Bestselling author Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti to deliver talk at Fairfield University: "Why Priests Are Happy" | Press Releases

Image: Stephen J. Rossetti Why are American priests happy?

For one, priests, by and large, are not lonely; they experience profound relationships in their communities, according to Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti, best selling author, scholar and psychologist, who will speak at Fairfield University about his groundbreaking book, "Why Priests Are Happy: A Study of the Psychological and Spiritual Health of Priests," on Tuesday, October 9, at 4:30 p.m.

Free and open to the public, the event, presented by Fairfield's Center for Catholic Studies , will take place in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room.

The fascinating book (Ave Maria Press, 2011) contains the most comprehensive survey of priests' happiness and spiritual lives ever undertaken. From surveys with 2,500 priests from 23 dioceses, Fr. Rossetti learned that American priests enjoy an extraordinarily high rate of happiness and satisfaction, among the highest in any profession.

"The findings are strong, replicable, and consistent: priests, as a group, are very happy men," said Fr. Rossetti, clinical associate professor of pastoral studies and associate dean for Seminary and Ministerial Programs at The Catholic University of America. "They like priesthood. They are committed to it. They find much satisfaction in their lives and ministries. In fact, the satisfaction rates of priests are among the highest of any way of life or vocation in the United States."

Fr. Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, is a sought-after expert on clergy who has been featured on NPR and Meet the Press, and quoted in the New York Times , and Washington Post . He served as president and chief executive officer of Saint Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland. Editor of "Behold Your Mother," he is the author "Born of the Eucharist, The Joy of Priesthood" - recipient of a Catholic Press Association book award - and "When the Lion Roars." For more information about the Center for Catholic Studies, and for directions to campus, visit www.fairfield.edu or call (203) 254-4000, ext. 3415.