Catholic Bishops in the United States

Father Stephen J. Fichter is the Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Church in Wyckoff, NJ. Besides his pastoral duties, he is a CARA Research Associate specializing in clergy research and a professor at the Immaculate Conception Seminary located at Seton Hall University. He also facilitates diocesan priest convocations for Cultivating Unity, a joint program sponsored by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and the National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy.Father Thomas P. Gaunt, S.J. is the Executive Director of CARA. Previously, he served in Jesuit governance as the Socius/Executive Secretary of the Jesuit Conference for nine years and the Formation and Studies Director of the Maryland and New York Jesuits for seven years. After ordination, he spent ten years as a pastor and as Director of Planning in the Diocese of Charlotte. Father Gaunt is actively involved with the L'Arche Communities in Washington, DC.Catherine Hoegeman, C.S.J. is a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, originally from Los Angeles, and currently an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Missouri State University. She researches nonprofit organizations and leadership, focusing on religious organizations. She teaches statistics, research methods, nonprofits and civil society, and sociology of religion, and serves on the board of The Kitchen, Inc. in Springfield.Paul M. Perl is a researcher for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, where he has worked on national surveys of lay Catholics and diocesan surveys of priests. Much of his academic research examines how religiosity varies in different areas of the country. He has a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Notre Dame.

• ForewordAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Who Are the Bishops and Where Do They Come From? Chapter 2: A Day in the Life of a BishopChapter 3: Satisfactions in Episcopal Life and MinistryChapter 4: Hopes, Challenges, VocationsChapter 5: Personnel and Collaboration Chapter 6: Governance and AdministrationChapter 7: The Bishops Speak Chapter 8: Commentaries Helen Alvaré Sr. Sharon Euart, RSM Thomas J. Reese, S.J. Joseph William Cardinal TobinAppendix A: CARA Survey of U.S. Catholic BishopsAppendix B: Survey Response AnalysisAppendix C: Comparing Active Latin-Rite to Other Bishops ReferencesIndex

"This look at the U.S. Episcopacy, conducted by four eminent scholars, is unprecedented in its detail and couldn't be more timely. U.S. Catholic Bishops today are under more scrutiny than ever, and this marvelous combination of survey and interview data puts flesh and bones on these men and enhances our understanding of who they are and what is expected of them, both by their flock and by themselves."--Charles E. Zech, co-author of Catholic Parishes of the21st Century"The serious scholarly work performed by CARA researchers is always of enormous help to anyone interested in the church, and therefore it comes as no surprise to me that they are the first ones to write a comprehensive book about U.S. bishops today. There are many books about nuns and priests, laity and parishes, but we greatly needed this groundbreaking study to help us understand the leaders of our Church, who are among the most prominent and yet the leastknown Catholics. Where do they come from, what is their education, how do they spend their day, what are the challenges they face both spiritually and administratively? This very accessible yet profoundstudy offers a unique insight into the very human dimensions of the men who are our bishops."--Father James Martin, S.J., editor-at-large of America magazine"This book makes an enormous and much-needed contribution to the field of church management, including personnel, attitudes, beliefs, activities and lifestyle of bishops. The material presented is extraordinarily noteworthy and thought-provoking. Given all the serious problems the church has faced in recent years and the varying responses of bishops, the content will attract many readers. Catholic Bishops in the United States provides an enlighteningand evenhanded presentation of facts interwoven with necessary and valuable commentary."--Katarina Schuth, Endowed Chair for the Social Scientific Study of Religion (Emerita), University of St. Thomas