Back in March, CARA (the Center for Applied Research on the Apostolate) produced their annual report on the ordination class of 2011. Since they include all those studying in US-based seminaries, the two American seminaries in Europe and for a US diocese / religious province, they include almost everyone.
However they don’t include us Legionaries as we all study our final years at our international seminary here in Rome and momentarily all pertain to the Territory of Italy. Don’t take this as a complaint. The study scope is American Ordinations not Americans to be ordained and we don’t meet their legitimate criteria.
I have mentioned this study because I think the comparison can help shed light on our ordinations. This year we have a particularly large class of Americans, 14 – it may be our biggest American class ever. (Although unfortunately we have no Canadians this year or next.)
The CARA report says that 54 religious ordinands responded to the questionnaire and gives a 69% overall response rate, so let’s assume there will be 78 Americans ordained for religious communities this year. If the Legionaries were counted, we would increase this number by 18% to 92.
It lists the two orders with most ordinands responding – 9 – as the Jesuits and Dominicans. Even assume they have 13 a piece (based on 69% responding), the Legion would have the largest American ordination class this year by 1 priest.
The median age of religious ordinands is 38 years old, and knowing the American Legionaries, I am almost certain none is that old (I don’t even think one reaches the mean of 36). Our average would be between 31 and 33 which means 5 to 7 years more ministry for each new priest, 1825 to 2555 more masses celebrated per priest, many more retreats preached, and so many more confessions heard for each new priest.
One factor that could affect this is the education before entering. On the question of the highest degree of education achieved before entering the seminary 0% of the religious and 2% of diocesan ordinands said “elementary school.” Half of the Legionary ordinands come from the apostolic school and would thus fit into this category.
Looking at this picture, I hope you begin to see how the Legion is set to be a big help to the North American Church – a gift to the Church. You can also see some of the unique elements of our ordination class compared with the average. Every priest is a gift of God to his Church. Please pray for all the Americans to be ordained priests this year.
Find out about the Legionary deaconate ordinations at: http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/imprimir.phtml?se=362&ca=966&te=707&id=33866&opcion=1 and http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/imprimir.phtml?se=362&ca=966&te=707&id=33844&opcion=1.
Read the CARA report at: http://www.usccb.org/vocations/classof2011/ordination-class-2011-report.pdf.
I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the contribution of the Legion within the Church. Whatever human recognition we get is irrelevant. God knows. That is all that matters.
I just need to provide an update on this post. I was wrong. It turns out they just didn’t know how to get in touch with our ordinands and want to include us in the future.
I forwarded this post to a Legionary superior who I thought might enjoy it and he suggested I should try to contact them. They were happy to hear from me and admitted that the reasons I mentioned that we weren’t counted (we all study our final years at our international seminary here in Rome and all Legionaries are members of the whole Legion not one territory unlike most religious) were the reasons they didn’t know how to contact us but wanted to find a way to get the list of our American ordinands each year. Right now, I am trying to figure out exactly who would be the best contact person to help them out.
And Mrs Luttinen, you are dead on that human recognition is irrelevant.