The median Latin-rite diocese in the United States has one infant baptism per year for every 113 Catholics, one non-infant reception into the Church per year for every 413 Catholics, one wedding per year for every 453 Catholics, and one diocesan seminarian for every 14,473 Catholics, according to data published in the 2024 edition of The Official Catholic Directory, which chronicled statistics for the preceding year.
In a series of articles analyzing seminarians, weddings, infant baptisms, and non-infant receptions into the Church—a category encompassing adult baptisms, baptisms of non-infant minors, and receptions of baptized Christians into full communion—I found significant variations among the nation’s dioceses:
- With one diocesan seminarian for every 1,904 Catholics, the Diocese of Rapid City ranks first in the nation in its ratio of diocesan seminarians to Catholics; with no seminarians, the Diocese of Fairbanks ranks last (175th). With one seminarian for every 169,933 Catholics, the Diocese of Brownsville ranks next to last. A Catholic in the Diocese of Rapid City, then, is over 89 times more likely to become a diocesan seminarian than is a Catholic in the Diocese of Brownsville.
- With one infant baptism for every 48 Catholics, the Diocese of Nashville ranks first in the nation in this ratio; with one infant baptism for every 603 Catholics, the Diocese of Lubbock ranks last. The Diocese of Nashville, then, has an infant baptism rate over 12 times higher than that of the Diocese of Lubbock. Differences in infant baptism rates among the nation’s dioceses are far more pronounced than are differences in birth rates among the nation’s states (pp. 26-27).
- The top-ranked Diocese of Raleigh receives one non-infant into the Church for every 71 Catholics—a ratio over 34 times higher than that of the last-ranked Archdiocese of Newark, where one non-infant is received into the Church for every 2,448 Catholics.
- A Catholic in the top-ranked Diocese of Salina (one wedding for every 178 Catholics) is over 15 times more likely to marry in the Church than is a Catholic in the last-ranked Diocese of Lubbock (one wedding for every 2,722 Catholics). Differences in wedding rates among the nation’s dioceses are far starker than differences in civil marriage rates among the nation’s states.
Although other measures of fruitfulness doubtless exist, these four categories may collectively be used to measure the fruitfulness of each of the nation’s dioceses. The statistics in the Directory have their limits, but they are still the best statistics upon which journalists of today, historians of tomorrow, and other interested Catholics may draw.
Granting the limits of statistics and recognizing the primacy of divine grace, one may still assert that dioceses that attract proportionally high numbers of seminarians and converts have a relatively bright future. Dioceses that have proportionally high numbers of weddings and infant baptisms have a relatively bright future. They are producing relatively high amounts of fruit, unlike the barren fig tree in Christ’s parable (Luke 13:6-9).
America’s most fruitful and least fruitful dioceses
The table at the conclusion of the article includes the ranking of each of the nation’s 175 territorial Latin-rite dioceses in each of the four categories, as well as the ratio of seminarians, weddings, infant baptisms, and non-infant receptions to Catholics. I weighted the four categories equally in determining the ranking of overall diocesan fruitfulness.
I have rounded ratios to the nearest whole number. For example, in the infant baptism category, the Diocese of Fairbanks (one infant baptism per 70.7 Catholics) ranks higher than the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau (one infant baptism per 71.4 Catholics), but both are listed as having one infant baptism per 71 Catholics. All data are derived from the Directory, with two exceptions: in response to my queries, two dioceses that reported no data in individual categories in the Directory sent me the data they had neglected to send to the Directory.
By the collective measure of fruitfulness described above, the Dioceses of Nashville and Tulsa are tied for first place among the nation’s most fruitful dioceses. The other dioceses in the top ten are the Dioceses of Wichita, Savannah, Knoxville, Birmingham, Grand Island, and Salina, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and the Diocese of Memphis.
In 11th through 20th place are the Dioceses of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Rapid City, Lexington, Jefferson City, Evansville, Jackson, and Amarillo, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and the Dioceses of Fort Wayne-South Bend and Bismarck.
By the measures described above, the ten least fruitful dioceses, in reverse order (from 175th to 166th place), are the Dioceses of Brownsville, El Paso, and Norwich, the Archdiocese of Las Vegas, the Dioceses of San Diego, Lubbock, and Portland (in Maine), the Archdiocese of New York, and the Dioceses of Laredo and Sacramento.
Three officials of the Diocese of Brownsville, three officials of the Diocese of Lubbock, two officials of the Diocese of El Paso, two officials of the Diocese of Laredo, an official of the Archdiocese of New York, and an official of the Diocese of Sacramento did not respond to requests to comment for this series of articles.
In 156th through 165th place are the Dioceses of Corpus Christi, Gallup, Phoenix, Metuchen, Erie, Rochester, and Fort Worth, the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and the Dioceses of Providence and Buffalo.
Observations
In the table, I grouped the nation’s dioceses by their ecclesiastical provinces to highlight regional differences. And regional differences certainly exist: all the dioceses in several Midwestern and Southern states have above-average fruitfulness, while all the dioceses in the Northeast and in southern California have below-average fruitfulness.
But within the different regions, there is surprisingly strong variation. For example:
- In Georgia, the 4th-ranked Diocese of Savannah borders the 142nd-ranked Archdiocese of Atlanta (map).
- In Illinois, the Diocese of Peoria (tied for 21st) borders the Dioceses of Joliet (119th) and Rockford (126th) (map).
- In Ohio, the Diocese of Steubenville (tied for 21st) and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (55th) border the Diocese of Columbus (117th) (map).
- In Colorado, the Diocese of Pueblo (24th) borders the Diocese of Colorado Springs (143rd) (map).
- In Michigan, the Dioceses of Lansing (47th) and Gaylord (55th) border the Diocese of Saginaw (141st) (map).
- While all of the dioceses in Kansas have above-average fruitfulness, the Diocese of Dodge City (84th) is considerably less fruitful than are the Diocese of Wichita (3rd), the Diocese of Salina (8th), and the Archdiocese of Kansas City (18th) (map).
- The Dioceses of Oakland (57th) and Stockton (59th) are considerably more fruitful than are the other dioceses in California. One of the bright spots in California is the number of dioceses with relatively high infant baptism rates, including the Dioceses of Stockton (4th), Fresno (21st), and Oakland (27th), the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (35th), and the Diocese of Monterey (36th) (map).
- There is marked variation within the State of Texas: for example, the Diocese of Amarillo (17th) borders the Diocese of Lubbock (170th) (map).
Several of the nation’s least fruitful dioceses are located along the U.S.-Mexico border. However, two border dioceses—San Angelo (54th) and Las Cruces (65th)—have above-average fruitfulness.
Likewise, some of the nation’s least fruitful dioceses are based in large cities. At the same time, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (9th) is headquartered in the nation’s 16th-largest city, and Jacksonville, the nation’s tenth-largest city, is located in the Diocese of St. Augustine (tied for 21st in fruitfulness).
Breaking up large dioceses: a moral responsibility?
Some of the nation’s largest cities, then, are located in fruitful dioceses. At the same time, not a single diocese with more than 700,000 Catholics has above-average fruitfulness.
In the chart that appears after the table of rankings, I compare diocesan population with diocesan fruitfulness. The most fruitful dioceses (ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) appear on the left side of the chart; the lowest-ranked dioceses (173rd, 174th, 175th) appear on the right side.
The chart shows that small dioceses may have above-average fruitfulness, average fruitfulness, or below-average fruitfulness. But the 24 dioceses with over 700,000 Catholics, for whatever reason, all have below-average fruitfulness—perhaps because the bishop and other diocesan officials are inevitably more remote from the average Catholic than they are in small and mid-sized dioceses.
Correlation is not causation, but there does seem to be a terrible cost to souls once an American diocese grows over 700,000 Catholics: the combination of baptism, conversion, seminarian, and wedding rates inevitably falls below average. This suggests that there may be a moral responsibility to break up the nation’s largest dioceses.
At the same time, once a diocesan population crosses the 700,000 threshold, dioceses do not inevitably become less fruitful as they grow larger. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, with 3.82 million Catholics, is far and away the nation’s largest diocese and is ranked 124th in fruitfulness. Although the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has below-average fruitfulness, it is more fruitful than 51 of the nation’s dioceses. Similar observations could be made about the 135th-ranked Archdiocese of Chicago (the nation’s third-largest diocese) and the 121st-ranked Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston (the nation’s sixth-largest diocese).
If there is a moral responsibility to break up at least some of the nation’s largest dioceses, any break-ups, it seems, should begin with the nation’s least fruitful dioceses:
- If the Diocese of Brownsville (1.19 million Catholics), ranked 175th in fruitfulness, were broken up, might the two resulting dioceses have proportionally higher numbers of seminarians and higher rates of weddings, infant baptisms, and conversions?
- If the Diocese of El Paso (716,000 Catholics), ranked 174th in fruitfulness, were broken up, might the two resulting dioceses have a fighting chance to become as fruitful as the dioceses that border it: San Angelo (ranked 54th) and Las Cruces (ranked 65th)?
Likewise, if the 171st-ranked Diocese of San Diego (1.38 million Catholics) were broken up, might the two resulting dioceses become as fruitful as the adjacent Dioceses of Orange (145th) and San Bernardino (139th)? If the 168th-ranked Archdiocese of New York (3.26 million Catholics) were broken up, might at least one of the resulting dioceses become as fruitful as the adjacent Diocese of Albany (133rd), or the nearby Diocese of Rockville Centre (130th)?
In August, Pope Leo XIV split up the massive Archdiocese of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic; with 3.48 million Catholics, the archdiocese had more Catholics than the Archdiocese of New York or the Archdiocese of Chicago. In light of the relatively low fruitfulness rankings of all of the large dioceses of the United States, the time may be ripe to follow suit here.
Apostolic visitations and new cardinals
Size alone, however, cannot account for the low fruitfulness rankings of many of the nation’s least fruitful dioceses. For the good of souls, the time may be ripe for the Holy See, as a matter of course, to conduct apostolic visitations of the 10% of dioceses in each nation that are least fruitful by these measures, or by other measures determined by the Holy See.
At the same time, the most fruitful dioceses in the United States (as well as other nations) doubtless have much wisdom to share with the universal Church. Officials of the third-ranked Diocese of Wichita, for example, pointed to actions taken four decades ago by the late Bishop Eugene Gerber, who strongly encouraged perpetual Eucharistic adoration and stewardship; as a result of the 40-year emphasis on stewardship, Catholic schools there do not charge tuition. The appointment of bishops and other officials of the most fruitful dioceses as members and consultors to Vatican dicasteries and synodal bodies could foster the sharing of such insights.
During his pontificate, Pope Francis appointed suffragan bishops in Haiti, Panama, Portugal, Guatemala, Nigeria, the United States (San Diego), Italy, Ghana, Malaysia, France, the Philippines, and elsewhere as cardinals. Such precedents make similar appointments of suffragan bishops from the most fruitful dioceses in the United States—such as a cardinal bishop in Nashville, in Tulsa, or in Wichita—more conceivable.
In sharing his insights about the struggles of his Massachusetts diocese to attract priestly vocations, Bishop William Byrne of Springfield said:
When I arrived as bishop in this diocese in late 2020 there were no seminarians. I have made increasing vocations to the priesthood a goal of my episcopacy. I consider myself as a bishop to be the chief vocation director … I bring this need for more vocations to my everyday prayers, offering many holy hours for the intention. I sincerely believe we are turning the corner, but I also know that to reinvigorate vocations much work remains, work that I am committed to undertake.
May the prayers of America’s faithful join Bishop Byrne’s prayers in ascending to the throne of Almighty God, that his diocese—and all of America’s dioceses—may grow in fruitfulness in the years ahead.
| Diocese | Province | Diocesan Seminarian Ratio Rank | Wedding Ratio Rank | Infant Baptism Ratio Rank | Non-Infant Reception Ratio Rank | Overall Fruitfulness Rank |
| Anchorage-Juneau | AJ | 76 (1 per 12,251 Catholics) | 72 (1 per 395 Catholics) | 19 (1 per 71 Catholics) | 13 (1 per 159 Catholics) | 41 |
| Fairbanks | AJ | 175 (no seminarians) | 96 (1 per 488 Catholics) | 18 (1 per 71 Catholics) | 50 (1 per 255 Catholics) | 86 |
| Savannah | ATL | 31 (1 per 7,273 Catholics) | 3 (1 per 214 Catholics) | 12 (1 per 64 Catholics) | 6 (1 per 136 Catholics) | 4 |
| Charleston | ATL | 61 (1 per 10,425 Catholics) | 28 (1 per 310 Catholics) | 39 (1 per 87 Catholics) | 32 (1 per 198 Catholics) | 27 |
| Raleigh | ATL | 102 (1 per 17,587 Catholics) | 24 (1 per 285 Catholics) | 120 (1 per 142 Catholics) | 1 (1 per 71 Catholics) | 58 |
| Charlotte | ATL | 63 (1 per 10,581 Catholics) | 136 (1 per 723 Catholics) | 115 (1 per 135 Catholics) | 88 (1 per 413 Catholics) | 104 |
| Atlanta | ATL | 138 (1 per 34,286 Catholics) | 147 (1 per 832 Catholics) | 132 (1 per 170 Catholics) | 116 (1 per 605 Catholics) | 142 |
| Wheeling – Charleston | BAL | 16 (1 per 5,725 Catholics) | 45 (1 per 354 Catholics) | 92 (1 per 114 Catholics) | 20 (1 per 170 Catholics) | 36 |
| Arlington | BAL | 65 (1 per 10,827 Catholics) | 34 (1 per 327 Catholics) | 49 (1 per 90 Catholics) | 37 (1 per 227 Catholics) | 43 |
| Richmond | BAL | 50 (1 per 9,691 Catholics) | 64 (1 per 382 Catholics) | 38 (1 per 86 Catholics) | 125 (1 per 643 Catholics) | 66 |
| Baltimore | BAL | 58 (1 per 10,101 Catholics) | 93 (1 per 464 Catholics) | 99 (1 per 118 Catholics) | 135 (1 per 709 Catholics) | 98 |
| Wilmington | BAL | 114 (1 per 22,463 Catholics) | 126 (1 per 621 Catholics) | 122 (1 per 143 Catholics) | 115 (1 per 604 Catholics) | 125 |
| Burlington | BO | 80 (1 per 12,500 Catholics) | 133 (1 per 676 Catholics) | 166 (1 per 298 Catholics) | 117 (1 per 606 Catholics) | 129 |
| Springfield in Massachusetts | BO | 172 (1 per 151,546 Catholics) | 130 (1 per 642 Catholics) | 117 (1 per 137 Catholics) | 91 (1 per 427 Catholics) | 134 |
| Manchester | BO | 98 (1 per 16,848 Catholics) | 127 (1 per 632 Catholics) | 130 (1 per 156 Catholics) | 157 (1 per 958 Catholics) | 136 |
| Worcester | BO | 94 (1 per 15,688 Catholics) | 164 (1 per 1,165 Catholics) | 137 (1 per 177 Catholics) | 130 (1 per 672 Catholics) | 140 |
| Boston | BO | 126 (1 per 28,940 Catholics) | 167 (1 per 1,258 Catholics) | 160 (1 per 260 Catholics) | 100 (1 per 490 Catholics) | 147 |
| Fall River | BO | 152 (1 per 51,957 Catholics) | 114 (1 per 571 Catholics) | 128 (1 per 155 Catholics) | 169 (1 per 1,346 Catholics) | 151 |
| Portland (in Maine) | BO | 130 (1 per 31,896 Catholics) | 165 (1 per 1,172 Catholics) | 172 (1 per 413 Catholics) | 168 (1 per 1,299 Catholics) | 169 |
| Peoria | CHI | 17 (1 per 5,904 Catholics) | 21 (1 per 279 Catholics) | 63 (1 per 99 Catholics) | 51 (1 per 260 Catholics) | 21 |
| Springfield in Illinois | CHI | 35 (1 per 7,574 Catholics) | 83 (1 per 429 Catholics) | 67 (1 per 100 Catholics) | 75 (1 per 360 Catholics) | 61 |
| Belleville | CHI | 120 (1 per 24,590 Catholics) | 69 (1 per 386 Catholics) | 70 (1 per 101 Catholics) | 62 (1 per 299 Catholics) | 81 |
| Joliet | CHI | 113 (1 per 21,795 Catholics) | 118 (1 per 586 Catholics) | 72 (1 per 103 Catholics) | 156 (1 per 953 Catholics) | 119 |
| Rockford | CHI | 139 (1 per 34,405 Catholics) | 103 (1 per 523 Catholics) | 85 (1 per 113 Catholics) | 152 (1 per 851 Catholics) | 126 |
| Chicago | CHI | 161 (1 per 67,065 Catholics) | 125 (1 per 611 Catholics) | 87 (1 per 113 Catholics) | 138 (1 per 722 Catholics) | 135 |
| Steubenville | CIN | 4 (1 per 3,541 Catholics) | 19 (1 per 275 Catholics) | 118 (1 per 140 Catholics) | 11 (1 per 158 Catholics) | 21 |
| Cincinnati | CIN | 40 (1 per 8,126 Catholics) | 43 (1 per 351 Catholics) | 60 (1 per 97 Catholics) | 81 (1 per 374 Catholics) | 55 |
| Youngstown | CIN | 81 (1 per 12,849 Catholics) | 71 (1 per 389 Catholics) | 111 (1 per 131 Catholics) | 87 (1 per 412 Catholics) | 91 |
| Cleveland | CIN | 79 (1 per 12,423 Catholics) | 75 (1 per 403 Catholics) | 124 (1 per 147 Catholics) | 108 (1 per 542 Catholics) | 99 |
| Toledo | CIN | 125 (1 per 28,779 Catholics) | 106 (1 per 533 Catholics) | 155 (1 per 231 Catholics) | 68 (1 per 306 Catholics) | 115 |
| Columbus | CIN | 91 (1 per 15,317 Catholics) | 148 (1 per 841 Catholics) | 168 (1 per 342 Catholics) | 48 (1 per 249 Catholics) | 117 |
| Pueblo | DEN | 56 (1 per 9,974 Catholics) | 52 (1 per 364 Catholics) | 31 (1 per 80 Catholics) | 14 (1 per 165 Catholics) | 24 |
| Cheyenne | DEN | 18 (1 per 5,952 Catholics) | 70 (1 per 387 Catholics) | 76 (1 per 105 Catholics) | 45 (1 per 247 Catholics) | 48 |
| Denver | DEN | 106 (1 per 18,789 Catholics) | 110 (1 per 548 Catholics) | 90 (1 per 114 Catholics) | 109 (1 per 547 Catholics) | 106 |
| Colorado Springs | DEN | 71 (1 per 11,566 Catholics) | 161 (1 per 1,014 Catholics) | 159 (1 per 249 Catholics) | 143 (1 per 768 Catholics) | 143 |
| Lansing | DET | 20 (1 per 6,148 Catholics) | 48 (1 per 356 Catholics) | 83 (1 per 112 Catholics) | 55 (1 per 269 Catholics) | 47 |
| Gaylord | DET | 45 (1 per 8,750 Catholics) | 9 (1 per 256 Catholics) | 94 (1 per 115 Catholics) | 76 (1 per 362 Catholics) | 55 |
| Kalamazoo | DET | 53 (1 per 9,848 Catholics) | 78 (1 per 413 Catholics) | 68 (1 per 100 Catholics) | 65 (1 per 302 Catholics) | 63 |
| Marquette | DET | 21 (1 per 6,172 Catholics) | 36 (1 per 336 Catholics) | 139 (1 per 182 Catholics) | 105 (1 per 514 Catholics) | 74 |
| Grand Rapids | DET | 46 (1 per 8,969 Catholics) | 81 (1 per 419 Catholics) | 101 (1 per 121 Catholics) | 78 (1 per 365 Catholics) | 75 |
| Saginaw | DET | 112 (1 per 21,583 Catholics) | 131 (1 per 644 Catholics) | 141 (1 per 183 Catholics) | 145 (1 per 799 Catholics) | 141 |
| Detroit | DET | 145 (1 per 39,309 Catholics) | 119 (1 per 586 Catholics) | 133 (1 per 170 Catholics) | 141 (1 per 744 Catholics) | 144 |
| Sioux City | DUB | 52 (1 per 9,756 Catholics) | 30 (1 per 317 Catholics) | 22 (1 per 73 Catholics) | 58 (1 per 275 Catholics) | 30 |
| Des Moines | DUB | 42 (1 per 8,240 Catholics) | 59 (1 per 375 Catholics) | 34 (1 per 82 Catholics) | 80 (1 per 369 Catholics) | 52 |
| Davenport | DUB | 87 (1 per 14,561 Catholics) | 50 (1 per 363 Catholics) | 61 (1 per 97 Catholics) | 85 (1 per 394 Catholics) | 68 |
| Dubuque | DUB | 82 (1 per 13,379 Catholics) | 57 (1 per 372 Catholics) | 64 (1 per 99 Catholics) | 127 (1 per 650 Catholics) | 83 |
| Beaumont | GAL | 43 (1 per 8,243 Catholics) | 31 (1 per 320 Catholics) | 43 (1 per 88 Catholics) | 44 (1 per 245 Catholics) | 29 |
| Victoria in Texas | GAL | 57 (1 per 10,096 Catholics) | 11 (1 per 260 Catholics) | 45 (1 per 89 Catholics) | 59 (1 per 279 Catholics) | 33 |
| Tyler | GAL | 36 (1 per 7,576 Catholics) | 68 (1 per 386 Catholics) | 7 (1 per 60 Catholics) | 63 (1 per 300 Catholics) | 37 |
| Austin | GAL | 100 (1 per 16,964 Catholics) | 105 (1 per 529 Catholics) | 89 (1 per 113 Catholics) | 90 (1 per 427 Catholics) | 97 |
| Galveston – Houston | GAL | 142 (1 per 36,957 Catholics) | 134 (1 per 699 Catholics) | 164 (1 per 275 Catholics) | 23 (1 per 179 Catholics) | 121 |
| Corpus Christi | GAL | 153 (1 per 52,432 Catholics) | 154 (1 per 892 Catholics) | 157 (1 per 275 Catholics) | 123 (1 per 637 Catholics) | 156 |
| Brownsville | GAL | 174 (1 per 169,933 Catholics) | 173 (1 per 1,569 Catholics) | 163 (1 per 271 Catholics) | 174 (1 per 1,864 Catholics) | 175 |
| Bridgeport | HRT | 92 (1 per 15,417 Catholics) | 143 (1 per 782 Catholics) | 112 (1 per 133 Catholics) | 113 (1 per 595 Catholics) | 120 |
| Hartford | HRT | 149 (1 per 47,891 Catholics) | 157 (1 per 924 Catholics) | 140 (1 per 183 Catholics) | 126 (1 per 650 Catholics) | 152 |
| Providence | HRT | 147 (1 per 39,933 Catholics) | 145 (1 per 799 Catholics) | 165 (1 per 280 Catholics) | 165 (1 per 1,205 Catholics) | 164 |
| Norwich | HRT | 157 (1 per 57,130 Catholics) | 158 (1 per 933 Catholics) | 162 (1 per 270 Catholics) | 170 (1 per 1,393 Catholics) | 173 |
| Indianapolis | IND | 26 (1 per 6,598 Catholics) | 18 (1 per 271 Catholics) | 15 (1 per 68 Catholics) | 21 (1 per 172 Catholics) | 9 |
| Evansville | IND | 9 (1 per 4,149 Catholics) | 16 (1 per 269 Catholics) | 29 (1 per 78 Catholics) | 61 (1 per 296 Catholics) | 15 |
| Fort Wayne – South Bend | IND | 64 (1 per 10,731 Catholics) | 12 (1 per 262 Catholics) | 13 (1 per 67 Catholics) | 57 (1 per 271 Catholics) | 19 |
| Lafayette in Indiana | IND | 47 (1 per 9,060 Catholics) | 40 (1 per 345 Catholics) | 41 (1 per 87 Catholics) | 38 (1 per 227 Catholics) | 31 |
| Gary | IND | 85 (1 per 14,165 Catholics) | 113 (1 per 568 Catholics) | 147 (1 per 195 Catholics) | 148 (1 per 825 Catholics) | 128 |
| Wichita | KCK | 2 (1 per 2,466 Catholics) | 5 (1 per 235 Catholics) | 14 (1 per 67 Catholics) | 8 (1 per 141 Catholics) | 3 |
| Salina | KCK | 6 (1 per 3,855 Catholics) | 1 (1 per 178 Catholics) | 25 (1 per 76 Catholics) | 43 (1 per 238 Catholics) | 8 |
| Kansas City in Kansas | KCK | 29 (1 per 6,868 Catholics) | 23 (1 per 282 Catholics) | 20 (1 per 72 Catholics) | 56 (1 per 271 Catholics) | 18 |
| Dodge City | KCK | 84 (1 per 14,024 Catholics) | 117 (1 per 578 Catholics) | 33 (1 per 80 Catholics) | 102 (1 per 501 Catholics) | 84 |
| Nashville | L | 7 (1 per 3,944 Catholics) | 7 (1 per 239 Catholics) | 1 (1 per 47 Catholics) | 7 (1 per 137 Catholics) | 1 |
| Knoxville | L | 27 (1 per 6,836 Catholics) | 17 (1 per 270 Catholics) | 11 (1 per 64 Catholics) | 4 (1 per 108 Catholics) | 5 |
| Memphis | L | 15 (1 per 5,558 Catholics) | 32 (1 per 324 Catholics) | 8 (1 per 60 Catholics) | 26 (1 per 187 Catholics) | 10 |
| Lexington | L | 38 (1 per 7,735 Catholics) | 25 (1 per 289 Catholics) | 24 (1 per 75 Catholics) | 2 (1 per 84 Catholics) | 13 |
| Owensboro | L | 101 (1 per 17,014 Catholics) | 13 (1 per 263 Catholics) | 30 (1 per 78 Catholics) | 24 (1 per 182 Catholics) | 32 |
| Louisville | L | 55 (1 per 9,968 Catholics) | 79 (1 per 415 Catholics) | 51 (1 per 91 Catholics) | 36 (1 per 222 Catholics) | 53 |
| Covington | L | 89 (1 per 15,083 Catholics) | 56 (1 per 369 Catholics) | 123 (1 per 146 Catholics) | 25 (1 per 183 Catholics) | 71 |
| Fresno | LA | 148 (1 per 41,261 Catholics) | 100 (1 per 518 Catholics) | 21 (1 per 73 Catholics) | 119 (1 per 617 Catholics) | 100 |
| Monterey | LA | 170 (1 per 123,000 Catholics) | 128 (1 per 633 Catholics) | 36 (1 per 83 Catholics) | 122 (1 per 632 Catholics) | 118 |
| Los Angeles | LA | 163 (1 per 74,812 Catholics) | 138 (1 per 749 Catholics) | 35 (1 per 83 Catholics) | 140 (1 per 727 Catholics) | 124 |
| San Bernardino | LA | 167 (1 per 91,424 Catholics) | 153 (1 per 885 Catholics) | 174 (1 per 559 Catholics) | 30 (1 per 193 Catholics) | 139 |
| Orange | LA | 158 (1 per 58,884 Catholics) | 135 (1 per 716 Catholics) | 134 (1 per 173 Catholics) | 120 (1 per 619 Catholics) | 145 |
| San Diego | LA | 168 (1 per 106,305 Catholics) | 163 (1 per 1,137 Catholics) | 158 (1 per 248 Catholics) | 153 (1 per 922 Catholics) | 171 |
| Reno | LAV | 104 (1 per 17,924 Catholics) | 88 (1 per 453 Catholics) | 23 (1 per 73 Catholics) | 121 (1 per 631 Catholics) | 84 |
| Salt Lake City | LAV | 131 (1 per 32,229 Catholics) | 122 (1 per 604 Catholics) | 44 (1 per 89 Catholics) | 72 (1 per 343 Catholics) | 94 |
| Las Vegas | LAV | 160 (1 per 62,000 Catholics) | 172 (1 per 1,452 Catholics) | 150 (1 per 201 Catholics) | 161 (1 per 1,026 Catholics) | 172 |
| St. Augustine | MIA | 41 (1 per 8,146 Catholics) | 53 (1 per 365 Catholics) | 40 (1 per 87 Catholics) | 18 (1 per 168 Catholics) | 21 |
| Pensacola – Tallahassee | MIA | 10 (1 per 4,267 Catholics) | 74 (1 per 401 Catholics) | 78 (1 per 106 Catholics) | 17 (1 per 168 Catholics) | 39 |
| Miami | MIA | 48 (1 per 9,073 Catholics) | 65 (1 per 383 Catholics) | 5 (1 per 59 Catholics) | 64 (1 per 302 Catholics) | 42 |
| St. Petersburg | MIA | 86 (1 per 14,539 Catholics) | 42 (1 per 347 Catholics) | 69 (1 per 101 Catholics) | 54 (1 per 267 Catholics) | 60 |
| Palm Beach | MIA | 128 (1 per 31,094 Catholics) | 82 (1 per 421 Catholics) | 55 (1 per 93 Catholics) | 28 (1 per 189 Catholics) | 71 |
| Venice | MIA | 119 (1 per 24,216 Catholics) | 89 (1 per 457 Catholics) | 65 (1 per 99 Catholics) | 40 | 78 |
| Orlando | MIA | 111 (1 per 21,116 Catholics) | 95 (1 per 485 Catholics) | 71 (1 per 102 Catholics) | 77 (1 per 363 Catholics) | 92 |
| Madison | MIL | 39 (1 per 7,941 Catholics) | 91 (1 per 460 Catholics) | 66 (1 per 100 Catholics) | 93 (1 per 442 Catholics) | 69 |
| La Crosse | MIL | 60 (1 per 10,336 Catholics) | 62 (1 per 378 Catholics) | 95 (1 per 115 Catholics) | 94 (1 per 445 Catholics) | 77 |
| Superior | MIL | 83 (1 per 13,801 Catholics) | 87 (1 per 453 Catholics) | 102 (1 per 122 Catholics) | 73 (1 per 343 Catholics) | 88 |
| Milwaukee | MIL | 77 (1 per 12,320 Catholics) | 90 (1 per 458 Catholics) | 103 (1 per 123 Catholics) | 131 (1 per 684 Catholics) | 101 |
| Green Bay | MIL | 88 (1 per 14,743 Catholics) | 101 (1 per 519 Catholics) | 106 (1 per 125 Catholics) | 146 (1 per 816 Catholics) | 110 |
| Birmingham | MOB | 24 (1 per 6,570 Catholics) | 22 (1 per 282 Catholics) | 6 (1 per 59 Catholics) | 16 (1 per 166 Catholics) | 6 |
| Jackson | MOB | 22 (1 per 6,227 Catholics) | 58 (1 per 373 Catholics) | 9 (1 per 60 Catholics) | 31 (1 per 195 Catholics) | 16 |
| Biloxi | MOB | 49 (1 per 9,440 Catholics) | 46 (1 per 354 Catholics) | 50 (1 per 90 Catholics) | 27 (1 per 188 Catholics) | 33 |
| Mobile | MOB | 37 (1 per 7,705 Catholics) | 41 (1 per 347 Catholics) | 86 (1 per 113 Catholics) | 47 (1 per 247 Catholics) | 50 |
| Camden | NEW | 143 (1 per 38,124 Catholics) | 97 (1 per 491 Catholics) | 79 (1 per 109 Catholics) | 112 (1 per 595 Catholics) | 108 |
| Paterson | NEW | 144 (1 per 38,182 Catholics) | 112 (1 per 564 Catholics) | 82 (1 per 111 Catholics) | 107 (1 per 529 Catholics) | 111 |
| Trenton | NEW | 155 (1 per 53,333 Catholics) | 108 (1 per 543 Catholics) | 93 (1 per 115 Catholics) | 124 (1 per 641 Catholics) | 127 |
| Newark | NEW | 136 (1 per 33,565 Catholics) | 137 (1 per 734 Catholics) | 105 (1 per 124 Catholics) | 175 (1 per 2,448 Catholics) | 147 |
| Metuchen | NEW | 133 (1 per 32,750 Catholics) | 155 (1 per 914 Catholics) | 151 (1 per 206 Catholics) | 158 (1 per 960 Catholics) | 159 |
| Alexandria | NO | 11 (1 per 4,529 Catholics) | 35 (1 per 335 Catholics) | 100 (1 per 118 Catholics) | 9 (1 per 142 Catholics) | 25 |
| Shreveport | NO | 67 (1 per 11,108 Catholics) | 6 (1 per 236 Catholics) | 53 (1 per 93 Catholics) | 46 (1 per 247 Catholics) | 33 |
| Lafayette (Louisiana) | NO | 68 (1 per 11,164 Catholics) | 66 (1 per 384 Catholics) | 98 (1 per 118 Catholics) | 114 (1 per 603 Catholics) | 89 |
| Baton Rouge | NO | 110 (1 per 20,166 Catholics) | 61 (1 per 378 Catholics) | 125 (1 per 149 Catholics) | 53 (1 per 264 Catholics) | 90 |
| Lake Charles | NO | 72 (1 per 11,652 Catholics) | 109 (1 per 545 Catholics) | 108 (1 per 129 Catholics) | 66 (1 per 305 Catholics) | 93 |
| Houma – Thibodaux | NO | 108 (1 per 18,940 Catholics) | 80 (1 per 416 Catholics) | 91 (1 per 114 Catholics) | 136 (1 per 722 Catholics) | 106 |
| New Orleans | NO | 123 (1 per 26,774 Catholics) | 85 (1 per 445 Catholics) | 143 (1 per 184 Catholics) | 103 (1 per 506 Catholics) | 115 |
| Syracuse | NY | 107 (1 per 18,896 Catholics) | 92 (1 per 461 Catholics) | 73 (1 per 103 Catholics) | 129 (1 per 654 Catholics) | 101 |
| Ogdensburg | NY | 59 (1 per 10,271 Catholics) | 120 (1 per 589 Catholics) | 142 (1 per 183 Catholics) | 151 (1 per 846 Catholics) | 123 |
| Rockville Centre | NY | 169 (1 per 119,012 Catholics) | 107 (1 per 534 Catholics) | 97 (1 per 117 Catholics) | 128 (1 per 653 Catholics) | 130 |
| Albany | NY | 69 (1 per 11,296 Catholics) | 139 (1 per 764 Catholics) | 136 (1 per 176 Catholics) | 163 (1 per 1,189 Catholics) | 133 |
| Brooklyn | NY | 127 (1 per 30,690 Catholics) | 160 (1 per 987 Catholics) | 127 (1 per 154 Catholics) | 159 (1 per 967 Catholics) | 153 |
| Rochester | NY | 159 (1 per 58,960 Catholics) | 141 (1 per 780 Catholics) | 148 (1 per 198 Catholics) | 155 (1 per 948 Catholics) | 161 |
| Buffalo | NY | 165 (1 per 79,315 Catholics) | 149 (1 per 853 Catholics) | 169 (1 per 344 Catholics) | 142 (1 per 766 Catholics) | 165 |
| New York | NY | 154 (1 per 52,544 Catholics) | 162 (1 per 1,118 Catholics) | 154 (1 per 230 Catholics) | 164 (1 per 1,203 Catholics) | 168 |
| Tulsa | OKL | 13 (1 per 5,034 Catholics) | 2 (1 per 211 Catholics) | 2 (1 per 55 Catholics) | 5 (1 per 134 Catholics) | 1 |
| Little Rock | OKL | 28 (1 per 6,847 Catholics) | 76 (1 per 404 Catholics) | 52 (1 per 92 Catholics) | 42 (1 per 237 Catholics) | 45 |
| Oklahoma City | OKL | 78 (1 per 12,371 Catholics) | 98 (1 per 513 Catholics) | 119 (1 per 142 Catholics) | 22 (1 per 173 Catholics) | 79 |
| Grand Island | OM | 25 (1 per 6,571 Catholics) | 10 (1 per 258 Catholics) | 10 (1 per 61 Catholics) | 29 (1 per 192 Catholics) | 7 |
| Lincoln | OM | 3 (1 per 2,481 Catholics) | 77 (1 per 404 Catholics) | 58 (1 per 96 Catholics) | 41 (1 per 234 Catholics) | 39 |
| Omaha | OM | 66 (1 per 10,955 Catholics) | 29 (1 per 310 Catholics) | 28 (1 per 78 Catholics) | 69 (1 per 312 Catholics) | 44 |
| Great Falls – Billings | P | 30 (1 per 6,948 Catholics) | 60 (1 per 376 Catholics) | 48 (1 per 90 Catholics) | 19 (1 per 168 Catholics) | 26 |
| Helena | P | 8 (1 per 3,024 Catholics) | 49 (1 per 358 Catholics) | 88 (1 per 113 Catholics) | 15 (1 per 166 Catholics) | 27 |
| Baker | P | 135 (1 per 33,356 Catholics) | 51 (1 per 363 Catholics) | 3 (1 per 57 Catholics) | 10 (1 per 145 Catholics) | 46 |
| Boise | P | 118 (1 per 24,121 Catholics) | 121 (1 per 590 Catholics) | 110 (1 per 131 Catholics) | 70 (1 per 312 Catholics) | 107 |
| Portland in Oregon | P | 96 (1 per 16,393 Catholics) | 152 (1 per 859 Catholics) | 145 (1 per 190 Catholics) | 110 (1 per 557 Catholics) | 131 |
| Altoona-Johnstown | PH | 99 (1 per 16,921 Catholics) | 37 (1 per 338 Catholics) | 104 (1 per 124 Catholics) | 132 (1 per 691 Catholics) | 95 |
| Allentown | PH | 74 (1 per 11,969 Catholics) | 99 (1 per 516 Catholics) | 107 (1 per 128 Catholics) | 97 (1 per 458) | 96 |
| Greensburg | PH | 70 (1 per 11,305 Catholics) | 55 (1 per 366 Catholics) | 129 (1 per 156 Catholics) | 147 (1 per 819 Catholics) | 101 |
| Harrisburg | PH | 105 (1 per 18,290 Catholics) | 132 (1 per 647 Catholics) | 126 (1 per 151 Catholics) | 89 (1 per 414 Catholics) | 114 |
| Philadelphia | PH | 95 (1 per 16,282 Catholics) | 86 (1 per 449 Catholics) | 121 (1 per 143 Catholics) | 167 (1 per 1,230 Catholics) | 122 |
| Pittsburgh | PH | 109 (1 per 19,239 Catholics) | 124 (1 per 611 Catholics) | 149 (1 per 200 Catholics) | 171 (1 per 1,399 Catholics) | 147 |
| Scranton | PH | 140 (1 per 35,426 Catholics) | 140 (1 per 775 Catholics) | 146 (1 per 192 Catholics) | 160 (1 per 984 Catholics) | 155 |
| Erie | PH | 117 (1 per 24,115 Catholics) | 150 (1 per 854 Catholics) | 161 (1 per 268 Catholics) | 173 (1 per 1,594 Catholics) | 160 |
| Amarillo | SAT | 62 (1 per 10,559 Catholics) | 14 (1 per 264 Catholics) | 17 (1 per 71 Catholics) | 33 (1 per 209 Catholics) | 17 |
| San Angelo | SAT | 54 (1 per 9,960 Catholics) | 73 (1 per 398 Catholics) | 56 (1 per 94 Catholics) | 39 (1 per 227 Catholics) | 54 |
| Dallas | SAT | 132 (1 per 32,687 Catholics) | 146 (1 per 827 Catholics) | 113 (1 per 133 Catholics) | 166 (1 per 1,220 Catholics) | 150 |
| Fort Worth | SAT | 141 (1 per 36,666 Catholics) | 169 (1 per 1,355 Catholics) | 167 (1 per 328 Catholics) | 133 (1 per 694 Catholics) | 162 |
| San Antonio | SAT | 162 (1 per 67,544 Catholics) | 156 (1 per 922 Catholics) | 156 (1 per 235 Catholics) | 137 (1 per 722 Catholics) | 163 |
| Laredo | SAT | 173 (1 per 167,715 Catholics) | 168 (1 per 1,266 Catholics) | 153 (1 per 223 Catholics) | 139 (1 per 723 Catholics) | 167 |
| Lubbock | SAT | 116 (1 per 23,133 Catholics) | 175 (1 per 2,721 Catholics) | 175 (1 per 603 Catholics) | 172 (1 per 1,577 Catholics) | 170 |
| El Paso | SAT | 146 (1 per 39,759 Catholics) | 170 (1 per 1,363 Catholics) | 171 (1 per 408 Catholics) | 162 (1 per 1,125 Catholics) | 174 |
| Yakima | SEA | 115 (1 per 22,515 Catholics) | 115 (1 per 572 Catholics) | 46 (1 per 89 Catholics) | 49 (1 per 251 Catholics) | 82 |
| Spokane | SEA | 103 (1 per 17,626 Catholics) | 142 (1 per 781 Catholics) | 135 (1 per 173 Catholics) | 134 (1 per 696 Catholics) | 137 |
| Seattle | SEA | 151 (1 per 49,881 Catholics) | 151 (1 per 857 Catholics) | 138 (1 per 177 Catholics) | 111 (1 per 581 Catholics) | 146 |
| Las Cruces | SFE | 97 (1 per 16,667 Catholics) | 94 (1 per 465 Catholics) | 32 (1 per 80 Catholics) | 52 (1 per 261 Catholics) | 65 |
| Tucson | SFE | 171 (1 per 149,242 Catholics) | 116 (1 per 576 Catholics) | 84 (1 per 112 Catholics) | 74 (1 per 354 Catholics) | 111 |
| Santa Fe | SFE | 122 (1 per 25,204 Catholics) | 111 (1 per 554 Catholics) | 131 (1 per 164 Catholics) | 83 (1 per 378 Catholics) | 113 |
| Gallup | SFE | 156 (1 per 53,827 Catholics) | 171 (1 per 1,435 Catholics) | 170 (1 per 393 Catholics) | 95 (1 per 447 Catholics) | 157 |
| Phoenix | SFE | 150 (1 per 48,855 Catholics) | 174 (1 per 2,318 Catholics) | 173 (1 per 415 Catholics) | 96 (1 per 452 Catholics) | 158 |
| Oakland | SFR | 124 (1 per 28,230 Catholics) | 8 (1 per 242 Catholics) | 27 (1 per 77 Catholics) | 86 (1 per 408 Catholics) | 57 |
| Stockton | SFR | 134 (1 per 32,840 Catholics) | 39 (1 per 343 Catholics) | 4 (1 per 58 Catholics) | 71 (1 per 327 Catholics) | 59 |
| Honolulu | SFR | 93 (1 per 15,646 Catholics) | 102 (1 per 520 Catholics) | 37 (1 per 85 Catholics) | 60 (1 per 289 Catholics) | 70 |
| Santa Rosa | SFR | 137 (1 per 34,086 Catholics) | 123 (1 per 607 Catholics) | 96 (1 per 116 Catholics) | 150 (1 per 831 Catholics) | 132 |
| San Jose | SFR | 164 (1 per 75,000 Catholics) | 144 (1 per 795 Catholics) | 116 (1 per 137 Catholics) | 99 (1 per 484 Catholics) | 138 |
| San Francisco | SFR | 121 (1 per 24,842 Catholics) | 159 (1 per 961 Catholics) | 152 (1 per 218 Catholics) | 144 (1 per 789 Catholics) | 154 |
| Sacramento | SFR | 166 (1 per 87,892 Catholics) | 166 (1 per 1,186 Catholics) | 144 (1 per 185 Catholics) | 149 (1 per 828 Catholics) | 165 |
| Kansas City – St. Joseph | STL | 23 (1 per 6,274 Catholics) | 4 (1 per 227 Catholics) | 54 (1 per 93 Catholics) | 3 (1 per 99 Catholics) | 11 |
| Jefferson City | STL | 32 (1 per 7,441 Catholics) | 20 (1 per 278 Catholics) | 47 (1 per 89 Catholics) | 12 (1 per 159 Catholics) | 14 |
| Springfield – Cape Girardeau | STL | 129 (1 per 31,691 Catholics) | 63 (1 per 382 Catholics) | 81 (1 per 110 Catholics) | 34 (1 per 211 Catholics) | 76 |
| St. Louis | STL | 90 (1 per 15,314 Catholics) | 44 (1 per 352 Catholics) | 80 (1 per 110 Catholics) | 106 (1 per 526 Catholics) | 80 |
| Rapid City | STP | 1 (1 per 1,904 Catholics) | 26 (1 per 299 Catholics) | 26 (1 per 77 Catholics) | 35 (1 per 220 Catholics) | 12 |
| Bismarck | STP | 19 (1 per 6,100 Catholics) | 33 (1 per 324 Catholics) | 16 (1 per 69 Catholics) | 79 (1 per 367 Catholics) | 20 |
| Duluth | STP | 5 (1 per 3,805 Catholics) | 27 (1 per 301 Catholics) | 75 (1 per 104 Catholics) | 67 (1 per 306 Catholics) | 37 |
| Sioux Falls | STP | 34 (1 per 7,513 Catholics) | 15 (1 per 268 Catholics) | 59 (1 per 97 Catholics) | 101 (1 per 496 Catholics) | 48 |
| Fargo | STP | 14 (1 per 5,200 Catholics) | 54 (1 per 366 Catholics) | 62 (1 per 97 Catholics) | 82 (1 per 375 Catholics) | 51 |
| Crookston | STP | 33 (1 per 7,449 Catholics) | 47 (1 per 355 Catholics) | 77 (1 per 105 Catholics) | 104 (1 per 514 Catholics) | 62 |
| New Ulm | STP | 73 (1 per 11,934 Catholics) | 67 (1 per 385 Catholics) | 42 (1 per 88 Catholics) | 84 (1 per 379 Catholics) | 64 |
| Winona – Rochester | STP | 12 (1 per 4,762 Catholics) | 104 (1 per 524 Catholics) | 74 (1 per 103 Catholics) | 92 (1 per 435 Catholics) | 67 |
| St. Cloud | STP | 44 (1 per 8,283 Catholics) | 38 (1 per 341 Catholics) | 57 (1 per 96 Catholics) | 154 (1 per 943 Catholics) | 71 |
| St. Paul and Minneapolis | STP | 75 (1 per 12,000 Catholics) | 129 (1 per 635 Catholics) | 114 (1 per 134 Catholics) | 118 (1 per 611 Catholics) | 109 |
| Washington | WDC | 51 (1 per 9,727 Catholics) | 84 (1 per 443 Catholics) | 109 (1 per 130 Catholics) | 98 (1 per 467 Catholics) | 87 |
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Perhaps populous dioceses get bishops who have political ambitions and who make lousy bishops. Holy bishops get drummed out of the corps by leftist hierarchs who feel threatened. Lousy bishops make for ineffective dioceses as far as the mission of the Church is concerned.
I have a question for the author of this article.
If a man discerns a vocation to the priesthood and applies for entry into a religious community (say the Dominicans or Benedictines) how is this registered for the stats collected for the Directory? Is his residence at the time he applies for entry into a religious community credited with that seminarian? This might skew the stats.
Also, although the Directory doesn’t record this stat, it is a well-known fact that a large percentage of adults coming into the Church no longer participate after a period of time.
In the first article in the series, I mentioned that the seminarians discussed are diocesan seminarians; they do not include seminarians who are preparing for ordination as priests of religious institutes in seminaries that happen to be located within the boundaries of a given diocese. These religious-order seminarians often hail from other dioceses and may eventually minister in other dioceses.
For example, in addition to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s seventy-two diocesan seminarians, six religious-order seminarians were preparing for ordination in two religious-order seminaries located within the archdiocese, according to the Directory. In addition to the Diocese of Lincoln’s thirty diocesan seminarians, seventy-eight seminarians were preparing for ordination as priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, whose seminary is located in the diocese. I did not include these religious-institute seminarians in the diocesan statistics.
Indeed. I know somewhat quite well who wishes she could take it all back, and had walked away from RCIA and Confirmation.
Fantastic, invaluable work J.J.
The only critique I have is in the equal weighting of the categories. Vocations are a much better indicator of the present health of a given diocese, by orders of magnitude, than infant baptisms and weddings, which tend to lag behind the spiritual reality in a given body of Christ.
A nominally Catholic but spiritually dead region is still going to having a substantial number of weddings and infant baptisms as a habitual and cultural ritual, for perhaps another generation. But the vocations will utterly disappear, and within a couple decades, the rest of the indicators will plummet in turn.
On the contrary, a given region experiencing a genuine Catholic renaissance is going to first see vocations rise, and the rituals will follow. The reason is obvious: it takes significantly less commitment to have one’s child baptized than to give one’s whole life to the Church by way of vocation. When a given body of Christ sees significant numbers of young people giving their lives for Christ in this manner, it is the most unmistakable sign of health and Hope.
This article published in America Magazine today contradicts your article’s ranking of the Archdiocese of Las Vegas at the absolute bottom in vitality:
https://www.americamagazine.org/features/2025/11/03/catholic-church-archdiocese-las-vegas-growing/
So who’s right?