Vocations initiative topping 100,000 followers launches priestly discernment program

A Catholic vocations initiative that has reached over 100,000 people on social media will expand its efforts to boost priestly vocations with the launch of a discernment program.

Shepherding Future Shepherds, an initiative through the International Institute for Culture, announced Aug. 18 that it will partner with the Avila Institute’s High Calling Program to support men discerning the priesthood. Shepherding Future Shepherds’ social media has generated more than 7.8 million views on its videos highlighting inspirational stories of modern-day priests.

The initiative’s program director, Matthew Haas, told EWTN News that Shepherding Future Shepherds’ partnership with High Calling will center on accompaniment, reaching out to men who feel they might have a call to the priesthood and offering “not only resources but an entire program that will take you through a formal process of discernment to make sure that this is truly your call.”

“We’re encouraging not only that reflection on that discernment but helping to provide them with the tools and resources to work through that to help uncover where it is that Godʼs calling them,” he said.

Haas said that since 2025, the initiative has not only reached people through social media and its newsletter but has also attracted more than 6,000 people to its weekly prayer group for vocations.

“We’re very hopeful despite all the negativity thatʼs out there,” Haas said. “Just the fact that weʼve seen the growth that we have is really encouraging, and it shows that a lot of people do care about the priesthood and … seeing it replenished, and understand that this is something that needs attention.”

Haas said a national poll the group conducted on people’s views of the priesthood revealed that those ages 18 to 25 held “the most negative view of priesthood,” with concerns over “predatory behavior” in the wake of the Church’s sex-abuse scandal cited by 1 in 4 adults in the demographic.

“Weʼre definitely up against the challenge,” Haas said. “And I think thatʼs so much of it is just that the sense of, you know, a cultural association with the priesthood.”

Ultimately, he said, “thatʼs where weʼre trying to show stories of these role models of priests who are alive today.”

“We donʼt want people to say, ‘Oh, that was a thousand years ago and thatʼs not relevant to me today,’” Haas said. “We want to say, ‘No, these priests are doing wonderful things today and serving the Church, serving our people … in all sorts of different capacities.’”