Annual Mass counts showed increase in both percent of registered Catholics, actual number of worshippers
About 4,500 more worshippers were in the pews across the Archdiocese of St. Louis this year than in 2024, according to a report from the archdiocesan Office of Pastoral Planning.
The annual Mass attendance counts were conducted over three weekends in October at 147 parishes and worship sites in the archdiocese. Five parishes did not participate in this year’s counts.
The highlights:
26.5% of registered Catholics were at Mass during the Mass count weekends, up from 25.5% last year.
The actual number of Catholics at Mass also increased by more than 4,500 worshippers over 2024.
Out of 140 parishes/worship sites that reported results both years, 97 saw an increase in the number of weekend Massgoers.
While Mass attendance has been steadily increasing since 2021, it is not yet back to pre-COVID pandemic levels; in 2019, 29.3% of registered Catholics in the archdiocese attended Mass.
This is the third year of Mass counts since the All Things New pastoral planning initiative reshaped the number of parishes in the archdiocese from 178 to 139. In several parishes, a pastor is responsible for more than one parish, and many parishes reduced the number of weekend Masses in 2023 and 2024.
The continued increase in Mass attendance gives reason to be hopeful that Catholics in the archdiocese have adjusted to the new parish structures and Mass changes that resulted from All Things New, director of pastoral planning John Schwob said.
This is the 15th year the Archdiocese of St. Louis has conducted October Mass counts.
