WASHINGTON (DC)
Aleteia [Paris, France]
March 2, 2026
By Caitlin Bootsma
The book unpacks an extensive survey of American priests on everything from burnout to their relationships with their bishops.
In 2022, the National Study of Catholic Priests (NSCP) was released, the largest survey of Catholic priests in 50 years. A new book from the Catholic University of America (CUA) Press, Rebuilding Trust, Clergy Morale in the Wake of Abuse Crisis, invites readers to take a closer look at the results of this survey and its implications, including priesthood in the aftermath of the abuse crisis; the relationship between bishops and their priests; and the well-being of priests serving in the modern world.
The co-authors are staff at the Catholic Project, an initiative out of CUA that aims to be a place where, “laity and clergy can encounter one another and dialogue in a spirit of mutual respect and charity to address the most challenging issues the Church faces today.” The Catholic Project was founded in particular as a response to what was perceived as a rupture of trust between laity and clergy because of the abuse crisis.
Rebuilding Trust takes a careful look at the NSCP survey, highlighting some main areas for reflection, both about where the priesthood is today and how it can be renewed. Each chapter has a different author and relies heavily on the survey data and also illustrative quotes from priests surveyed. The result is an expansive picture of priests in the United States today.
Priestly morale, but also priestly burnout
The book analyzes and reflects upon survey findings about both priestly morale (high) and burnout (also significant). When asked if they agreed with the statement “my morale as a priest is good,” 83% of priests responding said they “agreed” or “strongly agreed.” At the same time, 45% of priests reported experiencing at least one symptom of ministry burnout. The fuller picture that these somewhat juxtaposing answers provide is a contribution to our understanding of the priesthood today.
The authors go on to explore five areas that priests mentioned as supports for their morale: “spiritual practices, self-care, imagination, the sense that the bishop cares for the priest as a person, and regularly connecting with a supportive community of priests.”
This sort of information, paired with a case study of a diocese that is attempting to support priests, makes the book a useful tool for bishops, diocesan staff, priests themselves, and anyone wishing to support clergy.
Relationships with bishops
Perhaps the most eye-catching theme of the book is that a priest’s relationship with his bishop has a huge impact on his well-being. There is a marked gap statistically with how some bishops perceive their relationship with their priests (e.g. shepherd, brother, coworker, father, and servant) and how the priests see their bishop (e.g. an administrator and a shepherd).
This analysis of the survey shows that priests and bishops are often on the same page theologically on what the Church teaches about Holy Orders and that both are trying to live out priestly ministry and often find joy in doing so. They also find that “greater unity among the diocesan bishop and his priests … will be crucial to pastoral ministry and the life and well-being of priests.”
Lack of trust because of the handling of the abuse crisis
While much of the work of the Dallas Charter responding to abuse in the Catholic Church has been effective, the book makes an observation that “having accomplished an important task with a blunt instrument does not prove that a more-finely-tuned instrument could not have done the same, but with less collateral damage.”
Part of the fallout of the processes put in place after the Dallas Charter, the survey shows, is a “perceived lack of due process for accused priests – that is at the heart of the widespread mistrust of the American episcopacy harbored by many priests today.”
“Trust priests place in their bishops has declined significantly over the last two decades, with fewer than half of US priests trusting their local bishops. Moreover, in a truly astounding statistic, only 24% of priests trust the US episcopacy as a whole.”
Hope for the future
While some of the chapters about ruptured trust and burnout make for difficult reading, ultimately this in-depth look at priestly well-being is a needed reality check. Rebuilding Trust is meant, the publisher writes, to be “a timely and necessary addition to the discussion of how the Church can rebuild trust, support priests, and cultivate a healthier presbyterate.”
Indeed, the book reports on what priests say helps support them in their priesthood and helps them avoid burnout. Its case study on the Diocese of Fall River is a welcome look at how “rebuilding trust” may be possible at a diocesan level. Finally, the book concludes with its own recommendations for strengthening the priesthood, a reflection that is well worth considering.
Caitlin Bootsma – published on 03/02/26