Capuchin Father Francisco Javier Rodriguez, a journalist, lawyer and native of Manatí, Puerto Rico, could never ignore the draw he felt towards the religious life, yet he had accrued significant debts from his professional education.

After studying journalism and political science at The Ohio State University and then receiving his law degree from New England Law, Rodriguez heeded God’s call to join the Capuchin Franciscan Friars.

As joyful as he was to pursue his vocational call, he had to first eliminate his debt.

And he is not alone.

A new report by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) on student-loan debt and vocations commissioned by the Labouré Society found that “70% of religious institutes report being impacted by the student loan debt of serious inquires.” CARA is a research center affiliated with Georgetown University that has conducted social science studies relating to the Catholic Church for more than 50 years.

Father Rodriquez’s final vows, taken in June 2023, would not have been possible without the assistance and guidance of the Labouré Society, which helps aspirants with coaching, financial tools and discernment support as they break free from debt. Named for St. Catherine Labouré, the 19th-century French sister who relied on her brother and sister-in-law for financial aid to enter the religious life and received the Miraculous Medal from Our Lady, the Labouré Society has helped more than 400 aspirants pursue their vocations since its founding in 2001.

With his debt resolved, Father Rodriguez was able to pursue God’s call.

He was almost 40 years old when he found his vocation — after heartfelt soul-searching.

“I had my profession; I had my studies; I had a good job; I had dating relationships, even including a marriage engagement,” he recalled to the Register. “Throughout all of my adulthood, from 15 years old to practically almost 40, I had everything. But in my heart, I always felt that it was not for me. … There was something inside of me, a disquietude inside my heart that brought me to continue searching.”

Through a casual internet search and God’s providence, he stumbled upon the Labouré Society. The Labouré Society, according to the organization’s website, “helps rescue vocations” via the fundraising efforts of each aspirant that contribute to the entire class. Rodriguez was a part of one class, which lasts for a period of six months.

Labouré’s support and Rodriguez’s fundraising efforts had both financial and spiritual fruits. Father Rodriguez shared that his discernment process was enriched by working alongside his class, and it “helped me to see that this is not money for me, but it is for people, it is for all of us, who are trying to answer God’s call.”

Answering God’s can take many different forms, and for those who may come to their vocation later in life or through unusual circumstances, financial debts remain a serious consideration.

Antonio La Barbera, a new aspirant highlighted by the Labouré Society, shared his story on the society’s website. Also a later-in-life vocation to the priesthood, La Barbera had left the Church and was heavily involved in a Protestant community before hearing God calling him to return to the faith of his childhood. He writes that after his reversion, he began to take courses at a local seminary as a lay student and how “being at the Seminary stirred up that call to the priesthood that had been there since childhood.”

The CARA report found that 80% of dioceses face formal applicants with student-loan debt and how the Labouré Society offers solutions. They have responded to the student-loan crisis by committing to “100% mitigation of up to a quarter million dollars per program participant,” covering both aspirant loans, plus related parental loans. Instead of allowing loans to discourage or dissuade, “for God, there are no obstacles,” Father Rodriguez said.

After resolving his debt, Father Rodriguez is now a part of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph, also termed “The Midwest Capuchins.” He is pastor of two Capuchin parishes in Milwaukee, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Benedict the Moor.

“When we are drowning, he throws us lifesavers, or sends us boats,” Father Rodriguez explained. “It is simply about if we have our hearts open enough to see that it is God who is providing us with these options.”

Vocations directors also welcome the service provided by the Labouré Society.

Father Scott Jabo, a vocations director at St. Mark’s Seminary in the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, said it’s “a very common situation” for discerners to have high debts, preventing them from entering religious communities.

Father Jabo investigated the society when a seminarian at St. Mark’s indicated his large debts from his previous education. Familiar with Labouré, Father Jabo recommended the society to see if it could help the seminarian reduce his debts. After attending a Labouré training session in January, Father Jabo said he saw the formational component and the spiritual and practical fruits it bears.

“There’s a sense that God will provide that involves us having to be humble, having to be open and having that trust and dependency upon our God in the whole process,” Father Jabo said.

The act of asking for financial support and prayers also cultivates social and communication skills, he said.

“It develops that skill of asking people to get involved, whether it’s supporting something financially or contributing skills and talents to something — that’s going to be beneficial no matter what vocation they go into,” Father Jabo explained.

Father Jabo said he encourages aspirants with debt to utilize the Labouré Society's resources to reduce the stress of loans and grow as a child of God in their vocation.

“This really does give a sense of relief and hope that there is a path out of it that is very spiritual in nature,” he said

Alexandra Buchlmayer, a 21-year-old recent college graduate of Holy Cross College in South Bend, Indiana, now living in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, reached out to Labouré while she discerned her vocation. She is now pursuing entry into the Passionate Nuns of St. Joseph, a cloistered, contemplative order in the Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky, as a part of Laboure’s current class of aspirants.

“I have been working with Labouré since this January; and as difficult as it is asking for financial support, I have never been more grateful for debt than I am now.” She explained her surprising attitude based in gratitude. “Because of my debt and the chance to work with Labouré, I have many more spiritual friendships and those praying for my vocation,” she said.

Increasing awareness of Labouré’s system and effectiveness benefits from a community of prayer. As Father Rodriguez emphasized, “It is not only about raising economic assistance to help student loans, but it is about establishing relationships. And to establish relationships, as Christians, we have prayer. It can be a part of how people can help us.”

Register intern Adriana Azarian contributed to this report.

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