A new report offers some surprising — and troubling — insight into why a lot of young men had second or third thoughts about the priesthood:

Conversations around the kitchen table may be more responsible for the shortage of Roman Catholic priests in the U.S. than influences from American culture, a new study suggests.

Almost 45% of Catholic priests planning to be ordained this year said they were discouraged from considering the priesthood, according to a survey produced by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University for the U.S. bishops.

Of those, nearly 6 in 10 said a parent or family member was the source of the discouragement. Fifty-one percent said a friend or classmate had counseled them against the priesthood, and 15% said a priest or other clergy had. The percentages add up to more than 100 because respondents could select more than one category.

You can visit the CARA website for more research and findings. The full report is also at the USCCB website.

And the table below, from CNS, offers a snapshot of the study. Click on it to enlarge.