the secret ingredient

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Aug 14, 2009

 John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter makes another interesting observation, this time about the fact that some American religious orders are growing while others are contracting:

One sign of which way the winds are blowing: Just one percent of women’s communities belonging to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, known for having a more liberal outlook, currently have more than 10 new members in initial formation, whereas a robust 28 percent of communities belonging to the Conference of Major Superiors of Women, known for being more conservative, have 10 or more members in the early stages of membership.

You might conclude that a religious order's affiliation with the LCWR acts as a brake on new vocations. That wouldn't be entirely logical; there are many other factors involved. But it wouldn't be entirely wrong, either.