Understanding the Brown Scapular: A Symbol of Mary’s Love and Protection

Study: Devotion to Mary has significant impact on deciding to become a priest

The majority of survey respondents cited their Marian devotions as having played an important role in the discernment and living of their call to religious life.

CARA study: Mary’s role strongly shapes vocational paths in U.S. Church

Mosaic of Mary, Virgin Immaculate, in the Chapel of the Choir in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. / Daniel Ibañez/CNA Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 16, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA). A new study has found that “reciting the rosary privately” is the most popular Marian devotion among those discerning a religious vocation. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University published its June 2025 report: “Impact of Mary, Mother …

Study: Devotion to Mary has significant impact on discerning, sustaining vocations

(OSV News) — Devotion to Mary is a significant factor in discerning and sustaining the call to priestly and religious life, according to a new study. “As a religious, Mary has played a big role in our religious life, and I am just excited to see the report as a kind of confirmation that Mary indeed is our model,” said Sister Thu T. Do, a Sister of the Lovers of the Holy Cross and a research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apo…

CARA Study: Mary’s Role Strongly Shapes Vocational Paths in U.S. Church

Daniel Ibañez/CNA Mosaic of Mary, Virgin Immaculate, in the Chapel of the Choir in St. Peter's Basilica, Rome. The surveys were conducted by CARA in collaboration with the Diocese of Saginaw from March to May 2025.

Understanding the Brown Scapular: A Symbol of Mary’s Love and Protection

Men are seen in a file photo wearing scapulars during a Mass marking the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in East Harlem, N.Y.  (Photo: OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz) by Tablet Staff PROSPECT HEIGHTS — On July 16, 1251, the Virgin Mary appeared to Carmelite priest St. Simon Stock and presented him with a brown scapular.  “It must be a sign and a privilege for you and for all Carmelites,” she pr…

Study: Devotion to Mary has significant impact on discerning, sustaining vocations - Catholic Review

Devotion to Mary is a significant factor in discerning and sustaining the call to priestly and religious life, according to a new study. “As a religious, Mary has played a big role in our religious life, and I am just excited to see the report as a kind of confirmation that Mary indeed is our model,” said Sister Thu T. Do, a Sister of the Lovers of the Holy Cross and a research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Ge…