The Impact of Student Loans on Vocations to Religious Life | EWTN News Nightly

About this sermon

A new study takes a closer look at the impact of educational debt on vocations to religious life and the priesthood in the United States. According to findings from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, 80% of dioceses face formal applicants with student loan debt. 70% of religious institutes report being impacted by the student loan debt of their serious inquirers. And in the past 5 years, more than $3 million in student loan debt has been carried to religious institutes and dioceses. One Catholic group is trying to help those with student debt still enter religious life. Executive Director of the Laboure Society, John Flanagan, joins to share how many individuals considering religious vocation are affected by student loan debt and how much debt we are talking about. Flanagan discusses why this is an issue and why vocations are affected by this. He tells us whether this is the greatest barrier for American vocations and whether future prospects and religious are forced to wait on their religious calling because of the way the American educational system works. Flanagan explains what the most significant way is that the Laboure Society partners with those who feel called to become priests and nuns. ------------ EWTN News Nightly provides the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Join host Tracy Sabol, our Capitol Hill, White House and Rome Correspondents, as well as many other diverse guests daily, to get the latest from the U.S. and the Vatican on topics regarding our Catholic faith and interests. ------------- EWTN News Nightly airs on EWTN weekdays at 6pm & 9pm ET. ------------ Don't miss an episode of EWTN New Nightly. Get updates here: https://www.ewtn.com/tv/shows/ewtn-news-nightly ------------- Sign up today to receive the EWTN News Nightly newsletter: https://www.ewtn.com/enn ------------- Follow EWTN News Nightly on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ewtnnewsnightly Twitter: https://twitter.com/EWTNNewsNightly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ewtnnewsnightly/ ------------- Subscribe to EWTN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/EWTN ------------- You can support the EWTN News mission: https://bit.ly/3qDR1qf