Catholic World News

Brooklyn bishop reports 40% drop in Mass attendance in five years

November 14, 2023

» Continue to this story on Brooklyn diocese

CWN Editor's Note: Bishop Robert Brennan on Brooklyn, New York, has reported that the average Sunday Mass attendance in his diocese has plunged by almost 40% in five years.

In 2017 the average Mass attendance in all Brooklyn parishes was 205,502. In 2022 it was 124,031.

Bishop Brennan attributed the decline to “general demographic changes as well as the overall national trend.” In a letter of clergy and staff, he did not mention the impact of the Covid lockdown.

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Posted by: grateful1 - Nov. 14, 2023 7:45 PM ET USA
The omission of any reference to the impact of the Covid lockdowns is irresponsible at best. I wonder what steps, if any, he took to mitigate the impact of the lockdowns. If he didn't, perhaps the omission is an exercise in CYA.