From OSV News:
A new study has been launched by The Catholic University of America to explore why some priests choose to exit their ministry within a few years of ordination.
“There is a perception among some bishops and other Catholic leaders that there has been an increase in the number of men leaving priestly ministry in their early years,” said university official Sara Perla. “We wanted to find out whether that has any basis in the numbers, and if so, what might be contributing to it.” The university’s research initiative, funded by the Knights of Columbus, will “deepen understanding of the factors behind why Catholic priests decide to leave public ministry,” said lead researcher Brandon Vaidyanathan, professor of sociology at the university and director of its Institutional Flourishing Lab.