From The Catholic Project:
We measure priests’ well-being using one of the most comprehensive quantitative measures available, the Harvard Flourishing Index. This instrument is a series of ten questions, each measured on a scale from 0-10, covering key dimensions of well-being such as happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, sense of meaning
and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships.+
Our data reveal an average score of 82 out of 100 for priests and 83 out of 100 for bishops. These averages are relatively high in comparison to the general population.6 In fact, using the cutoff scoring recommended by the Harvard team, a full 77% of priests and 81% of bishops can be categorized as “flourishing.” This finding is corroborated by other research on priests, which also finds high levels of well-being.
Priestly formation equips priests with regular practices to cultivate closeness with God and healthy relationships in their community. Such practices are important contributors to the wellbeing of priests. In this study and in others, results consistently support this expectation: despite the trials and stressors of their lives, U.S. priests enjoy higher-than-average levels of well-being.
As one religious priest told us: “I’m happy in my life. I find true joy. I love what I do. love the people. I feel like I’m firing on all cylinders. I every day remind myself how I am incapable on my own power to do this. I say, ‘God, this is your Church, you take care of it; where you need me, give me what I need. Don’t let me get in the way.’ … What I do is meaningful and impactful.”+
The sense of meaning and purpose that priests find in their vocation is a key contributor to their well-being. Only 4% of priests report that they are thinking of leaving the priesthood. However, possessing this sense of purpose does not mean that priests do not suffer, or that their well-being cannot be eroded. Among priests’ very real professions of contentment and fulfillment in our interviews, we found ample evidence of their challenges and stresses. Some of these stressors contribute to burnout in priestly ministry.
+