The Catholic Church in the United States At A Glance

The Catholic Church in the United States At A Glance

(Figures Represent the U.S. Catholic Church Through 2007 Unless Otherwise Indicated)

Laity

There are 67,117,016 Catholics in the United States¹ (22% of the U.S. population),
and 1 billion Catholics worldwide².

New Church Members³

Infant Baptisms: 902,841

Adult Baptisms: 49,415

Received into Full Communion: 87,363

Dioceses and Archdioceses (alphabetical listing - Listing by population)

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

Priests⁴
There are 41,406 diocesan and religious-order priests in the United States.

• 28,067 diocesan priests
• 13,339 religious-order priests (Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, etc.)

Seminarians
There are 5,029 seminarians enrolled in the United States.

• 3,248 enrolled in diocesan seminaries
• 1,781 enrolled in religious-order seminaries

Permanent Deacons⁶
There are 16,408 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 Religious

• Sisters: 63,032
• Brothers: 5,040

Catholic Education

• Total Catholic elementary and high school enrollment: 2,256,990
• Elementary Schools: 6,266 schools educating 1,576,301 students
• High Schools: 1,352 schools educating 680,689 students
• Colleges and Universities: 236 institutions educating 794,321 students
• Non-residential Schools for Handicapped Persons: 68 schools educating 6,419 students
• Public School Students Receiving Religious Education:
  • Elementary School students: 3,145,424
  • High School students: 689,552

Catholic Health Care

• Hospitals: 557 Catholic hospitals treated 83,795,186 patients
• Other Health Care Centers: 417 centers treated 7,271,716 patients
• Specialized Homes: 1,538 assisted 756,902 residents
• Residential Care of Children: 163 locations assisted 30,106 residents

Catholic Charities

Social Services
More than 1,735 local Catholic Charities agencies and institutions provided services to 7,854,104 unduplicated individuals in need of help in 2004.

• Provided Services that Build Strong Communities to 3,618,993 people
  Social support services 1,698,047
  Education and enrichment 747,021
  Socialization and neighborhood services 609,149
  Health-related services 234,635
  Services to at-risk populations 331,141

• Provided Food Services to 6,360,939 people
  Food banks and food pantries 2,373,087
  Soup kitchens 1,826,738
  Congregate dining 1,232,217
  Home delivered meals 279,345
  Other food services 649,520

• Provided Services that Strengthen Families to 1,093,339 people
  Counseling and mental health services 468,844
  Immigration services 341,087
  Addiction services 97,980
  Refugee services 77,801
  Pregnancy services 65,718
  Adoption services 41,909

• Provided Housing Related Services to 474,999 people
  Housing services 171,787
  Temporary shelter 139,938
  Supervised living 102,297
  Permanent housing 41,424
  Transitional housing 19,553

• Provided Other Basic Needs Services to 1,384,101 people
  Financial Assistance (not rent, mortgage, etc.) 154,637
  Clothing Assistance 533,828
  Utilities Assistance 167,510
  Assistance with Purchase of Prescriptions 47,136
  Additional Other Basic Needs Assistance 480,990

• Provided Disaster Services to 567,334 people

From the USCCB Website