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The Labouré Society’s recently-released CARA Report on the Impact of Educational Debt on Vocations to the Catholic Priesthood and Religious Life in the U.S. is making news. Hear Labouré alumni Fr. Scott Bahrke and Sr. Josephine Garrett, along with Labouré Executive Director John Flanagan, explain. Plus, diocesan and religious order vocation directors share about their experiences working with Labouré.

EWTN News In-Depth:  Exclusive Report on Student Loan Impact on Vocations

National Catholic Register Radio interview with Fr. Scott Bahrke:  Religious Vocations and Educational Debt  

Catholic World Report:  Study on Priest and Religious Student Debt Finds it can be a Barrier to Vocations 

Church Pop:  Four Things Vocation Directors Want College Students to Know about Loan Debt and Discernment

Catholic Vote:  CARA Report:  Student Debt an Increasing Problem for Religious Vocations

The Labouré Society may be one of the Church’s best-kept secrets, according to Fr. Gregory Plata, OFM, Vocation Director for the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor Central Region. “What impresses me is this systematic approach that Labouré has in just giving these men and women self-confidence in meeting others, and this team spirit that they bring about. Labouré seems to be efficient, well-organized; it provides the tools for men and women who have this unique gift of a vocation. The average cost for a man or woman in formation today is $55,000. [Labouré] frees [an] order or congregation up to use that money [that may have otherwise been put towards aspirant debt resolution] to continue for [the aspirant’s] formation [or other needed purposes].”

“I’ve been so impressed by the quality of the training that the Labouré Society offers,” agrees Fr. Carl Paustian, OP, Vocation Director for the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres. “The sense of joy and gratitude is palpable as these young people seek to serve the Lord and the Church.”

Indeed, attending live training sessions makes an impact on those seeking to learn more. Fr. Scott Jabo, St. Mark’s Seminary Rector and Vocations Director for the Diocese of Erie, shares, “It seemed too good to be true, [but] the organization is legitimate. I’ve been blown away by what [the Labouré] program is all about. It is highly principled on the Catholic faith; it is a spiritual experience for the young men and women involved; it is transformative; it changes their lives, while also helping them remove the barriers to their vocation. It presents opportunities not only for reduction of debt, which certainly is fruit of the program, but….everything [Labouré] is doing is very compatible with the formation program that we have at the seminary level.”

“[Labouré] is much bigger than just the debt,” says Sr. Amy Marie Havlat, MS, Vocation Directress of the Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln. “There [are] real people working behind this mission who want what’s best for our aspirants.

“What sets the Laboure Society apart is their personalized approach to financial assistance,” elaborates Sr. Gianna Mary Casino, Vocation Director of the Sisters of the Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “They tailor their support to each individual’s unique needs, ensuring that aspiring priests and religious can respond to their God-given vocations. Their genuine care for their applicants is evident in their commitment to providing personalized mentorship and formation. Moreover, the Laboure Society’s unwavering dedication to spiritual formation distinguishes them….They offer mentorship, guidance, and a supportive community of passionate, like-minded individuals who share the same journey. This spiritual support network fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens the resolve to answer the call to serve. They respond to a call so deeply needed in the Church today.”

For Fr. Peter Julia, Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, The Labouré Society is an indispensable partner. “Labouré [provides] an immense amount of skills….the process involves direct, one-on-one interactions, and building relationships over time. Labouré program alumni who get to work to help pay off their debt have something in their heart that goes a far longer way, because they’re in it with a class; there is a greater sense of giving to the broader Church. It’s a formational tool to help a candidate be more well-rounded, generous and understanding.”

“The one thing that sold me on Labouré is that it supports the discernment process,” states Fr. Radmar Jao, SJ, Director of Vocations for the Jesuit USA West Province. “The program is well-established and the process works. [Labouré] motivates [aspirants] and gives them an opportunity to say, ‘I’m going to do what it takes!’ What’s really encouraging…is how rooted in spirituality this whole process is. It’s about the relationships that you build with the people that you meet, but most importantly, it’s about the relationship with Jesus Christ….When you trust in that relationship with the Lord, that is the foundation of everything they do here at Labouré. I’m convinced this work is of the Spirit.”

Labouré alumna and Emeritus Board Member Sr. Josephine Garrett is living joyfully! She recently shared a powerful presentation on living as hungry, yet joyful, pilgrims, during a keynote address at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis on July 20, 2024.

Sr. Garrett shared her desire for the Congress to bear fruit in the lives of those attending as well as those they encounter. Sharing from her own personal experience as well as from prayer and her expertise as a counselor, she expressed both words of encouragement and words of exhortation directed specifically to each of the following segments of the audience:  our nation’s Bishops; Priests; Religious; and Laity.

View Sr. Josephine’s compelling presentation here:  Living as Hungry, Yet Joyful, Pilgrims