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Mass attendance stable in U.S. churches over last four yearsNew York, Jan. 11, 2005 (CNA) - Mass attendance in the United States has remained stable in the last four years, despite the clergy sex abuse crisis, says a new study released yesterday by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.
The study included 10 separate polls, conducted between September 2000, before the scandal began, and September 2004. In each of the polls about one-third of Catholics said they attend Mass weekly.
Weekly attendance increased to 39 percent in February 2002, one month into the scandal, then hovered between 31 percent and 35 percent over the next two years. The margin of error for each poll ranged from plus or minus 2.2 percentage points to plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
The study included 10 separate polls, conducted between September 2000, before the scandal began, and September 2004. In each of the polls about one-third of Catholics said they attend Mass weekly.
Weekly attendance increased to 39 percent in February 2002, one month into the scandal, then hovered between 31 percent and 35 percent over the next two years. The margin of error for each poll ranged from plus or minus 2.2 percentage points to plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.