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NUMERICAL DECLINE OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES SINCE 1964

Religious Difference SOME STRIKING Orders and 1964/1977 STATISTICS Congregations 12 131 12 500 12 070 10 037 -2 463 Capuchins 15 849 15 751 15 575 12 475 - 3 276 - The table alongside gives statistics for Dominicans 9 991 10091 9 946 8 773 1 318 the 62 religious congregations of men 26 961 27 140 26 666 21 504 -5 636 17584 11 484 - 6 497 . 17 981 with more than 1,000 members in . 17710 - Jesuits 35 438 35 968 35 573 28 038 7 930 1962. - 10 068 10 230 10 125 6 291 3 939 9 308 9 450 9 080 6 888 - 2 562 uniform decline in member- - The Salesians 21 355 22 042 21 900 17 535 4 507 ship is striking.

practically all the Congrega- For 4 273 4 353 4 447 3 650 703 1964 was the peak year, and 3 425 625 tions, . 4 050 . 4 050 4016 since then all except one have de- Conventuals 4 650 4 650 4 590 4000 650 4 333 1 659 clined in membership, the one ex- Vincentians 5 966 5 992 5 900 7 623 7 526 6 271 1 352 ception being an Indian Congrega- O.M.I 7 592 3 935 4 065 4 204 3 194 871 tion - the Carmelites of Mary Im- White Fathers 4 083 4 120 3 749 3 235 885 maculate. Spiritans 5 200 5 200 5 060 4 081 1 119 4 339 4 211 3819 3 179 1 032 What, one may ask, is this tidal S.V.D 5 588 5 746 5 693 5 243 503 wave that has engulfed all the Con- gregations, broken their ascent and condemned them to statistical decline? Calced Carmelites .... 2.943 3 075 3.007 2 134 941 What has affected them all, in all the 3 720 3 770 3 468 2884 886 - 1 049 292 countries of and America Clerics of Pious Schools 2 498 2 540 2 429 .... 3 500 3 814 3 779 3 078 736 active Congregatiops as well as con- Christian Brothers Ploermel Brothers .... 2 220 2 220 2012 1 640 580 templative, teaching Congregations Brothers 3 052 3 124 3116 2 131 993 well as hospitallers? as Marists 2 777 2 320 2 364 2013 307 3315 2 599 819 . 3418 . 3215 Mis. of Sacred Heart . Each Congregation has analysed Pallottines 2 250 2 250 2 259 2 099 151 2 031 2 060 1 661 370 its own situation and examined its Picpus 2 000 3 375 3 424 2 705 670 own conscience. But, when one sees Priests of Sacred Heart 3 250 Holy Cross 3 263 3 275 3 087 2 197 1 078 the scale of the decline, one is forced 1 671 St. John of God 2 527 2 527 2 299 856 to go further than the usual explana- tions and seek a deeper cause. - 1 960 1 971 1 967 1 365 606 Some have spoken of a loss of Carms. of Mary Immac. 912 992 1 028 1 189 + 197 of a fsith, of growing , 1 - 292 1 314 1 341 1 309 049 cli-nate selfishness, and have ex- 1 - 237 of 1 665 1 665 1 665 428 strict 1 1 643 27 prtssed hopes for a return to Verona Fathers 1 610 1 670 740 1 - 549 reliiious discipline and to holiness. Bros of Charity (Ghent) 1 559 1 559 1 484 010 - 1 1 903 1 900 1 434 469 This however, go Bros, of St. Gabriel . . . 830 analysis does not, - Marianists 3 350 3 470 3 434 2 256 1 214 d^ep enough. It is a question of a - Maryknoll 1 264 1 360 1 381 967 393 gener.ii crisis which took place around - Mercedarians 1 163 1 230 1 070 808 422 yeir 1964. According to historian 1 - 415 the S.M.A 1 820 1 855 1 751 440 divide 1 20 Pierre Chaunu, the year of the Consolata 1 017 1 092 1 200 072 1 995 - 197 was in l^ct 1962. For him the crisis Mill Hill 1 165 1 192 197 855 872 - 240 one tl affects the very heart of For. Mission .... 904 912 is at - 1 750 2000 1 985 1 502 498 All the main Montfortans Western civilization. - 276 St. Fran. Sales 1 210 1 250 1 239 974 of st>cial life have been affected, areas 1 - 298 Paulists 1 350 1 500 1 401 202 most striking and the most - but th3 1 1 991 1 917 1 294 697 . . 750 the re- 38 disturbP-l s-j^mptom has been Providence 1 055 1 070 1 097 1 032 - iv*, shown 1 1 605 1 580 1 300 305 fusal ot which Is being Recollect Fathers . . . . 550 - 1 1 190 859 331 op m<^e any more in population sta- St. Augustine 1 102 190 1 015 1 042 1 103 1 024 18 tis'nc-s in the West. For the first time St. Columban 1 - 266 1 280 1 310 1 260 044 91 Western man's long history, his - 1 1 624 1 616 1 219 405 Blessed Sacrament . . . 596 existerce is threatened. There very 1 - 623 Vlatorians 1 910 1 910 1 746 287 is, here, a fjgn of spiritual disintegra- 1 - 265 1 350 1 492 1 430 227 By r(, its past, 1 919 - 260 tion. using to build on La Salette 1 130 1 179 153 - 447 the West h is, in the space of a decade, Servites 1 700 1 750 1 749 1 303 1 604 - 404 damagec'its present and compromised Scheut Fathers 1 943 2 008 1 995 - 725 St. Francis 1 496 1 592 1 550 887 its futuri,.

I (Ulttl. Aprll-M«y 1978^

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