What makes the religious so happy?

National Catholic Register, Nov 28, 2024 / 08:28 am

Some might be surprised to learn that religious work leads to greater personal fulfillment than any other profession. But not Monsignor Stephen Rossetti. 

“Priestly happiness is one of the great secrets of our time,” said Rossetti, a research associate professor at The Catholic University of America. “And I’m glad it’s coming out.” 

Last week, a column in the Washington Post brought the news of happiness among religious workers to a secular audience. Citing studies from the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it found that religious work causes a higher sense of satisfaction than any other profession.  

“It’s counterintuitive,” said Rossetti, who has written numerous books on the subject over the past 20 years. “Everyone says priests are unhappy, but they’re not. They’re stressed, they’re under pressure, but those aren’t the underlying factors that promote happiness.”  

The Post article relied upon responses by workers to statements intended to measure professional fulfillment, such as “I am proud to be working for my employer” and “I contribute to the community through my work.” Workers who fell under the category of “clergy” responded “strongly agree” to these questions more than any other type.  

What’s behind religious happiness? 

The article’s findings echo other studies in recent years. A 2014 study by the Office of National Statistics in the U.K. also found that clergy reported the greatest level of job satisfaction among 274 others.  

Other professions that provide elevated levels of fulfillment include outdoor jobs, such as forestry and construction, and education workers. Meanwhile, food service jobs, janitorial roles, and engineering and software developers all reported low levels of happiness in their work.  

While the idea of the “happy priest” might seem counterintuitive to a secular culture that prioritizes self-interest over service, a deeper dive into happiness data makes it seem obvious. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics cited by the article, “religious activities” finish highest among all activities in terms happiness and meaning, while “personal care” activities finish at the very bottom.  

But for committed Catholics, statistics like this come as no surprise. It’s the Gospel message in a bar-graph, the Cross in a pie-chart.  

“What is it that makes one’s life happy? What are the underlying factors?” asked Rossetti. “People who spend their time helping others tend to be happier people. People who give themselves to others find not only that it helps others, but it helps them. The thing about happiness is it's elusive. If you try to be happy, if you try to grasp it for yourself, it fails. But when you search out the wellness of others, you find out, ironically, that it helps you, too.” 

Rossetti went on to cite other factors known to foster personal happiness, all of which are abundant in religious life: having solid friends, having a rich spiritual life, liking what you do for work, and being a part of a community. These markers of personal fulfillment have diminished since the COVID-19 pandemic, which accounts for diminishing morale among the general population.  

But as Rossetti noted, the opposite effect is taking hold among the religious.  

“I’ve done a study several times that finds the numbers for happiness and morale are rising among priests,” he told the National Catholic Register, CNA's news partner. “Priests like being priests. Over 90% say they like it, and they would choose it again.”  

A 2022 study conducted by The Catholic Project also found that priests experienced high levels of well-being, despite some struggling with burnout. 

'No greater happiness'

Sister Carolyn Martin, a vocations coordinator for The Little Sisters of the Poor, believes there is more at play here than sociological factors.  

“I think it’s because our work, regardless of what ministry, is specifically connected with eternal values,” she said. “Our employer is God himself. And what we are doing is rooted in him and connected with eternal values. That's what really makes us happy: to be a part of the work of his kingdom.”  

The popular saying "do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life" seems particularly apt for the religious. The available statistics bear this out. In addition to the finding that “religious activities” bring more fulfillment than any other kind, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also finds that a “place of worship” is more likely to bring happiness and meaning than any other place, including one’s own home, the outdoors, and restaurants or gyms.  

“My daily work is such a joy that I find it problematic to even call it work,” said Martin. “It's deeply meaningful. It's not just social service. It's not just, what I'm called to do the work of my hands, but it’s who I’m called to be, which is a witness of the hope and joy that people are looking for and their hearts are longing for.” 

Martin’s average “work” day is highly structured and filled with challenging tasks that include caring for the elderly and infirmed, as well as community time and silent prayer. That such a way-of-life should bring elevated levels of happiness seems curious to the modern secular mind, which prizes material wealth, freedom from responsibility and individual autonomy.  

But for Martin and her fellow sisters, it’s the perfect recipe for fulfillment.  

“Nothing can give us more consolation than at every moment of the day having given ourselves,” she said. “To be fatigued because you poured out all your energy and strength for God and his poor, there's no greater happiness.” 

“I love going to bed, tired,” she added. “That makes me happy” 

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This article was originally published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's news partner, and has been adapted for CNA.