A recent survey of diocesan priests found high levels of personal wellness and satisfaction in their ministry, as well as strong support for Bishop Galante’s leadership.
The survey was conducted in seventeen dioceses by the Saint Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland in collaboration with the Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated life, and Vocations of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The surveys were distributed to diocesan and religious order priests in the Diocese of Camden in late November. 142 priests responded to the survey.
The survey report by Rev. Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti, Ph.D., D.Min., President and CEO of Saint Luke Institute concluded that “overall the priests of the Diocese of Camden reported a good level of wellness and psychological health, higher than the general population. . .[O]verall, the priests of the Diocese of Camden compare very favorably to the general population on measures of phychological wellness.”
In particular, the report stated that the priests reported “exceptionally high” levels of satisfaction with priestly life and morale. 91 percent either agreed with the statement, “Overall, I am happy as a priest.” 87 percent reported that their morale was good.
The report also found that the priests reported a good relationship with their bishop, Most Reverend Joseph A. Galante, (72 percent). An equal number were supportive of his leadership (72 percent).
Significantly, the positive survey results on Bishop Galante’s leadership were obtained after the Bishop announced a reconfiguration of parishes in the diocese last April and after Priest Convener assignments were made last August. Priest Conveners are working with Core Teams to prepare merging parishes for reconfiguration.
“The level of support indicated by the priests for their Bishop is very striking, a sign of very strong support for a leader, especially compared to the population norm,” said Msgr. Rossetti.
The priests also reported a strong spiritual life, with priests reporting daily prayer, attendance at annual retreats, reception of the sacrament of penance, praying of the liturgy of the hours, the reading of spiritual books and magazines. 91 percent said they “feel a closeness to God,” 95 percent said they “have a relationship to God or Jesus that is nourishing for me,” and 92 percent agreed with the statement, “from time to time, I feel a joy that is a grace from God.”
“The overall results were very positive and should be a source of encouragement for the priests, the Bishop, and the entire Diocese. Clearly, the strength of its priests is a significant grace for the Diocese,” said Msgr. Rossetti.