Most of the problems causing the vocations crisis aren’t easily solved. But student debt? That shouldn’t be an obstacle to a religious vocation.
A $4.5 million anonymous gift is making it possible for a little-known Catholic organization to help solve an unexpected but major obstacle to religious life — student loan debt.
The Fund for Vocations, founded in 2004, exists to pay off the debt of young men and women who feel called to religious life but can’t enter formation because canon law requires applicants to be debt-free before joining, a natural consequence of the vow of poverty. Since its founding, the Fund has made 350 grants, helping clear a path to the convent or monastery for people who would otherwise be turned away.
For…