood during their early years. The study seeks to determine if this perception is supported by data and what factors contribute to these departures.

The research is funded by the Knights of Columbus and led by Brandon Vaidyanathan, a sociology professor and director of the university's Institutional Flourishing Lab. Vaidyanathan is collaborating with Stephen Cranney, Maureen Day, Joseph Davis, and Caitlin Fitzgerald. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University will compile an anonymized data set including priests ordained for United States dioceses between 2006 and 2025.

The project will use both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the reasons behind these decisions. The university expects to release the results in the fall of 2027.