Catholics Show Changes in Attitudes and Behaviors—Core Beliefs Remain. We’re becoming a younger Church in America, which reflect changes in attitudes and behaviors, according to a study conducted by the National Catholic Reporter. Adult Catholics who were of the pre-Vatican II generation (born 1940 or before) constitute 10% of the Catholic population. The Vatican II…
A new book, Latino Catholicism: Transformation in America’s Largest Church, focuses on the impact that Latinos are having on the Catholic Church in the United States. The book’s author is Timothy Matovina, professor of theology and executive director of the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The books introduction frames the…
The Gallup Organization came to that determination following their poll covering 2011. 52% of Americans identified themselves as Protestant/Other Christian and 23% identified as Catholic. Other affiliations included Mormon (1.9%), Jewish (1.6), and Muslim (0.5%). One of the fastest growing group is those who identify themselves as non-affiliated/atheist/agnostic (15%). According to the study, 92% of…
A strong majority of Americans favor raising the minimum wage from the present $7.25 to $10.00 an hour, according to the Public Research Institute’s 2011 American Values Study. The largest religious group favoring the increase were black Protestants (87%) followed by Catholics (73%). — “Research Note: Overwhelming Support for Increasing the Minimum Wage,” released November…
It’s no news-alert that young adults, who once were regular churchgoers, have stopped attending–a trend that typically begins in their teen years. Consequently, the religious group that is having the most expansion is labeled “Non-affiliated.” The percentage of young adult Catholics who regularly practice their faith hovers around 25%. Since young people are our future,…
While the precipitous decline in vocations to religious life seems to have bottomed out, student loans, a serious and growing problem in our society (a $ One trillion debt, which exceeds credit-card debt), may be seriously impeding future vocations. Many who are inquiring about religious life find that their negative wealth prevents them from pursuing…
“Barely half of all adults in the United States–a record low–are currently married, and the median age at first marriage has never been higher for brides (26.5 years) and grooms (28.7),” according to a recent analysis of U.S. Census data by the Pew Research Center. Compared to 72% of Americans aged 18 and older who…
According to a recent report in the Journal of Religion and Health, “Measures of religiosity are linked to health outcomes, possibly mediating effects of associated psychological and social factors.” The researchers examined data from more than 90,000 postmenopausal participants of the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study who answered questions on religious attendance, psychological characteristics, and…
According to a survey commissioned by the National Black Catholic Congress (NBCC), African American Catholics experience their religion more deeply than either their white Catholic or black Protestant counterparts. Some of the findings include the following: * 48% of African American Catholics said they attend Mass at least weekly, compared to 30% of white Catholics…
Dear Folks, Below are some gleanings from the recent CARA Report (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate; Georgetown University).Peace and good will, Deacon Jim “ Catholic Trends-(February) (The following are gleaned from The CARA Report (Winter ’12)) What’s Important to American Catholics? Several core aspects of Catholicism are considered “very important”…
The Cross is the Way Home 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); August 30, 2026 Jer 20:7-9. Ps 63. Rom 12:1-2. Mt 16:21-27 Deacon Jim McFadden After establishing Peter as the rock of his Church, Jesus then begins to speak…
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); August 23, 2026 Is 22:19-23. Ps 138. Rom 11:33-36. Mt 16:13-20 Deacon Jim McFadden Midway through his public ministry, Jesus ventured with his disciples to the northern reaches of the Promised Land, to the…
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A); August 16, 2026 Is 56:1,6-7. Ps 67. Rom 11:13-15,29-32. Mt 15:21-28 Deacon Jim McFadden Today’s Gospel (Mt 15:21-28) presents us with a unique example of faith in Jesus’s encounter with a Canaanite woman,…
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