CARA directory identifies 165 emerging U.S. consecrated communities

Published: 2007-03-19

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- In a new directory the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate has identified 165 U.S. Catholic communities of consecrated life that have sprung up since 1965. A little more than half of the 152 communities that provided membership information by gender admit only women, CARA said, while 24 percent admit only men and 25 percent have men and women members. Of those 152, in 87 communities all make public vows or promises; in 43, all make private vows or promises; 10 have both vowed and unvowed members; and members do not make vows or promises in 12 communities. In all, the communities in the directory had more than 1,300 full members and several hundred members in formation. The 126-page directory, titled "Emerging Communities of Consecrated Life in the United States, 2006," was released in early March. The directory is organized alphabetically by state. Each community's listing includes the address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail contact, name of a contact person, date of founding, type of vows or promises, lifestyle, number of full members and number in formation, canonical status and other information to the extent available.

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