Why do some priests leave ministry? New study aims to find out

The Catholic University of America has launched a study to investigate why some priests exit ministry within a few years of ordination. The research seeks to determine if there is a factual increase in the number of men leaving the priesthood during their early years, as some bishops and Catholic leaders have suggested.

Lead researcher Brandon Vaidyanathan, a sociology professor and director of the university's Institutional Flourishing Lab, said the study will examine the factors behind these decisions. The project is funded by the Knights of Columbus and includes collaboration with data scientist Stephen Cranney, sociologist Maureen Day, Joseph Davis of the University of Virginia, and Caitlin Fitzgerald of the University of Notre Dame.

The study will use quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze anonymized data from priests ordained in United States dioceses between 2006 and 2025. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University will compile the data set. Researchers expect to release the results in the fall of 2027.