CorpComms Magazine

The Catholic Church in Ireland has turned to social media to recruit new priests with the launch of its first  iPhone app which included a test section, including a celibacy section, to see how suitable young men may be for the priesthood.

The app is part of a bid to reverse a dramatic decline in the number of young men applying for the Catholic priesthood in Ireland.  Just 16 men started training for the priesthood last autumn and ordinations slipped below England and Wales for the first time in living memory. 

The Catholic Church described the new app as 'an original approach to assist current and future generations seeking to investigate and find information on vocations to the diocesan priesthood in Ireland'.

The 'Vocations' app has been designed by national co-ordinator for diocesan vocations Father Paddy Rushe.

Its features include contact details and statistics for the 26 dioceses of Ireland, news feeds and frequently asked questions to assist a man to discern his vocation. The test section is designed to offer a potential candidate some insights into the sacrifices he will need to make.

Fr Rushe told the Irish Independent: 'We put together a little set of questions, which would be indicative, they are not scientific now, they won't stand up in a little science process, but allows people to answer some questions they might have about the priesthood.

'The celibacy test, which is a loose term, basically asks questions like: 'Do you have a sense of sacrifice? Do you feel you have a sense of balance in your life? Can you relate easily to men and women?'

Future updates to the app will include a prayer counter, to allow people to pledge a period of prayer for vocations, and a picture gallery of images from the life of a seminarian.

The Catholic Church in Ireland also has an app to encourage young women considering religious life. It includes information about the community, as well as general resources including articles and tools to aid in discerning a religious vocation and  links to Saint of the Day and Daily Mass Readings blogs.

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