Living the Call

Michael Novak says the laity has taken a big role in the Church since Vatican II . . .

Living the Call
Encounter Books, 2011. 191 pages, $21.95 hardcover

Since 1965 the number of priests in the U.S. has fallen by 30,000. But over that same period, more than 30,000 laypeople have become employed by parishes and other Church institutions.

Laypeople serve in a variety of new ministries, and they’re relieving their pastors of many administrative burdens, enabling them to focus on priestly duties. Writing with William E. Simon Jr., Novak calls attention to this shift. They contend that many who work in the Church begin to live their faith more deeply.

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