News: Catholic Numbers / Finances

“...the number of priests and religious in the United States continues to decline while the number of members of the Church continues to increase... ”

Catholic Numbers

According to the latest statistics from the Official Catholic Directory the number of priests and religious in the United States continues to decline while the number of members of the Church continues to increase, keeping pace with the overall population growth rate. Meanwhile, the number of permanent deacons continues in an upward trend. There are now close to 15,000 permanent deacons in the United States compared to some 28,700 diocesan priests.

Sacramental participation also continues to decline. Only 33% of American Catholics now say they attend Mass every week. Marriages and baptism of infants have also declined, but there were more First Communions and Confirmations. And, the number of students enrolled in Catholic elementary and high schools declined.

Catholic Finances

American Catholic dioceses appear to be “running through their reserves at an alarming rate.” This statement was made to the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management during their June29 meeting. The Leadership Roundtable consists of leading Catholic executives in business and other fields  who are concerned about improving the church’s financial, personnel and management practices.

The speaker also stated that “the wealth of Catholics and their capacity to give have grown enormously in the past generation or two, but with  few exceptions the growing super-wealth and social position of Catholics have not meant a commensurate gain in funding Catholic institutional life.”

“The time has come to engage the wider community of faith in an urgent discussion of the Church’s financial plight,” he said.

Even those dioceses that have increased their income substantially in recent years find themselves making frequent budget cuts due to a widening gap between their income and their expenses.