17% of Catholic Parishes Lack Priests

A new survey shows that 17% of U.S. Catholic parishes lack a resident priest. In most cases such parishes are served by a priest from another parish, but others are administered by deacons, sisters or brothers in religious orders, or lay members.

The findings come from a survey of parishes by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, affiliated with Georgetown University.

The survey said lay ministers outnumber priests in every region of the nation.

The center’s report said the average U.S. Catholic parish consists of 850 households and 2,000 people, of whom about 40% attend weekly Mass.