Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Czestochowa (Agenzia Fides) - The most widely-read Catholic periodical in Poland, “Niedziela,” based in Czestochowa, has published today (April14) the results of a survey on priestly and religious vocations in John Paul II’s homeland, in these past three years since his death. The survey was performed by the Institute for Statistics in the Catholic Church, under the guidance of Father Witold Zdaniewicz, for the Catholic periodical Niedzela.
According to the results of the survey, for Polish Catholics, the priestly vocation is one of the most important and fundamental aspects of religious life. 55.7% said that they hoped that their son would become a priest. However, only 14.9% said that they would like their daughter to become a religious sister and only 22.3% would give their consent to their daughter’s religious vocation. According to the study, the most vital ingredients in fostering a priestly vocation were the family (39.3%), the personality of the candidate for the priesthood (32.2%), and the personal example of the parish priest (27.4%). For Polish Catholics, the priest’s role is very important in the Church (96.7%) and 87.2% of those asked said that the priestly vocation has a positive influence in society.
For 70% of those asked, the vocation to the priesthood is cultivated in the parish groups of altarboys and assistants. With that in mind, during the Week of Prayer for Vocations, on April 11-12, the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Czestochowa sponsored a vocational encounter and a liturgical workshop for altarboys. “Through this initiative, we wish to present the valuable and important reality of the Church today. We wish to bear witness to the fact that the liturgy is the heart of the Church’s daily activity,” explained Father Jacek Zielinski, moderator-prefect of the Major Seminary. “Among the parishes in our Archdiocese, there are so many groups of altarboys and youth groups that help to form a natural environment in the Church for fostering priestly vocations.” In the liturgical workshops, the seminarians presented the history of the liturgy and the practical aspects of liturgical celebrations. (MF/SL) (Agenzia Fides 14/4/2008; righe 27, parole 339)
