New recommendations offer practical guidance for bishops and seminary formation personnel in assessing candidates for priesthood
The University of Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life has released a new report offering practical recommendations for assessing the suitability and readiness of candidates preparing for the Catholic priesthood. Titled Do You Know Them to be Worthy? Twelve Proposals for Bishops, Rectors, Seminary Formation Teams, and Mental Health Professionals in Assessing the Suitability of Men for Holy Orders, the report is authored by Rev. Thomas Berg, Ph.D., of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Timothy G. Lock, Ph.D., of St. Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) and the Goretti Center for Healing and Forgiveness.
The report is the latest contribution of the McGrath Institute's Seminary Renewal Project, an ongoing initiative that seeks to strengthen seminary culture and priestly formation. Drawing upon a national study commissioned by the McGrath Institute and conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), as well as the experience of seminary rectors, bishops, psychologists, and formation leaders convened by the McGrath Institute, the report presents twelve proposals to improve how seminaries and dioceses assess candidates for Holy Orders.
Rather than viewing assessment simply as a means of screening out unsuitable candidates, the authors propose a series of best practices to strengthen readiness assessment as an integral part of priestly formation itself, and to enhance the way key stakeholders in the formation process can adequately accompany the men and better ensure their integral formation.
"The sexual abuse crisis remains one of the gravest challenges facing Church life today," said John C. Cavadini, Ph.D., Former McGrath-Cavadini Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life. "Universities have a unique responsibility to respond to this challenge through research, collaboration, and educational resources. This report continues the McGrath Institute's long-term commitment to supporting the renewal of seminary formation so that the Church can better prepare priests to serve with integrity and pastoral wisdom."
The report builds upon nearly a decade of work by the McGrath Institute addressing seminary formation.
That work has included:
- the 2019 sociological study, Sexual Harassment and Catholic Seminary Culture, the first national survey of seminarians on sexual harassment, reporting structures, and formation;
- the 2021 Benchmarks for seminary reporting practices and education, endorsed by leaders from 28 U.S. seminaries;
- the 2023 white paper Fully Equipped for Every Good Work, outlining twelve core competencies for ministering to survivors of sexual abuse; and
- the new report, which addresses one of the needs identified in the original research: strengthening the discernment and assessment of candidates for priestly ministry.
"This report reflects the conviction that faithful discernment begins long before ordination," said Rev. Thomas Berg. "Healthy assessment is not simply about identifying those who should not proceed toward priesthood. It is equally about understanding each candidate well enough to provide the formation he needs to grow into the vocation God may be calling him to."
Drawing on the findings of the CARA study and the experience of an expert working group convened at Notre Dame in 2025, the report organizes its recommendations into three areas:
- strengthening the use of psychological services within seminary formation;
- establishing best practices for candidates with particular pastoral or psychological needs; and
- enhancing the formation of chastity and celibacy.
Throughout, the authors emphasize that pressures created by priest shortages should never compromise careful discernment or formation.
"Our hope is that these proposals will help bishops, seminary rectors, and formation teams cultivate a culture of discernment that is both prudent and deeply pastoral," said Timothy G. Lock. "When candidates are honestly assessed and well accompanied, the Church is better positioned to form priests who are true spiritual fathers, capable of leading with compassion and authentic pastoral charity."
The report is available to download free of charge.
Read the report: Click Here
Learn more about the Seminary Renewal Project: Click Here
Contacts:
Rev. Thomas Berg, Ph.D.
Email: tberg2@nd.edu
Timothy G. Lock, Ph.D.
Email: doctortimlock@gmail.com
Media Contact: Maggie Scroope, mscroope@nd.edu