The aim of this paper is to bring out the influence of several family variables on the recruitment of the Catholic Church (priests and members of religious communities) in the Saguenay region between 1882 and 1947. First, the study establishes that such factors as family size and structure, geographic and occupational mobility as well as birth order had no impact upon recruitment. Also, the idea that a few families provided a very large share of Church officials proves groundless. On the other hand, there was a tendency for the Church to recruit among the wider family, and the data show some heritability (or family transmission) in the propensity to "answer the call".Finally, the study underlines the importance of cultural factors in accounting for the recruitment pattern. This statement, however, may need qualifying since the analysis of economic factors — such as family wealth — still has to be carried out.The study combines information from lists of priests and members of religious orders and from the BALSAC data base (for the Saguenay region).