Most Catholics say having a relationship with Jesus is essential to what being Catholic means to them | Pew Research Center

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June 12, 2025

47% of U.S. Adults Have a Personal or Family Connection to Catholicism

Most Catholics say having a relationship with Jesus is essential to what being Catholic means to them

Most Catholics say having a relationship with Jesus is essential to what being Catholic means to them

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Most Catholics say having a relationship with Jesus is essential to what being Catholic means to them

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47% of U.S. Adults Have a Personal or Family Connection to Catholicism
13% of Catholics pray daily and attend Mass weekly and go to confession at least yearly
13% of U.S. Catholics seldom or never pray, and seldom or never attend Mass, and never go to confession
Most Catholics say having a relationship with Jesus is essential to what being Catholic means to them
91% of weekly Mass-going Catholics say a relationship with Christ is key to their faith; 83% say same about receiving the Eucharist
71% of Catholics view their parish priests favorably
51% of weekly Mass attenders say they also participate in their parish in other ways
Compared with ‘cradle Catholics,’ more converts go to Mass weekly and receive Communion when they go
Roughly half of converts to Catholicism mention their spouse or getting married as the main reason for converting
82% of Hispanic Americans have some connection to Catholicism
Many cultural Catholics reference upbringing, relationships as the reason they identify as Catholic ‘aside from religion’