Catholicism U. S. A. : A Portrait of the Catholic Church in the United States

by Froehle, Bryan T.; Gautier, Mary L.; Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (U. S.)

• ISBN13: 9781570752728
• ISBN10: 1570752729
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-07-01
• Publisher: Orbis Books

Summary

Catholics everywhere are challenged to reflect on the state of the church and its social context. This book is the only reader-friendly resource that interprets current statistics on Catholic population, institutions and personnel -- and what these numbers portend.

Complete with graphs, maps and tables summarizing a wealth of data, this book will stand as the reference on the twentieth-century U.S. Catholic church. Above all, it supplies the facts that bishops, planners, priests, teachers, lay ministers, media, and scholars need to understand the church as it enters the third millennium.

Table of Contents

List of Tables, Figures, and Maps	xi
Foreword	xvii
PART I CHANGES AND CONTINUITIES AMONG U.S. CATHOLICS
The Catholic Population	3	(18)
Changes over the Twentieth Century	3	(3)
Comparisons to Other Countries	4	(1)
Comparisons to Other Religious Bodies	4	(2)
Catholic Population Distribution	6	(4)
Causes of Catholic Population Growth	10	(4)
The Impact of Immigration	10	(3)
Intermarriage and Conversion	13	(1)
Marital Status	14	(1)
Socioeconomic Status of Catholics	14	(5)
Generational Contrasts	15	(1)
Into the Mainstream	15	(1)
Racial and Ethnic Diversity	16	(3)
Conclusion	19	(2)
Behavior and Values of Catholics	21	(18)
Changes in Sacramental Practice	22	(5)
Mass Attendance Patterns	22	(2)
Catholic Marriage	24	(2)
Parish Sacramental Life	26	(1)
Catholic Identity	27	(1)
Catholics and Politics in the United States	28	(7)
Catholic Political Identification	28	(3)
Catholic Social and Political Attitudes	31	(2)
The Catholic Imagination	33	(2)
Conclusion	35	(4)
PART II CHANGES AND CONTINUITIES IN CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS
Dioceses and Parishes	39	(24)
Ecclesial Structure	40	(6)
Regions of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)	40	(2)
Eparchies of the Eastern Churches	42	(1)
Characteristics of USCCB Regions	43	(3)
Archdioceses and Dioceses, Areheparchies and Eparchies	46	(3)
Percent Catholic	48	(1)
Catholics per Parish	49	(1)
Parishes	49	(12)
Parish Population	50	(2)
Parish Seating Capacity	52	(1)
Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan Parishes	52	(2)
Characteristics of Parishes according to Size	54	(1)
Non-English Language Masses	55	(1)
Ethnic Diversity and Parish Life	55	(2)
Parish Racial and Ethnic Composition	57	(2)
Parish Staff	59	(2)
Conclusion	61	(2)
Catholic Education	63	(24)
The Emergence of a Catholic School System	63	(10)
Origins	63	(2)
Development	65	(2)
Standardization	67	(1)
Continuity and Change	68	(3)
Catholic School-age Children	71	(1)
Elementary Schools	71	(1)
High Schools	72	(1)
Teachers in Catholic Schools	73	(2)
Parish-based Religious Education Programs	75	(3)
Comparative Demographics of Catholic Education	78	(1)
Colleges and Universities	79	(4)
Catholic Identity	83	(2)
Conclusion	85	(2)
Social Service Institutions and Agencies	87	(22)
Change and Continuity	87	(2)
Catholic Health Care Institutions	89	(4)
Catholic Hospitals and Medical Care	89	(2)
Other Residential and Day Care Facilities	91	(2)
Catholic Social Service Institutions	93	(7)
From Catholic Charitable Efforts to Catholic Charities USA	93	(5)
Catholic Campaign for Human Development	98	(2)
Overseas Services	100	(5)
Catholic Relief Services	100	(2)
Overseas Missions and Personnel	102	(3)
Conclusion	105	(4)
PART III CHANGES AND CONTINUITIES IN CATHOLIC MINISTRY
Priests	109	(16)
Diocesan and Religious Priests	110	(3)
Ages of Diocesan Priests	112	(1)
Diocesan Priests Active in Ministry	113	(2)
Ordinations, Deaths, and Departures	115	(2)
Priestly Formation	117	(4)
Seminary Enrollment Trends	118	(3)
Parishes without a Resident Pastor	121	(2)
Conclusion	123	(2)
Religious Priests, Brothers, and Sisters	125	(16)
Religious Life in the U. S. at Mid-century	128	(7)
Religious Priests	129	(1)
Religious Brothers	129	(2)
Women Religious	131	(1)
Growth and Contraction in Membership	131	(3)
Average Age	134	(1)
Racial and Ethnic Background of Today's Religious	135	(1)
Number and Types of Communities	135	(1)
Active Ministries of Vowed Religious	135	(1)
Societies of Apostolic Life	136	(1)
Emerging Religious Communities	136	(3)
Membership of Emerging Religious Communities	137	(1)
Spiritual Tradition of Emerging Religious Communities	138	(1)
Size of Emerging Religious Communities	138	(1)
Conclusion	139	(2)
Deacons	141	(10)
Recent Trends	142	(4)
Ages of Deacons	143	(1)
Racial and Ethnic Background of Deacons	143	(1)
Geographic Distribution of Deacons	144	(2)
Deacon Formation Programs	146	(3)
Age Distribution and Marital Status of Diaconate Candidates	146	(2)
Racial and Ethnic Background of Diaconate Candidates	148	(1)
Educational Attainment of Diaconate Candidates	148	(1)
Conclusion	149	(2)
Lay Ecclesial Ministry	151	(16)
Recent Trends	153	(1)
The Present Situation	154	(5)
Ages of Lay Ecclesial Ministers	154	(1)
Racial and Ethnic Background of Lay Ecclesial Ministers	155	(2)
Geographic Distribution of Lay Ecclesial Ministers	157	(1)
Emerging Roles for Lay Ecclesial Ministers	157	(1)
Diocesan Support for Lay Ecclesial Ministers	158	(1)
Lay Ecclesial Ministry Formation	159	(5)
Trends in Lay Ministry Formation	160	(2)
Program Profile	162	(1)
Profile of Lay Ministry Program Participants	163	(1)
Age Distribution of Lay Ministry Program Participants	163	(1)
Racial and Ethnic Background of Lay Ministry Program Participants	163	(1)
Conclusion	164	(3)
Appendix: Supplementary Tables and Maps	167	(36)
Notes	203	(10)
Bibliography	213	(12)
Index	225