In the mid-1970s, while serving in the military, Stephen Rossetti met a group of priests and nuns in Taiwan. He was struck by their lifestyle and attitude. “They had basically nothing,” Rossetti recalls, “but they were happier than most other people I saw. They were in a life of simplicity.” A short while later, Rossetti decided he wanted that lifestyle, too. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1984.
More than three decades have passed, but Rossetti, now a monsignor and the author of ten books, remains interested in the mental health and attitudes of clergy, even as public perception of the priesthood has changed. These days, he says, many people view priests as “a bunch of unhappy, lonely people,” but it’s a claim Rossetti, 60, says is demonstrably false. His newest book, Why Priests are Happy: A Study of the Psychological and Spiritual Health of Priests (Ave Maria Press, Oct.) offers plenty of support for his argument.
Rather than speculate about the thoughts and feelings of priests, Rossetti decided to ask the priests themselves. He surveyed 2,482 priests in 23 dioceses across the United States. His findings revealed that, overall, the priests scored only slightly higher in terms of mental health than their lay counterparts but were markedly happier and more satisfied than the general population.
“Many worked in community and ministry,” Rossetti said. “What was different was not that they were humanly psychologically better, but that there was a spiritual thing in their lives that had to be making the difference.”
Rossetti will present his findings on Oct. 5 at a symposium held at The Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C., where he is clinical associate professor of pastoral studies and associate dean for Seminary and Ministerial Programs. Prior to joining the staff at the university, Rossetti worked for 16 years at St. Luke Institute, a treatment and mental-health facility in England that primarily serves religious and clergy. He says the experience helped him to better understand some of the challenges priests face.
Not every finding in his survey returned flattering results about his fellow clergy members, but Rossetti said that while writing the book he remained committed to showing the whole picture presented by his statistics. “You crank the numbers and hold your breath and let the data speak for itself,” he said. “What came out was generally good, but some things weren’t wonderful, and I reported that as well. We in the Catholic Church can’t be afraid of the truth.”
Kerry Weber is an associate editor for America magazine and the author of Keeping the Faith: Prayers for College Students.
