Factors Influencing Vocation to Brotherhood in Holy Cross Congregation District of East Africa

Abstract

Purpose: The general objective of the study is to assess the factors influencing the rate of vocation to be a brother in Holy Cross Congregation in East Africa. The objectives that guided the study are; to explore how social status influence vocation to be a brother; to examine how the factor of being a clerical congregation may be influencing vocation to a brother; to determine how the need for professional career satisfaction influences vocation to be a brother, to  investigate how different motivations influences vocation to be a brother and  to identify possible ways of responding to challenges of vocation to be a brother in Holy Cross Congregation in East Africa.

Methodology: The study used convergent parallel approach to the mixed methods research design. The target population in this study is107 and used Total Population Sampling to study the 107 respondents. The study used interview guide and self-administered questionnaire for data collection. The quantitative data will be coded and analyzed systematically and presented using figure, percentages and chats. The qualitative data was analyzed according to the emerging themes and the results of both the quantitative and qualitative findings were compared to draw out their significance for the study.

Findings: The study established that social status, lack of awareness and perception that clerical vocation is more prestigious and glamorous than that of brotherhood are some of the factors affecting reduced vocations in brotherhood.

Unique contribution to theory, policy, and practice: The study recommends the need for a rigorous promotion of brotherhood vocations, training of brothers as professionals, uplift the status of brothers and put in place proper discernment of vocations to reduce the high rate of brothers’ turnover