Australia’s Catholic clergy report strong spiritual ties but face high stress, burnout risks, loneliness, and anxiety from workloads and societal shifts.
Newsroom (18/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) A comprehensive new study on the health and wellbeing of Catholic clergy in Australia paints a portrait of resilience tempered by significant challenges, including excessive workloads, elevated rates of anxiety and loneliness, and the lingering impacts of the child sexual abuse crisis and rapid cultural changes.
Released in November 2025 by the National Centre for Pastoral Research (NCPR) under the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the report – titled Thriving (& Surviving) in Ministry: A Profile of Catholic Clergy Health and Wellbeing – draws on survey responses from 825 priests, deacons, and religious order members (27% of Australia’s approximately 3,017 non-bishop clergy) and in-depth interviews with 78 others conducted between May 2024 and March 2025.
Commissioned by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, the research aims to inform pastoral planning as the Church grapples with declining vocations, an ageing presbyterate, and a growing reliance on overseas-born clergy.
Spiritual Strength Amid Daily Demands The report highlights notable positives in clergy wellbeing. Nearly four in five respondents (79%) described their relationship with God as good or very good, with daily prayer and meditation rated positively by 63%. Mass and the sacraments remain central to their sense of purpose, with 95% affirming they value their ministry highly.
“Despite the challenges, the vocation is incredibly rewarding,” one interviewee noted, echoing sentiments about the joy found in pastoral care, baptisms, weddings, and “journeying with people” through grief and celebration.
Physical Health: A Mixed Picture Physical wellbeing shows room for improvement. While 66% reported maintaining a healthy diet and 61% said they get sufficient rest, only 41% rated their exercise habits as good or extremely good – walking while praying being the most common activity. Energy levels were a concern for many, with just 55% reporting high or very high vitality.
Clergy work an average of 8.6 hours per day, with 64% exceeding 7.5 hours – far above typical Australian full-time limits. Younger priests (under 40) were particularly affected, with 84% working more than 7.5 hours daily and nearly half exceeding 10 hours. Rural and regional priests cited access barriers to medical care and heightened isolation.
Mental Health Challenges Outpace General Population Mental health emerged as a critical area of concern. In the past year, 65% of clergy experienced stress, 49% insufficient sleep, 44% anxiety, and 43% loneliness – rates significantly higher than the broader Australian population. For comparison, only about 14% of Australian adults report anxiety disorders annually, and just 4% of men say they have no close friends.
Eleven percent of clergy reported frequent or constant anxiety, rising to 17% among those under 40. Exhaustion affected 16% frequently, while 13% admitted using alcohol to cope (though other substance issues remained low). Three percent acknowledged thoughts of self-harm.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse cast a long shadow, with many priests reporting demoralization, reputational damage, increased suspicion (especially around children), and burdensome safeguarding compliance. “The sexual abuse crisis caused the most sadness… despondency,” one respondent said.
Secular cultural shifts – including legal changes on marriage, gender, euthanasia, and abortion – were cited by 61% as sources of distress, fostering feelings of hostility, powerlessness, and fear of victimization.
Relationships and Support Systems Relationships with parishioners scored highly (90% positive), but ties with bishops and peers were more variable – 59% rated bishop relations positively (higher among religious order clergy at 71%). Loneliness was exacerbated in rural postings and by heavy, unpredictable schedules that blur work-life boundaries.
Only 39% currently have a spiritual director, and 49% access professional supervision, though those who do overwhelmingly find it beneficial for reducing isolation and boosting wellbeing.
Demographic Realities Australia’s clergy is ageing and increasingly international. Over a third (35%) are 70 or older, while just 11% are under 40. Fifty-three percent were born in Australia; significant cohorts hail from India (13%), the Philippines (6%), and Vietnam (4%). Forty-one percent primarily speak a language other than English at home, and nearly half of overseas-born clergy arrived since 2010.
Permanent deacons and religious order priests generally reported better outcomes in areas like energy, joy, and hope compared to diocesan priests.
Recommendations and Path Forward While the report does not include formal recommendations – leaving those to the bishops – it underscores the need for better workload management, enhanced ongoing formation, accessible mental health support, improved spiritual direction, and stronger collegial networks. Respondents called for practical seminary reforms, cultural integration support for imported clergy, and clearer retirement pathways.
As one priest warned: “The workload will kill me. No downtime.” Another urged: “A good spiritual director is an absolute must.”
The findings arrive as Australia’s Catholic Church navigates fewer vocations (an 11% drop in priests from 2003 to 2024) and greater diversity. Researchers caution that self-selection bias may mean the true extent of struggles is understated, particularly among younger clergy who were underrepresented.
The full report is available on the NCPR website and will inform discussions at upcoming Plenary Council meetings as leaders seek sustainable ways to help clergy not just survive – but thrive – in ministry.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from https://ncpr.catholic.org.au/
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