Pew Research Center has issued a new report which aggregates data they have collected over the last few years on Catholics in the USA. The date within the report is insightful for those of us who are watching trends in the Catholic Church as well as in the wider culture. While I recommend a close reading of the entire report, I want to highlight some of the things that I find most interesting and add my own comments.

Some Good News

**A HUGE number of Americans (47%) have some close connection with the Catholic Church. This means the Church still has the ability to be deeply impactful in the lives and families of individuals. The numbers break down this way. In the USA:

• 20% of adults are Catholics: 

• 9% of adults are “cultural Catholics”

• 9% are former Catholics

• 9% are connected to Catholicism: “They are not Catholic, culturally Catholic or formerly Catholic, but they have a Catholic parent, spouse or partner or they say “yes” when asked if they ever attend Catholic Mass.”

**Another positive is that when offered a list of 14 options about what “being Catholic” means, the top answer from the list was “having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”

WOW! This is a huge cultural change and vibe shift from even 10 years ago. That kind of language would not have been acceptable a generation back. This is something we need to celebrate, because for those of us who have been talking about helping others grow in relationship with God - this matters. Deeply.

**Regarding our priests, there is more good news. The majority of Catholics in the USA have a very favorable opinion of our pastors. “71% view their priests favorably, compared with 4% who view them unfavorably.” Of Catholics that go to Mass every week it is even better - “95% express a favorable view of their parish priests.”

**When the survey examined those who have converted to Catholicism, they found some positive data there as well. A big number of Americans are converts (1.5% of all Americans) to Catholicism and they generally have higher rates of being active, engaged, and faithful - when compared to other Catholics.

Some NOT Good News

**Only 30% of Catholics believe that belonging to a parish is a key part of their identity as a Catholic. While several articles could be written exploring this one data point, suffice it to say in this short space that it is not unexpected, but sad. Many people feel disconnected from their parish and believe Catholicism is more about the individual, rather than the entire body of Christ - the Church. There is a loneliness and individualism that has seeped into the lived experience of many Catholics. This is something we need to really think and pray about. The gap between what weekly Mass attendees and less than weekly Mass attendees think about this data point is stark. 67% of weekly Mass attendees believe being part of a parish is important. While only 16% of less than weekly Mass attendees agree. The disconnected are nearly fully disconnected!

**For those that are “cultural Catholics” the number one reason they give for not practicing the faith is related to Catholic teaching. They “changed beliefs, hold different beliefs, or values do not align with the Church”. This is important. We should not assign our own *why* to someone. We have to listen and understand where they are, in order to be able to respond appropriately. What is it they have a problem with? Can we understand, even if we don’t agree? Do we give them room to explore their problems and questions? This is an important pastoral growing edge many Catholic leaders need to work on.

Other Insights

A few other interesting data points stood out to me.

**While it takes up a lot of time in internet fights, the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) still impact the daily lives of very few Catholics. A very small minority of folks go to Traditional Latin Masses. The survey found, “2% who say they attend a TLM weekly”.

**44% receive Communion on the hand while 14% receive on the tongue. Another 42% had no preference or were not asked the question.

**Almost half (47%) of Catholics never go to Confession. Only 23% go annually. 30% go less than annually. A LOT of work left to do with this area of pastoral ministry.

Final Thoughts

The Catholic Church in the USA is a mixed bag and always will be. Of course, this is universal over time and space. We have good and bad mixed up. The value of having data like this isn’t just in knowing where we are or what we do well or bad. It is in having a starting point to make plans on renewal and revival. Let’s use it for that purpose and let us especially pray that we can allow God to take the lead. A God who has a better plan than any of us. Go read the full report, then pray.