California's Catholic population growing rapidly, report shows

Published: 2006-06-28

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- A new study says California's Catholic population is growing by more than 13 percent a year. By 2025, it says, Catholics will make up more than 36 percent of the state's population -- up from 30 percent in 2005. The forecast is part of a 65-page demographic study conducted for the California Catholic Conference by Seattle-based church researcher Joseph Claude Harris. He said Latino Catholics are driving the state's Catholic population increase, accounting for 80 percent of the church's anticipated growth in California. Overall, Catholics represent nearly 60 percent of California's projected population growth in the next 20 years, the study said, adding that the growth presents mixed blessings for Catholic leaders. Along with the prospect of many more members comes the challenge of how the church can serve them, especially their sacramental needs. The state's priest population has been declining, only a handful of new parishes have been created over the past 15 years, and those trends are expected to continue.

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