Why social media is driving young men towards the priesthood

Social media is driving young men into the priesthood as spiralling frustrations around distorted realities online begin to take their toll, a senior priest has said.

Dozens of men, many of whom are in their twenties, are expected to gather on Sunday in Knock, Co Mayo, to learn about vocations in the diocesan priesthood.

The annual “Come and see” event has attracted an increasing number of young people in recent years, something that is being credited to a “spiritual hunger” in society.

Father Willie Purcell, Ireland’s national vocations co-ordinator, said young people were beginning to tire of the curated façades being presented to them online. He believed many were turning towards religion for deeper meaning.

“I think there’s a renewal of young people who are growing tired of this online generation,” Purcell said. “They’re in search of authenticity and can’t find the answers to life’s real questions on social media or through AI [artificial intelligence].

“I believe the online generation of today are now questioning things on a deeper level in order to find their own place in the world. They’re being linked back to God even if it’s unknown to themselves. It’s clear that there’s a wonderful goodness in the youth of today, but it’s no wonder that they’re confused by the information they get online.”

Purcell, a parish priest in Clara, Co Kilkenny, said the people who signed up to Sunday’s event were mainly young working professionals or recent graduates.

“Over the past two years there’s been a strong increase in those seeking information on the priesthood,” he said. “These are young men; some are in university while others are out working in different fields, so it’s really right across the board.

“There’s a broad spectrum in the work of a priest: they’re very active in hospitals, prisons, parishes and schools.

“For our ‘Come and see’ event, we had about 25 inquiries, but we could have another ten turning up on the day.

“Every diocese has a vocations director and I’m hearing that in their own regions there are even more inquiries from people interested in learning about the role of a diocesan priest. When we first started these inquiry days, we had only about seven or eight people registering their interest to attend.”

Bishop Phonsie Cullinan, chairman of the Council for Vocations of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said that “there is something happening in the Irish church”.

He said: “An increasing number of young Irish people are seeing that what the world alone has to offer is insufficient. There is a spiritual hunger. Only something authentic will do. As Pope Leo has repeated a number of times quoting from Saint Augustine, ‘Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, Lord.’

“There are also more men inquiring about the priesthood. Several vocations directors from around the country are receiving more phone calls. It is important to explore such a calling in a deep way and to do so by making contact with the national vocations office to obtain resources and also to contact their local vocations director.

“I know well from conversations with seminarians and with newly ordained priests that they were so appreciative of the witness, encouragement and accompaniment given by another priest during their own discernment process.”

Father Michael McCullagh from Dungloe, Co Donegal, will be the main guest speaker on Sunday, guiding those attending through key aspects of discernment and vocation. The event also includes personal testimonies, spiritual input, open discussions and time for prayer and reflection.