Half of U.S. Catholics say their parish has a formal and traditional atmosphere; 35% say their parish is casual and contemporary | Pew Research Center

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June 12, 2025

3. Catholic parish life, culture and community

Half of U.S. Catholics say their parish has a formal and traditional atmosphere; 35% say their parish is casual and contemporary

Half of U.S. Catholics say their parish has a formal and traditional atmosphere; 35% say their parish is casual and contemporary

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Half of U.S. Catholics say their parish has a formal and traditional atmosphere; 35% say their parish is casual and contemporary

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3. Catholic parish life, culture and community
Most American Catholics view their parish priests favorably
54% of U.S. Catholics say that when they attend Mass, most other attendees have the same race or ethnicity as them
95% of weekly Mass attenders have a favorable view of their parish priests
Most Catholics say that, when they attend Mass, it’s typically at their local parish
58% of White Catholics say they attend Masses where most others are White; 55% of Hispanic Catholics say they attend Masses where most others are Hispanic
35% of U.S. Catholics in West say they usually or sometimes go to Mass in Spanish
51% of weekly Mass-attending Catholics say they either participate in parish activities at least yearly, or volunteer at their parish
Half of U.S. Catholics say their parish has a formal and traditional atmosphere; 35% say their parish is casual and contemporary
20% of Catholics say the parish they attend is growing; 15% say it’s shrinking
31% of U.S. Catholics say they heard at least a little about the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress; 23% heard at least a little about the Synod on Synodality