Listen...To The Research: Lonely Shepherds: A Longitudinal Study of the Social, Psychological, and Spiritual Predictors of Loneliness among Catholic Priests in the United States
A new study by Laura Upenieks followed 1,056 Catholic priests across the U.S. from 2022–2025 to explore what contributes to loneliness over time. 🔎⛪📈
One of the clearest takeaways? Relationships matter. 👂🏽🤝 Priests who felt greater support from fellow priests, bishops, and lay networks were less likely to experience loneliness later. Higher flourishing was also connected with less loneliness, while burnout and psychological distress predicted greater loneliness. The study even found differences among spiritual practices: a stronger sense of the Eucharist’s centrality was associated with lower loneliness, while the frequency of private prayer did not significantly predict future loneliness. 🙏🏽🍞💛
For those of us thinking about ministry and listening, this research raises an important question: Are our communities simply keeping people busy and surrounded or are we creating relationships where people feel genuinely known, supported, and heard? 🎧💬🌱 Sometimes caring for the people who care for everyone else begins with making sure they have people listening to them, too. 🫶🏽✨
