US dioceses vary widely on baptism rates
July 15, 2025
» Continue to this story on Zenit
CWN Editor's Note: In a detailed look at baptism statistics for US dioceses, the Zenit news agency finds the Archdiocese of Los Angeles clearly in the lead with over 46,000 baptisms last year, easily outdistancing all other dioceses.
However, looking more carefully at the ratio between the number of baptisms and the number of Catholics registered in the diocese, Zenit finds a different leader: Nashville, with 1 infant baptism for every 48 Catholics. The dioceses of Tulsa, Baker (OR), Stockton (CA), Miami, Birmingham, Tyler (TX), Memphis, and Jackson (MS) all saw more than one infant baptism for every 60 Catholics.
At the other end of the spectrum, several diocese listed less than one baptism for every 300 Catholics. They were: Colorado Springs, Boston, Erie (PA), Norwich, Brownsville, Galveston-Houston, Providence, and Burlington (VT).
The above note supplements, highlights, or corrects details in the original source (link above). About CWN news coverage.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
