Children, Careers, and Clergy Life: Predictors of Religious Commitment From Stressors Among Catholic Deacons

We assessed the impact of clerical and life stressors on the religious commitments of employed, married with children Catholic deacons (n = 317 men: M age = 43.87 years old). Independent of social desirability, stressors during the last 6 months predicted separately intracommitment and intercommitment variables. Enthusiasm for church work and time spent on spiritual reflection predicted religious intracommitment (one’s relationship with a higher power, God); study of Scripture predicted religious intercommitment (one’s relationship in community reflecting God’s presence). Results suggest that despite current stressful life demands of marriage and family plus outside employment, Catholic deacons (“clergy dads”) maintained religious beliefs.