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The Catholic Church in the United States At A Glance

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There are 67,259,769 Catholics in the United States1 (23% of the U.S. population), and 1,070,315,000 Catholics worldwide2.


New Church Members3

Infant Baptisms: 985,141
Adult Baptisms: 76,829
Received into Full Communion: 75,429

Dioceses and Archdioceses
In the United States, there are 195 archdioceses and dioceses:

145 Latin Catholic dioceses
33 Latin Catholic archdioceses
15 Eastern Catholic dioceses
2 Eastern Catholic archdioceses

Clergy and Religious

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


Cardinals
There are 13 U.S. Cardinals

  • 7 Cardinals currently lead U.S. archdioceses
    Cardinal William Keeler - Baltimore
    Cardinal Francis George - Chicago
    Cardinal Adam Maida - Detroit
    Cardinal Roger Mahony - Los Angeles
    Cardinal Edward Egan - New York
    Cardinal Justin Rigali - Philadelphia
    Cardinal Theodore McCarrick - Washington

  • 4 U.S. Cardinals are not currently diocesan bishops
    Cardinal Avery Dulles - Professor of Theology, Fordham University
    Cardinal James Stafford - Major Penitentiary
    Cardinal Bernard F. Law - Archpriest of St. Mary Major Basilica, Rome
    Cardinal Edmund Szoka - President, Pontifical Commission for Vatican City

  • 2 U.S Cardinals are retired
    Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua - Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia
    Cardinal William Baum - Major Penitentiary Emeritus

Bishops
There are 417 active and retired bishops in the United States.4 (NOTE: not included in this number are three Cardinals serving in Rome.)

  • 272 Active Bishops:
    • 7 Cardinal Archbishops
    • 29 Archbishops
    • 2 Coadjutor Archbishop
    • 152 Diocesan Bishops
    • 1 Coadjutor Bishops
    • 81 Auxiliary Bishops

  • 145 Retired Bishops:
    • 2 retired Cardinal Archbishops
    • 16 retired Archbishops
    • 88 retired Diocesan Bishops
    • 39 retired Auxiliary Bishops
Currently, 5 dioceses are vacant (sede vacante):

  • Belleville
  • Grand Rapids
  • Honolulu
  • Saginaw
  • Wichita
Priests5
There are 44,212 diocesan and religious-order priests in the United States.
  • 29,483 diocesan priests
  • 14,729 religious-order priests (Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, etc.)
Seminarians6
There are 4,330 seminarians enrolled in the United States.

  • 3,077 enrolled in diocesan seminaries
  • 1,253 enrolled in religious-order seminaries
Permanent Deacons7
There are 14,693 men who are ordained as permanent deacons in the United States. A permanent deacon is a man, either married or single, who is ordained to the order of deacons, the first of three ranks in ordained ministry. They assist priests in administrative and pastoral roles.

Vowed Religious8

  • Sisters: 71,486
  • Brothers: 5,504
Catholic Education9
  • Elementary Schools: 6,853 schools educating 1,892,071 students
  • High Schools: 1,347 schools educating 680,323 students
  • Colleges and Universities: 232 institutions educating 747,060 students
  • Non-residential Schools for Handicapped Persons: 83 schools educating 18,179 students
  • Public School Students Receiving Religious Education:
    • Elementary School students: 3,612,510
    • High School students: 771,730
Catholic Health Care10
  • Hospitals: 583 Catholic hospitals treaded 83,898,575 patients
  • Other Health Care Centers: 376 centers treated 4,251,107 patients
  • Specialized Homes: 1,546 assisted 1,412,029 residents
  • Residential Care of Children: 272 locations assisted 70,886 residents
Catholic Charities

Social Services11
More than 1,640 local Catholic Charities agencies and institutions provided services to 7,134,551 unduplicated individuals in need of help in 2002.

  • Provided Services that Build Strong Communities to 3,312,346 people
    Social support services 1,746,698
    Education and enrichment 620,742
    Socialization and neighborhood services 484,276
    Health-related services 240,262
    Services to at-risk populations 220,368

  • Provided Food Services to 4,665,445 people
    Food banks and food pantries 2,977,951
    Soup kitchens 1,185,348
    Congregate dining 710,165
    Home delivered meals 173,460
    Other food services 518,521

  • Provided Services that Strengthen Families to 1,307,146 people
    Counseling and mental health services 599,181
    Immigration services 292,249
    Addiction services 163,027
    Refugee services 110,785
    Pregnancy services 101,702
    Adoption services 40,202

  • Provided Housing Related Services to 442,271 people
    Housing services 213,468
    Temporary shelter 113,284
    Supervised living 60,778
    Permanent housing 31,044
    Transitional housing 23,697

  • Provided Other Basic Needs Services to 1,333,425 people
    Financial Assistance (not rent, mortgage, etc.) 12%
    Clothing Assistance 10%
    Utilities Assistance 15%
    Assistance with Purchase of Prescriptions 3%
    Additional Other Basic Needs Assistance 30%

  • Provided Disaster Services to 99,863 people

  1. The Official Catholic Directory 2004, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, New Providence, NJ. 2004
  2. Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2002; population estimated as of June 30, 2002.
  3. The Official Catholic Directory 2003.
  4. Current as of November 1, 2004.
  5. The Official Catholic Directory 2004.
  6. Ibid.
  7. Ibid.
  8. Ibid.
  9. Ibid.
  10. Ibid.
  11. Catholic Charities USA 2002 Annual Survey At A Glance.

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