Tuesday, December 27, 2005
A Bit of Sociology
Vatican II called for training seminarians in psychology and sociology, but somehow neglected to mention updating the already-ordained in these disciplines.
I had a nice chat with our dicoese's most recently ordained deacon (on his way to the presbyterate) last night before Mass. Someone told him the Serra Club event was 5PM. I could sympathize; someone told me 6:30, which I put in my appointment calendar, but the parish schedule had it listed for 6.
Anyway, Steve and I were talking about one blinding weakness from the chancery group-mind: What changes have we seen in the past three generations in Catholics attending secular colleges over Catholic institutions, and how does this affect the twenty-something vocation landscape, especially considering the cutbacks in campus ministry the past twenty years?
I don't know if all of today's seminarians are conservatives, but if they do trend in that direction, is it because they're the only group the old guard targets? And if it's true, is the so-called JPII Priesthood only a weak half-sister compared to the pre-WWII boon? That's hardly a movement of the Spirit, I'd say.
