The pulse of modern Catholicism: the data, the fruit & the missing pieces ...

At the hospital ER, metrics determine level of care needed for admitted patients. Critical lab values, abnormal vital signs and breathing problems guarantee an ICU bed. Trauma patients needing surgery go to the OR. Stable patients get a hospital bed or wait in the ER until one opens.

How do we measure the health of the Church? Below are some “vitality” signs that show good news, overall. Yet, there are missing pieces that if -- connected to a church "vitality" monitor -- might flash red. The above image shows no BP measure. How can we know the true health of the patient without this key variable?

1. Vocations. Most Catholic U.S. dioceses report increases in enrollment. Nationally — no matter the region — rural dioceses tend to outperform urban ones.

• The top five diocese— Bismarck, Steubenville, Wichita, Tulsa and Fairbanks — are all largely rural. Fondly, this is known as the “breviary belt.”

• Many of the bottom 25 dioceses are located in major metro areas: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas and Pittsburgh.

Global data from the Vatican’s Statistical Yearbook shows growth in vocations especially from Africa and Asia, where Catholic populations are steadily expanding.

2. New Canonizations and Beatifications highlight educators, missionaries and laypeople with heroic virtue. These events draw large numbers of pilgrims and inspire new and renewed faith. There are 19 more persons in the canonization queue, added recently.

• Italy: St Carlo Acutis, Bls. Anna Maria Rubatto, Armida Barelli, Giovanni Battista Scalabrini and Luigi Maria Palazzolo.

• Argentina: Bls. Artemide Zatti and María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa

• France: Bls. César de Bus and Pauline Jaricot.

• India: Bls. Devasahayam Pillai and Lazarus Devasahayam

• Netherlands: Blessed Titus Brandsma

• Papua New Guinea: St Peter To Rot

• Venezuela: Blessed José Gregorio Hernández

Pilgrimage sites report increases in baptisms among young families and their adult catechumens. Also, fruit is measured via their new parish study group data and expanding youth catechesis. Perhaps, the U.S. could teach us how to submit more candidates for canonization?

3. Youth Ministry Growth. Organizations report significant participation and growth following World Youth Day.

• LifeTeen, FOCUS and NET Ministries document expanding teams and higher retreat attendance.

• Digital evangelization supported by dioceses and Catholic media show rising engagement.

• Over the past 5 years, diocese reports show annual increases between 1-3% in youth sacramental preparation. Other fruit is measured through parish youth communities, increased volunteerism and consistent sacrament participation.

4. Eucharistic Revivals. National Eucharistic Congress activity influences parish life.

• Dioceses report new adoration chapels, expanded confession schedules and growing attendance at Eucharistic processions.

• Dioceses involved in revivals report increases between 2-5% in infant baptisms and adult catechumenate programs.

Fruit is measured through increases in Mass attendance, more frequent sacrament reception and stronger parish community engagement.

5. Missing Data & Opportunities for improvement.

Formation is the key to purity of heart over time. Absolutely, we should frontload our faith to the young. We have great data on young sacramental life. However, why is there little data on our geriatric population to include end-of-life sacraments? What good does it do, if we miss a soul’s most critical moment — final preservation. Unfortunately, missing data reflects the unpredictable nature of illness and dying. Youth sacramental preparation is centralized, scheduled and documented; end-of-life sacraments are elusive. Let’s explore some reasons.

• There is no uniform Vatican or USCCB dataset reporting for anointings, Viaticum or Last Rites. Why not? Why collect data on some sacraments, but not others? Do they all matter? How do we know if frontloading faith works in the end?

• Catholic hospitals and nursing homes document chaplain visits in individual medical records, but not sacraments delivered. Living in a tech age, why do we know google searches or website visits but not the soul’s most important final data? More on this later ...

• Parishes record funeral numbers; but does funereal documentation record age, anointings, Viaticum or Last Rites before death? Why does the Church count funerals, but not end of life sacraments? Is it to measure priest productivity or establish billing? What matters most?

• Most end-of-life sacraments occur in private homes, ERs, eldercare and/or hospice units; where documentation is minimal and closed-loop communication to parishes inconsistent. Electronic health records generate auto-refills for medications, and pop-up checklists for quarantine and alerts. Might institutions capture and forward end-of life-data, like this checklist collects? Here is one for example.

• During Covid, with rare exceptions, the institutionalized elderly received zero visits and end of life spiritual care. After Covid ended, some parishes were slow to resume spiritual care to this demographic. This failure of duty is precisely why accountability is helpful via data. How do we guarantee our final preservation if there are no fail safes in existence?

Priests and deacons do prioritize dying patient visits above all else. If true, why no metrics to evidence this claim? Current data practices feel backwards. Search the literature, if you don't believe me. There is data to show how many clergy serve the sick, but not how many sick are served. How do we improve this to ensure souls are not missed? I know more than 2 priests locally who do not "do" serial nursing home visits--only anointings for the dying. How is this allowed? How will we rationalize this to Our Lord on Judgement Day? Please, let us take the first step to data-mine these missing, vital sacraments.

6. Suggestions

Improvement is possible but NOT by adding to priests’ workloads. Current technology collects much of this data, which isn't used. Scheduling software can be timed to auto-collect detailed reports from priests’ calendars, where data hides. Other places are Catholic healthcare institutions with electronic medical records. 

• Catholic hospitals and nursing homes have religion fields to be completed on intake. This generates chaplain logs. How is it being used to its fullest potential? How are reports being used to show spiritual consults per age?

• When received, chaplain logs are attached to the priests’ schedules for weekly nursing home visits. How are these saved for data mining?

• Monthly group-anointings are held on-site, post-eldercare Holy Masses. These group anointings can be tracked by Activity Directors to populate on reports. We know it happens in real time, because we give our spiritual consult logs to the activity aids for data entry. Parish Admin can funnel all data to the diocese.

• Many priests have IT backgrounds and can frontload these processes. Those doing well can share programming inputs and report pulling settings.

• Absolutely, flaws exist with these suggestions, especially in non-computer, non-admin-served rural communities.

• Am I wrong to ask?

If our duty is to save souls, why do we account for some sacraments and not others? In short, geriatric souls need sacramental accountability and evidence-based Geriatric Eucharistic Ministries (GEM). Of all the parish populations, geriatric soul time is short, and a first priority. GEM accountability means we see our parish grandparents at the eternal Wedding Feast.

These souls are the low-hanging fruit in the Master’s harvest.

Prayer for souls

Lord, You called us to the light, to carry Your flame in darkest night.
With hearts full of grace, we run in Paul’s race; ensuring all souls win their fight.

You whisper Your Word in our days, use hands and our feet for Your ways.
We take time to go, so others may know, the joy that Your presence conveys.

You send us to gather the lost, to love without counting the cost.
We welcome, we teach, we heal and we preach; ‘til faith blooms where’er it was lost.

O Lord, in our twilight You’re there, with grace that descends everywhere.
When age bends our days, Your sacraments blaze, show’ring mercy to our last, final prayer.

Please strengthen our courage anew, to do what You ask us to do.
With truth that’s aglow and forgiveness aflow; we’ll go make disciples for You!

Sources:

19 People are now closer to official sainthood | Aletia.com

FOCUS Annual report 2025 | Focus.org

LifeTeen. The State of the Youth Report 2025 | Lifeteen.com

National Eucharistic Congress, participation data. | Eucharisticcongress.org

NET Ministries annual report 2024-2025. | Netusa.org

Priestly Vocations Are Booming in the Midwest and the South | EWTN

Vatican News. Statistical Yearbook of the Church | Vaticannews.va