The history of religious life in the Catholic Church has been filled with change: periods of membership growth and decline, shifts in the types of ministries, and changes in the ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds of the men and women who join. Today, as the numbers of new members diminish, some say that the very future of religious life is in jeopardy. What is the state of religious life in the United States today? Which institutes are increasing in membership and which are decreasing or ceasing to exist? From what ethnic and socioeconomic populations are they drawing their members? What new religious institutes and ecclesial movements are being founded and how successful are they? What influences a young man or woman to consider religious life today? How are religious from other countries shaping religious life here as they come to the US to minister? Many of these questions can be addressed by data from studies of religious life in the US which the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) has conducted over the last ten years. The impact of the individual's family dynamics and educational experience before their entrance into religious life is examined here, as well as the influence of an increasing number of Catholic volunteer programs. The emergence of lay associates in religious institutes and the birth of new religious institutes since Vatican Council II in the United States are investigated as new ways of living religious life. The increase in the number of sisters and priests studying and ministering in the United States from other countries is examined for its impact on religious life. The authors' findings yield valuable recommendations for religious institutes and vocation directors who wish to attract new members.

To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent and stable order of ministry in the United States, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University undertook a contemporary study of the diaconate in the United States. Building on studies completed in 1981 and 1995 as well as annual research that CARA has conducted for the USCCB since 2005, CARA designed a comprehensive study of deacons, their wives, diaconate directors, and bishops to explore all aspects of this ministry. This book explores trends in the diaconate as well as current and emerging opportunities and challenges in the ministry. Deacons and their wives, diaconate directors, and bishops share insights about how those trends impact diaconal ministry today and into the future.