31% of US Catholics attend Mass weekly, new survey finds
September 06, 2024
» Continue to this story on Catholic World Report
CWN Editor's Note: Only 31% of American Catholics attend Sunday Mass on a regular basis, according to a new EWTN News/RealClear Opinion Research poll.
The survey found that 41% of self-identified Catholics attend Mass only once, or a few times, in the course of a year. On the other hand, 12% attend Mass two or more times a week, and 3% attend Mass daily.
(The same survey showed American Catholic voters leaning toward Vice President Kamala Harris over former president Donald Trump in the US presidential campaign. See today’s separate CWN headline.)
Only 16% of those surveyed said that they go to Confession at least once a month. Most of those surveyed (61%) said that they go to Confession once a year (19%), even less frequently (24%), or never (18%).
When asked whether they believed in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, a bare majority (52%) replied in the affirmative; 16% were unsure; 32% did not believe.
In one more hopeful sign, the poll showed that young Catholic adults were more likely to attend Mass frequently than those in older age groups. 17% of those between 18 and 29, and 22% of those 30-39, went to Mass more than once a week. That figure was only 6% for those 40-49, 7% for those 50-59, 9% for those 60-69, and only somewhat higher (13%) for respondents over the age of 70.
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Sep. 08, 2024 4:13 AM ET USA
As I commented in the other article about the results of the same survey on presidential candidates, the U.S. bishops have been working hard for decades to achieve the results reported above. For example, in most diocesan parishes that I am aware of, the sacrament of Penance is offered only once a week, and then only scheduled for about an hour. Fortunately, the parishes most frowned upon by the U.S. bishops (e.g., FSSP, ICKSP, even SSPX) offer this sacrament before every Mass, many times a week
