Catholic Church Grows Less Than 1%

Catholics account for 23% of the U.S. population, a percentage that is holding steady as church membership grows at about the same rate as overall U.S. population growth, according to the 1999 edition of the Official Catholic Directory.

Current membership is 62,018,436, an increase of 454,667, or less than 1% over 1998. A similar pattern of membership was revealed in figures released a month ago by the nation’s second-largest religious body, the Southern Baptist Convention. Membership in Southern Baptist churches had declined 1%--to 14.7 million--that denomination said.

Statistics in the Catholic annual, issued by P.J. Kenedy & Sons, cover the 50 states and U.S. possessions. The church has 19,584 local parishes, 586 hospitals and 2,260 social service agencies.

Other data, with changes from 1998, include:

Priests: 47,210, down 383.

Newly ordained priests: 478, down 31.

Seminary students: 4,826, up 238.

Catholic school enrollment: 2,714,697, up 1,166.

Infant baptisms: 1,013,437, down 27,400 (although first communions and confirmations were up.)

In a related development, Catholic officials announced that $30 million will be distributed this year to retirees of Catholic religious orders.