Thanks to a generous grant from the GHR Foundation, the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) will conduct a follow-up study to its groundbreaking 2009 Study on Recent Vocations to Religious Life.

The 2009 NRVC/CARA Study on Newer Members set the benchmark for tracking vocation trends in the 21st century. Now a decade later, NRVC solicited the assistance of ten organizations to prepare for the new study. In November 2018, a Convening of national leaders was held in Buffalo, NY to provide professional insights for the new NRVC/CARA 2020 Study. The Mexican American Catholic College (MACC) was represented at the Convening by faculty member, Sr. Elizabeth Ann Guerrero, MCDP.

The 2020 NRVC/CARA Study of Recent Trends in Newer Vocations to Religious Life hopes to gather data on newer members, what attracts and sustains membership in religious life, provide a clearer direction in addressing the challenges and opportunities of inviting the next generation to religious life, and identify the trends and best practices in promoting vocations to religious life in the United States.

“It was an honor to represent MACC at the Convening and Convocation. The mission of the Mexican American Catholic College is to empower and educate leaders for service in a culturally diverse church and society. Thus, it is an opportune moment for MACC to take part in this Convening and assist NRVC in this study which will identify the changes and indicators of religious life in the 21st century. We are called to recognize the sign of our times and respond in ways that help us navigate the contours of this changing reality. It is important to include the voices of diversity, a range of experiences, and cultures. I believe these will strengthen competencies and assist institutions in developing long-term plans to address the needs of their existing and new members. I hope the results of the study helps religious institutes who are intentionally responding to the opportunities and challenges of growing cultural and generational diversity in their communities.”

More information about this important work can be found at this link:
https://nrvc.net/publication/9180/article/18301-2020-study-on-recent-vocations-underway