What ALL Catholics should know about Eastern Catholic Churches

by Phyllis Zagano with improvements made by Mike Humphrey

Jesus prays, at the Last Supper, in John's Gospel, that his followers might "all be one." Before his ascension, he commissioned his disciples out to preach the gospel "to the whole world" (see Mk 16:IS). But, as the Church brought the Christian faith to lands near and far, it strained to maintain common understandings among various peoples.

Early Christianity suffered from disagreements about the nature of Christ's divinity and the understanding of the Trinity. Two early Church Councils-one at Nicea in 325 and another at Constantinople in 381--set Church teaching on these crucial dogmas, which have been handed down to us in the Nicene Creed. Centuries of wear and tear resulted in the East-West schism of 1054, between what came to be known as "Catholicism" and "Orthodoxy." Centuries later, Catholicism fractured with the Reformation in 16th·-century Europe. The new terms were "Roman Catholicism" and "Protestantism." All along the way, the papacy sought to strengthen its central governing authority.

For Catholics, the branches of the Church are properly called the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches. There are two separate codes of canon law, one for the Oriental, or Eastern Churches in union with Rome and another for the Latin, or Western Church (which we usually term the Roman Catholic Church). Each of these legal codes recognizes the supreme authority of the Roman pontiff, the pope in Rome.

Today, those in full communion with Rome are rediscovering their common ancestry and better recognizing each other as more than distant relations. But while liturgical practice in the West is fairly uniform, a complex pattern of governance and liturgical practice remains in the East, bound to both history and geography.

Patriarchates

The first large branches in the Catholic family tree appear in the fourth century. The Roman Emperor Constantine, who legalized Christianity, transferred his and its headquarters from Rome to the ancient city of Byzantium in the year 330. He renamed this city Constantinople. (We now know it as Istanbul, Turkey.)

There were three other important centers of the Roman Empire: Rome, Antioch in Syria, and Alexandria in Egypt. The bishops of these four great cities of Rome, Constantinople, Antioch and Alexandria attained greater preeminence over time, especially at the Council of Constantinople in 381, There the Bishop of Constantinople received honorary status, after the Bishop of Rome.

Rome had been the center of a vast empire, and the site of martyrdom for Sts. Peter and Paul. But the East was growing in prominence.

At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Bishops of Constantinople and of Jerusalem received territorial authority over their respective areas. Eventually, Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem came to be known as patriarchates, that is, Church territories headed by a patriarch.

Coincidentally, Christianity spread beyond the Roman Empire.

Syriac-speaking Christians looked to Edessa in East Syria as their center. In four of the original patriarchates, Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria - and in Edessa - we find the origins of major liturgical families of the Catholic Church, some Eastern and some Western.

Eastern Churches

The 11th·century East-West split created a complex situation. A large part of the problem was the supreme authority of Rome over other patriarchal Churches. What we know of as Orthodoxy ensued in most of the Christian East. Virtually all the Eastern Churches broke communion with Rome at some point, and present Eastern Catholic Churches are the result of efforts to restore that communion either spontaneously or because of the work of Catholic missionaries.

At present, there are 22 separate ecclesial groupings of the East that recognize the supreme authority of Rome. In some cases, parts of these communions - 21 are "Churches" - are locally administered by a Western bishop. One, the Georgian, is recognized as an ecclesial grouping, but not as a Church. Each follows the Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches, and uses its own liturgical rites.

Patriarchal. The six patriarchal Eastern Catholic Churches are: Armenian, Chaldean, Coptic, Maronite, Melkite and Syriac. Their patriarchs, along with their synods (assemblies of bishops), enjoy superior authority in their respective churches.

Major Archepiscopal: In these, the Ukrainian, the Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankar Churches, a major archbishop is essentially the same as a patriarch, although his election, unlike a patriarch's, must be approved by the Roman pontiff.

Metropolitan: The Ethiopian (or Abyssinian), the Romanian and the Ruthenian Churches are distinct in that their Metropolitan, that is, principal bishop, must request the pallium-his sign of authority-from the pope rather than by election from his Church. In these cases the local synod must provide three nominees to the pope, who makes the final choice.

Others: Nine Eastern Catholic Churches are none of the above. In law they are called "sui iuris " and are a separate category of churches. For the most they are a single diocese or eparchy: the Albanian, Belarussian, Bulgarian, Greek, Hungarian, Italo-Albanian, Slovak, Russian, and churches of the former Yugoslavia - once called Križevci, but now including separate apostolic exafchates for Macedonia and Serbia/Montenegro. These nine do not have the highly developed hierarchical structures of the other 12. The pope grants authority to the bishop who governs these churches.

The Eastern Churches in union with Rome were once called "uniate," but this term is seen as non-complimentary since it implies an unequal status. The Eastern Churches are still mistakenly called "Eastern-rite" Churches, a reference to their various liturgical histories. They are most properly called Eastern Churches, or Eastern Catholic Churches.

Liturgical Families of the East

Eastern Catholic Churches belong to distinct liturgical families. Understanding these families helps us to understand that the differences among the Churches have mostly to do with local cultures. The distinct liturgical families relate to the three major Eastern patriarchates (Constantinople, Antioch and Alexandria) and to Edessa. These in turn influenced other Churches in the Christian East, especially in Chaldea (modern-day Iran) and Armenia. Some of the Eastern Catholic Churches are reunited from the Eastern Churches that separated from Rome during the fifth century, or in 1054, or at other times in the Church's long history. (The years in parentheses note the approximate dates of reunion with Rome.)

The Antiochian liturgical family has two branches: West Syrian and East Syrian. Antioch was founded by St. Peter, and St. James is credited for its liturgy, which is celebrated in the ancient Syriac language that Jesus spoke, Aramaic, as well as in local vernacular. The West Syrian Churches are the

Maronite (which claims always to have been in union with Rome), Syriac (1781), Syro-Malankarese (1930). The East Syrian, whose liturgy shows the influence of Edessa, are the Chaldean (1692), and Syro-Malabarese (16th century). The Syro-Malabarese, like the Syro-Malankarese, finds roots in the evangelization of St. Thomas in India.

The Alexandrian liturgical family includes the Coptic (1741) and the Ethiopian (1846). Its liturgy is attributed to St. Mark the Evangelist, and is variously celebrated in Coptic (Ancient Egyptian) and Arabic in Egypt and the Near East, and in Geez (Ethiopian) in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Jerusalem.

The Byzantine liturgical family, by far the largest of the liturgical traditions of the East, is related to the Patriarchate of Constantinople. As we trace the lineage of each Byzantine tradition, we find close relations among those Churches linked by geography and/or language. The oldest Byzantine or Constantinopolitan liturgies are those of the Greek (mid-19th century) and Me1kite communions. The Patriarchal Melkite Church (18th century) actually began in the Antiochian tradition, but now celebrates liturgy in Greek as well as several local vernacular languages. The Byzantine Slav liturgical family celebrates the liturgy in Old Slavonic and the local vernacular, and comprises the Belarussian (17th century), Bulgarian (1861), Hungarian (1646), the churches of the former Yugoslavia, including Krezevci (1611), Russian (1905), Ruthenian (17th century), Slovak Ukrainian ( 1595).

The sui iuris Albanian (1628) and Italo-Albanian (or Itala-Greek, which never separated), and the Metropolitan Romanian Church (1697) tend to use the vernacular despite their Greek roots.

All Byzantine Churches celebrate the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom on Sundays and holy days, and the Liturgy of St. Basil during Lent.

Some scholars consider the Armenian rite, celebrated by the Patriarchal Annenian Church in classical Armenian, as its own rite. The Armenian of Cilicia converted to Catholicism at the time of the Crusades, but this did. not include the majority of Armenians located north of there, in modern eastern Turkey and the Republic of Armenian Catholics are found throughout the Middle East and in Argentina, France and the United States.

Many are unaware that there is more than one rite (i.e. the Roman rite) in the Western Church. Here is a list of five such rites, each of which is linked to a geographical area:

AMBROSIAN RITE. This ancient rite, linked to St. Ambrose (340-397), bishop of Milan, belongs to the family of Western European Latin rites. Many of these rites are extinct, including the Campano-Beneventan rite, the Aquileian rite and the Ravennan rite. While Ambrose can be called its "founder," there were many others (e.g. , Simplicianus and Eusebius) who subsequently developed the liturgy in Milan into the Ambrosian rite, today celebrated in Milan and beyond, even into parts of Switzerland.

BRAGAN RITE.The Bragan rite used in Braga, Portugal, can be traced to the eighth century. Its tangled origins include at least four roots: 1) the early Latin rite; 2) the Mozarabic rite (see below) which held sway for many years; 3) Gallican rites (i.e., from the Goths) brought by monastic reformers; and 4) the Roman rite, never completely adopted at Braga. (Pope Pius V specifically excluded the Bragan rite from the reforms of Trent.) This rite is an inculturated form of the Latin rite for Portugal, as the Ambrosian is for Milan.

MOZARABIC RITE. This sixth to 11th-century Latin rite of the Iberian Peninsula is now mostly replaced by the Roman rite, except in Toledo, Spain, and a few other places. Its complex history includes several basic influences: 1) Latin, but not exclusively Roman, 2) Gallican and 3) local. The Mozarabic rite and its replacement (twice) by the Roman rite became a symbol of nationalism, independence from Rome and local cultural development and survival.

ROMAN RITE. The Roman rite is the universally observed rite of the Latin Patriarch of the West, mandated by Second Vatican Council and approved by Pope Paul VI, and is the rite most Roman Catholics are familiar with. The most recent edition of the Missale Romanum was promulgated during the Jubilee Year, 2000.

ZAIREAN RITE. This is technically not a rite, but an "observance" within the Roman rite. Requested by the Bishops of Zaire in 1988, this African inculturation of the Roman rite includes the use of dance for all processions. It may be used wherever Zaireans gather for Mass. It is paralleled somewhat by another adaptation of the Roman rite found in India, in which dance and other gestures are permitted as legitimate growth of the Roman rite.

Western Churches

The Latin or Western Church is what we know of as the Roman Catholic Church, joined fully and wholly to the Catholic Churches and ecclesial communions of the East. We often recite four words which signify our belief in the unity of the Church -- one, holy, Catholic and apostolic -- every time we say the Nicene Creed at Sunday Mass. The words refer to our Church's unity, its sanctified and sanctifying nature, its universality and its relation to the Twelve Apostles.

Christians understand the term Church to mean a territorial assembly of the faithful. Yet the Catholic Church worldwide. Particular, or local, Churches exist in the West as archdioceses, dioceses or patriarchates, and the heads of these particular churches are called archbishops, bishops or patriarchs.

Pope Pius V, whose pontificate lasted from 1566 to 1572 imposed the liturgical rite of Rome on the Latin Church, in response to the confusion that preceded the Reformation. A few other Western rites already hundreds of years old were allowed to remain active. In succeeding centuries, a few additional rites or observances have been created or added for the Western Church (see below)

Special Use Rites:

Some rites exist not so much for geographical, but for other reasons. Here are two:

Anglican rite. This "special use" rite among Roman Catholics in the United States is the modified Anglican rite for those who come to the Roman Catholic Church yet wish to observe some of their own traditions. Pope John Paul II approved the Anglican Rite in 1980.

"Tridentine rite." There really is no Tridentine rite, despite the popular use of the term. What is called the Tridentine rite is the Roman rite as revised by Pope Pius V and the Council of Trent (Tridentine is a form of the Italian Trent) , and has been revised through the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. While special permissions to observe the Roman rite in the earlier form exist, it is usually to as "the observance" or "the rites of 1962." The special permissions are intended only for those unable to live comfortably with the reform of the Roman rite directed by Pope Paul VI and mandated by the Second Vatican Council. A Vatican commission called "Ecclesia Dei" exercises authority in giving bishops permission to use this observance.

For the most part, Roman Catholics participate in liturgy, codified by the Missale Romanum, established at the Council of Trent and updated by Pope John Paul II, in response to the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

One Church

The Catholic Church counts over one billion members, slightly more than half of the total number of Christians in the world, or 16 percent of the world population. Most belong to the Latin Church and worship according to the Roman rite. But there are 16 million members of Eastern Catholic Churches, of whom approximately 7,650,000 worship according to the Byzantine tradition, and 8,300,000 according to various other ancient Eastern Christian traditions, such as the Armenian, Coptic and traditions. All, East and West, belong to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Our AskACatholic.com 2006 Catholic Demographics page

I put this together for several reasons:

• For those who are participating in the COCCFr, Close Orthodox Catholic Friend Finder. It is my hope through the information below, you will be able to look into nearby areas in order to find new Catholic friends that are, of course, loyal to the Holy See.
  
  
• You may be in an area like mine, where the local news is bias and does not say anything positive about the Catholic Church, but knocks it every time it can. With this information, you can call the producers of your local news, radio and TV stations and say:

  "Boston has the fourth largest metropolitan population of Roman Catholics, yet you never say anything positive about the people YOU are trying to serve."

  OR

  "Grand Rapids has the third largest metropolitan population of Roman Catholics in Michigan, yet you never say anything positive about the people YOU are trying to serve."

  With prayer, maybe things will change : )
  
  My colleague Mary Ann has also provided me with similar information from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

  • Bishops and Dioceses
  • All Eparchies and Archeparchies
  • Diocese and Bishop Addresses
  • Diocesan Locator

 

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Dateline: Spring 2010 from the Catholic Answers Newsletter.

Vatican: Catholic Church Growing

The Catholic Church is growing according to the Annuario Pontificio (Pontifical Yearbook), a work that is published annually by the Vatican.

The 2010 edition was presented to Pope Benedict XVI in February.  It contains statistics on the world's Catholic population for 2008.

Number of Catholics Up

The Annuario revealed that from 2007 to 2008 the number of Catholics worldwide rose by 19 million, for a total of 1.166 billion.

That number represents 17.4 percent of the global population, up from 17.33 percent the previous year.

The Catholic population increased not just in raw numbers but also relative to the world population as a whole. In other words, The Catholic population grew faster than the non-Catholic population.

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Source: 2007 Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac
Primary Source: The Official Catholic Directory, 2006; figures are as of January 1, 2006.

• Most populated by State
  
• Highest percentage of Catholics per state population
• The 176 most populated metropolitan areas, sorted by metropolitan area within state
• The 176 most populated metropolitan area
• Highest Percentage of Catholics per Metropolitan population

Informational:

Catholic Population: 69,135,254; increase of 1,314,421
Percentage of total US population: 23%
Number of Catholics entering the Church in 2007: 15,000
Jurisdictions: 34 Archdioceses (includes 33 metropolitan sees and the Military Archdiocese),
Dioceses: 152
Cardinals: 16
Archbishops: 36 in the US
Bishops 419.

Diocesan, in the US (and Virgin Islands), 152;
coadjutors, 1;
auxiliaries, 79;
retired, 151;
there are also 25 bishops serving outside the US as of August 11, 2006.

Priests: 42,178; decrease of 1,244
Diocesan: 28,538
Religious order priests: 13,640

Parishes: 18,992

Most Populated By State:

Ranking	Number of Catholics	State	Percentage of State population
1	10,906,992	California	28.8%
2	7,433,366	New York	37.6%
3	6,742,690	Texas	29.2%
4	4,865,216	Massachusetts	42.7%
5	3,867,102	Illinois	63.0%
6	3,614,694	Pennsylvania	29.4%
7	3,605,265	New Jersey	41.1%
8	2,265,450	Florida	12.7%
9	2,128,619	Ohio	18.5%
10	2,064,103	Michigan	20.5%
11	1,605,155	Wisconsin	29.0%
12	1,357,992	Connecticut	38.7%
13	1,093,533	Minnesota	21.5%
14	908,123	Arizona	15.7%
15	835,581	Missouri	14.7%
16	816,260	Louisiana - 2005 total	26.1%
17	767,349	Indiana	12.3
18	745,614	Washington State	12.0%
19	666,213	Colorado	14.7%
20	661,300	Nevada	27.7%
21	640,274	Rhode Island	59.2%
22	620,399	Virginia	8.1%
23	575,824	Washington, D.C.	21.9%
24	517,679	Maryland	16.9%
25	494,698	Iowa	17.1%
26	494,449	New Mexico	21.4%
27	441,749	Georgia	5.1%
28	432,170	Oregon	12.1%
29	406,916	Kansas	15.1%
30	387,062	Kentucky	9.7%
31	375,808	Nebraska	21.4%
32	336,738	North Carolina	3.9%
33	314,471	New Hampshire	24.0%
34	230,000	Delaware	18.3%
35	200,000	Utah	8.3%
36	193,228	Maine	15.1%
37	190,684	Tennessee	3.2%
38	160,878	Oklahoma	4.6%
39	157,450	South Carolina	3.7%
40	154,435	South Dakota	20.5%
41	153,939	Alabama	3.4%
42	148,100	Idaho	10.4%
43	145,789	North Dakota	22.2%
44	143,240	Hawaii	11.3%
45	118,000	Vermont	19.0%
46	117,942	Mississippi	4.0%
47	110,409	Montana	12.1%
48	107,524	Arkansas	3.9%
49	82,749	West Virginia	4.6%
50	55,643	Alaska	8.7%
51	49,121	Wyoming	9.7%

Highest percentage of Catholics per state population.

Ranking	Percentage of Catholics per State population	State	Number of Catholics
1	59.2%	Rhode Island	640,274
2	42.7%	Massachusetts	4,865,216
3	41.1%	New Jersey	3,605,265
4	38.7%	Connecticut	1,357,992
5	37.6%	New York	7,433,366
6	29.9%	Illinois	3,867,102
7	29.4%	Pennsylvania	3,614,694
8	29.2%	Texas	6,742,690
9	29.0%	Wisconsin	1,605,155
10	28.8%	California	10,906,992
11	27.7%	Nevada	661,300
12	26.1%	Louisiana - 2005 total	816,260
13	24.0%	New Hampshire	314,471
14	22.2%	North Dakota	145,789
15	21.9%	Washington, D.C.	575,824
16	21.5%	Minnesota	1,093,533
17	21.4%	New Mexico	494,449
18	21.4%	Nebraska	375,808
19	20.5%	Michigan	2,064,103
20	20.5%	South Dakota	154,435
21	19.0%	Vermont	118,000
22	18.5%	Ohio	2,128,619
23	18.3%	Delaware	230,000
24	17.1%	Iowa	494,698
25	16.9%	Maryland	517,679
26	15.7%	Arizona	908,123
27	15.1%	Kansas	406,916
28	15.1%	Maine	193,228
29	14.7%	Missouri	835,581
30	14.7%	Colorado	666,213
31	12.7%	Florida	2,265,450
32	12.3%	Indiana	767,349
33	12.1%	Oregon	432,170
34	12.1%	Montana	110,409
35	12.0%	Washington State	745,614
36	11.3%	Hawaii	143,240
37	10.4%	Idaho	148,100
38	9.7%	Kentucky	387,062
39	9.7%	Wyoming	49,121
40	8.7%	Alaska	55,643
41	8.3%	Utah	200,000
42	8.1%	Virginia	620,399
43	5.1%	Georgia	441,749
44	4.6%	Oklahoma	160,878
45	4.6%	West Virginia	82,749
46	4.0%	Mississippi	117,942
47	3.9%	North Carolina	336,738
48	3.9%	Arkansas	107,524
49	3.7%	South Carolina	157,450
50	3.4%	Alabama	153,939
51	3.2%	Tennessee	190,684

The 176 most populated metropolitan areas, sorted by metropolitan area within state.

 

The 176 most populated metropolitan areas

Ranking	Number of Catholics	Metropolitan area	Percentage of Catholics per Metropolitan population
1	4,448,763	Los Angeles, California	40.3%
2	2,542,432	New York, New York	45.0%
3	2,348,000	Chicago, Illinois	39.0%
4	1,845,846	Boston, Massachusetts	46.4%
5	1,556,575	Brooklyn, New York	33.0%
6	1,495,030	Galveston-Houston, Texas	28.0%
7	1,462,388	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	37.6%
8	1,431,774	Rockville Centre, New York	43.0%
9	1,319,558	Newark, New Jersey	46.5%
10	1,286,985	Detroit, Michigan	28.9%
11	1,146,960	San Bernardino, California	30.0%
12	1,131,464	Orange, California	39.0%
13	955,298	Dallas, Texas	27.5%
14	950,743	San Diego, California	30.6%
15	943,611	Brownsville, Texas	85.0%
16	797,964	Trenton, New Jersey	39.8%
17	797,898	Cleveland, Ohio	28.0%
18	781,811	Pittsburg, Pennsylvania	39.9%
19	752,025	Miami, Florida	18.0%
20	734,616	Springfield, Massachusetts	28.0%
21	694,992	Buffalo, New York	44.2%
22	674,736	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	13.1%
23	673,526	San Antonio, Texas	32.5%
24	668,231	Hartford, Connecticut	35.0%
25	656,035	El Paso, Texas	80.8%
26	655,051	Joliet, Illinois	36.0%
27	650,000	San Jose, California	38.6%
28	646,313	St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota	21.5%
29	640,224	Providence, Rhode Island	59.2%
30	603,214	Metuchen, New Jersey	42.0%
31	581,000	Fresno, California	23.0%
32	575,824	District of Columbia (D.C.), Washington	21.9%
33	570,800	Seattle, Washington State	11.7%
34	555,750	St. Louis, Missouri	26.2%
35	551,721	Phoenix, Arizona	13.1%
36	541,321	Sacramento, California	16.0%
37	539,953	Las Vegas, Nevada	31.0%
38	517,679	Baltimore, Maryland	16.9%
39	500,000	Austin, Texas	21.6%
40	498,493	Cincinnati, Ohio	16.8%
41	490,898	New Orleans, Louisiana - 2005 totals	36.0%
42	468,718	Oakland, California	10.4%
43	460,298	Bridgeport, Connecticut	50.9%
44	459,118	Camden, New Jersey	34.0%
45	450,000	Forth Worth, Texas	15.3%
46	431,202	Rockford, Illinois	31.1%
47	425,411	Paterson, New Jersey	37.2%
48	420,397	San Francisco, California	24.8%
49	415,412	St. Petersburg, Florida	15.0%
50	400,539	Arlington, Virginia	15.1%
51	400,000	Albany, New York	30.7%
52	396,523	Portland, Oregon	12.8%
53	388,878	Corpus Christi, Texas	70.0%
54	384,611	Denver, Colorado	12.7%
55	369,566	Green Bay, Wisconsin	37.0%
56	369,151	Orlando, Florida	9.8%
57	368,100	Atlanta, Georgia	6.3%
58	356,402	Tucson, Arizona	23.0%
59	348,119	Scranton, Pennsylvania	33.3%
60	347,385	Fall River, Massachusetts	41.7%
61	345,736	Syracuse, New York	29.4%
62	341,772	Rochester, New York	22.7%
63	317,226	Lafayette, Louisiana - 2005 totals	54.2%
64	314,471	Manchester, New Hampshire	24.0%
65	308,369	Worcester, Massachusetts	39.5%
66	306,532	Toledo, Ohio	21.0%
67	302,455	Santa Fe, New Mexico	22.6%
68	276,003	Palm Beach, Florida	13.3%
69	275,129	Allentown, Pennsylvania	23.6%
70	272,787	Madison, Wisconsin	28.4%
71	252,103	Columbus, Ohio	10.2%
72	247,492	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	12.2%
73	233,592	Youngstown, Ohio	19.1%
74	232,273	Indianapolis, Indiana	9.6%
75	230,981	Lansing, Michigan	12.8%
76	230,000	Wilmington, Delaware	18.3%
77	229,463	Norwich, Connecticut	33.2%
78	229,141	Laredo, Texas	66.1%
79	225,936	Omaha, Nebraska	25.6%
80	225,575	Erie, Pennsylvania	25.8%
81	223,686	Venice, Florida	12.2%
82	219,860	Richmond, Virginia	4.3%
83	212,663	Stockton, California	16.8%
84	212,224	Baton Rouge, Louisiana - 2005 totals	23.3%
85	210,173	Dubuque, Iowa	22.6%
86	206,191	La Crosse, Wisconsin	23.0%
87	200,000	Salt Lake City, Utah	8.3%
88	196,858	Louisville, Kentucky	16.6%
89	196,391	Kansas City, Kansas	16.0%
90	195,200	Monterey, California	19.9%
91	193,228	Portland, Maine	15.1%
92	186,307	Raleigh, North Carolina	4.4%
93	185,550	Gary, Indiana	24.0%
94	174,008	Peoria, Illinois	9.9%
95	170,486	Greensburg, Pennsylvania	25.0%
96	166,602	Colorado Springs, Colorado	19.0%
97	162,964	St. Augustine, Florida	9.0%
98	162,670	Grand Rapids, Michigan	12.6%
99	159,763	Santa Rosa, California	17.7%
100	158,741	Springfield, Illinois	13.8%
101	157,450	Charleston, South Carolina	3.7%
102	156,509	Ft. Wayne/South Bend, Indiana	12.8%
103	150,431	Charlotte, North Carolina	3.3%
104	148,100	Boise, Idaho	10.4%
105	144,036	St. Cloud, Minnesota	26.8%
106	143,240	Honolulu, Hawaii	11.3%
107	136,392	Saginaw, Michigan	21.5%
108	132,646	Las Cruces, New Mexico	26.5%
109	131,280	Winona, Minnesota	23.5%
110	130,465	Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri	9.0%
111	128,706	Sious Falls, South Dakota	24.8%
112	121,347	Reno, Nevada	17.7%
113	120,671	Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana - 2005 totals	59.7%
114	120,527	Wichita, Kansas	12.6%
115	120,085	Ogdensburg, New York	25.0%
116	118,000	Burlington, Vermont	19.0%
117	115,000	Pueblo, Colorado	18.5%
118	109,348	Kalamazoo, Michigan	11.4%
119	107,524	Little Rock, Arkansas	3.9%
120	106,797	Victoria, Texas	51.1%
121	105,650	Davenport, Iowa	14.1%
122	105,416	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	5.5%
123	105,196	Lafayette, Indiana	8.4%
124	103,694	Altoona-Johnstown, Pennsylvania	16.1%
125	100,100	Belleville, Illinois	12.0%
126	97,665	Spokane, Washington State	13.6%
127	93,988	Lincoln, Nebraska	16.4%
128	91,347	Des Moines, Iowa	12.0%
129	89,755	Covington, Kentucky	19.3%
130	87,821	Evansville, Indiana	17.6%
131	87,528	Sious City, Iowa	18.5%
132	86,505	Birmingham, Alabama	3.0%
133	85,150	Jefferson City, Missouri	9.8%
134	84,780	Lubbock, Texas	16.4%
135	82,891	Fargo, North Dakota	22.0%
136	82,749	Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia	4.6%
137	81,885	Superior, Wisconsin	18.4%
138	80,281	Beaumont, Texas	13.2%
139	77,934	Lake Charles, Louisiana - 2005 totals	28.0%
140	77,630	San Angelo, Texas	12.1%
141	77,149	Yakima, Washington State	13.0%
142	73,649	Savannah, Georgia	2.8%
143	70,327	Gaylord, Michigan	13.6%
144	69,400	Nashville, Tennessee	3.1%
145	68,087	New Ulm, Minnesota	24.1%
146	68,037	Duluth, Minnesota	15.7%
147	67,898	Bismark, North Dakota	24.2%
148	67,434	Mobile, Alabama	4.0%
149	67,400	Marquette, Michigan	19.2%
150	67,342	Memphis, Tennessee	4.3%
151	67,244	Biloxi, Mississippi	8.2%
152	65,209	Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida	4.9%
153	64,216	Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri	5.2%
154	61,390	Tyler, Texas	3.3%
155	59,348	Gallup, New Mexico	12.5%
156	58,780	Helena, Montana	11.3%
157	55,884	Grand Island, Nebraska	18.5%
158	53,942	Knoxville, Tennessee	2.4%
159	52,379	Owensboro, Kentucky	6.4%
160	51,629	Great Falls-Billings, Montana	13.2%
161	50,698	Jackson, Mississippi	2.4%
162	49,121	Cheyenne, Wyoming	9.7%
163	48,070	Lexington, Kentucky	30.0%
164	48,050	Alexandria, Louisiana - 2005 totals	12.3%
165	46,316	Salina, Kansas	14.7%
166	44,462	Tulsa, Oklahoma	3.5%
167	43,682	Dodge City, Kansas	19.6%
168	40,293	Amarillo, Texas	9.6%
169	40,155	Shreveport, Louisiana - 2005 totals	5.0%
170	40,001	Steubenville, Ohio	7.7%
171	35,780	Crookston, Minnesota	14.2%
172	35,647	Baker, Oregon	8.1%
173	32,170	Anchorage, Alaska	8.0%
174	25,729	Rapid City, South Dakota	11.7%
175	18,000	Fairbanks, Alaska	11.2%
176	5,473	Juneau, Alaska	7.4%

Highest Percentage of Catholics per Metropolitan population

Ranking	Highest Percentage of Catholics per Metropolitan population	Number of Catholics	Metropolitan area	State
1	85.0%	943,611	Brownsville	Texas
2	80.8%	656,035	El Paso	Texas
3	70.0%	388,878	Corpus Christi	Texas
4	66.1%	229,141	Laredo	Texas
5	59.7%	120,671	Houma-Thibodaux	Louisiana - 2005 totals
6	59.2%	640,224	Providence	Rhode Island
7	54.2%	317,226	Lafayette	Louisiana - 2005 totals
8	51.1%	106,797	Victoria	Texas
9	50.9%	460,298	Bridgeport	Connecticut
10	46.5%	1,319,558	Newark	New Jersey
11	46.4%	1,845,846	Boston	Massachusetts
12	45.0%	2,542,432	New York	New York
13	44.2%	694,992	Buffalo	New York
14	43.0%	1,431,774	Rockville Centre	New York
15	42.0%	603,214	Metuchen	New Jersey
16	41.7	347,385	Fall River	Massachusetts
17	40.3	4,448,763	Los Angeles	California
18	39.9	781,811	Pittsburg	Pennsylvania
19	39.8	797,964	Trenton	New Jersey
20	39.5	308,369	Worcester	Massachusetts
21	39.0	2,348,000	Chicago	Illinois
22	39.0	1,131,464	Orange	California
23	38.6	650,000	San Jose	California
24	37.6	1,462,388	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania
25	37.2	425,411	Paterson	New Jersey
26	37.0	369,566	Green Bay	Wisconsin
27	36.0	655,051	Joliet	Illinois
28	36.0	490,898	New Orleans	Louisiana - 2005 totals
29	35.0	668,231	Hartford	Connecticut
30	34.0	459,118	Camden	New Jersey
31	33.3	348,119	Scranton	Pennsylvania
32	33.2	229,463	Norwich	Connecticut
33	33.0	1,556,575	Brooklyn	New York
34	32.5	673,526	San Antonio	Texas
35	31.1	431,202	Rockford	Illinois
36	31.0	539,953	Las Vegas	Nevada
37	30.7	400,000	Albany	New York
38	30.6	950,743	San Diego	California
39	30.0	1,146,960	San Bernardino	California
40	30.0	48,070	Lexington	Kentucky
41	29.4	345,736	Syracuse	New York
42	28.9	1,286,985	Detroit	Michigan
43	28.4	272,787	Madison	Wisconsin
44	28.0	1,495,030	Galveston-Houston	Texas
45	28.0	797,898	Cleveland	Ohio
46	28.0	734,616	Springfield	Massachusetts
47	28.0	77,934	Lake Charles	Louisiana - 2005 totals
48	27.5	955,298	Dallas	Texas
49	26.8	144,036	St. Cloud	Minnesota
50	26.5	132,646	Las Cruces	New Mexico
51	26.2	555,750	St. Louis	Missouri
52	25.8	225,575	Erie	Pennsylvania
53	25.6	225,936	Omaha	Nebraska
54	25.0	170,486	Greensburg	Pennsylvania
55	25.0	120,085	Ogdensburg	New York
56	24.8	420,397	San Francisco	California
57	24.8	128,706	Sious Falls	South Dakota
58	24.2	67,898	Bismark	North Dakota
59	24.1	68,087	New Ulm	Minnesota
60	24.0	314,471	Manchester	New Hampshire
61	24.0	185,550	Gary	Indiana
62	23.6	275,129	Allentown	Pennsylvania
63	23.5	131,280	Winona	Minnesota
64	23.3	212,224	Baton Rouge	Louisiana - 2005 totals
65	23.0	581,000	Fresno	California
66	23.0	356,402	Tucson	Arizona
67	23.0	206,191	La Crosse	Wisconsin
68	22.7	341,772	Rochester	New York
69	22.6	302,455	Santa Fe	New Mexico
70	22.6	210,173	Dubuque	Iowa
71	22.0	82,891	Fargo	North Dakota
72	21.9	575,824	District of Columbia (D.C.)	Washington
73	21.6	500,000	Austin	Texas
74	21.5	646,313	St. Paul and Minneapolis	Minnesota
75	21.5	136,392	Saginaw	Michigan
76	21.0	306,532	Toledo	Ohio
77	19.9	195,200	Monterey	California
78	19.6	43,682	Dodge City	Kansas
79	19.3	89,755	Covington	Kentucky
80	19.2	67,400	Marquette	Michigan
81	19.1	233,592	Youngstown	Ohio
82	19.0	166,602	Colorado Springs	Colorado
83	19.0	118,000	Burlington	Vermont
84	18.5	115,000	Pueblo	Colorado
85	18.5	87,528	Sious City	Iowa
86	18.5	55,884	Grand Island	Nebraska
87	18.4	81,885	Superior	Wisconsin
88	18.3	230,000	Wilmington	Delaware
89	18.0	752,025	Miami	Florida
90	17.7	159,763	Santa Rosa	California
91	17.7	121,347	Reno	Nevada
92	17.6	87,821	Evansville	Indiana
93	16.9	517,679	Baltimore	Maryland
94	16.8	498,493	Cincinnati	Ohio
95	16.8	212,663	Stockton	California
96	16.6	196,858	Louisville	Kentucky
97	16.4	93,988	Lincoln	Nebraska
98	16.4	84,780	Lubbock	Texas
99	16.1	103,694	Altoona-Johnstown	Pennsylvania
100	16.0	541,321	Sacramento	California
101	16.0	196,391	Kansas City	Kansas
102	15.7	68,037	Duluth	Minnesota
103	15.3	450,000	Forth Worth	Texas
104	15.1	400,539	Arlington	Virginia
105	15.1	193,228	Portland	Maine
106	15.0	415,412	St. Petersburg	Florida
107	14.7	46,316	Salina	Kansas
108	14.2	35,780	Crookston	Minnesota
109	14.1	105,650	Davenport	Iowa
110	13.8	158,741	Springfield	Illinois
111	13.6	97,665	Spokane	Washington State
112	13.6	70,327	Gaylord	Michigan
113	13.3	276,003	Palm Beach	Florida
114	13.2	80,281	Beaumont	Texas
115	13.2	51,629	Great Falls-Billings	Montana
116	13.1	674,736	Milwaukee	Wisconsin
117	13.1	551,721	Phoenix	Arizona
118	13.0	77,149	Yakima	Washington State
119	12.8	396,523	Portland	Oregon
120	12.8	230,981	Lansing	Michigan
121	12.8	156,509	Ft. Wayne/South Bend	Indiana
122	12.7	384,611	Denver	Colorado
123	12.6	162,670	Grand Rapids	Michigan
124	12.6	120,527	Wichita	Kansas
125	12.5	59,348	Gallup	New Mexico
126	12.3	48,050	Alexandria	Louisiana - 2005 totals
127	12.2	247,492	Harrisburg	Pennsylvania
128	12.2	223,686	Venice	Florida
129	12.1	77,630	San Angelo	Texas
130	12.0	100,100	Belleville	Illinois
131	12.0	91,347	Des Moines	Iowa
132	11.7	570,800	Seattle	Washington State
133	11.7	25,729	Rapid City	South Dakota
134	11.4	109,348	Kalamazoo	Michigan
135	11.3	143,240	Honolulu	Hawaii
136	11.3	58,780	Helena	Montana
137	11.2	18,000	Fairbanks	Alaska
138	10.4	468,718	Oakland	California
139	10.4	148,100	Boise	Idaho
140	10.2	252,103	Columbus	Ohio
141	9.9	174,008	Peoria	Illinois
142	9.8	369,151	Orlando	Florida
143	9.8	85,150	Jefferson City	Missouri
144	9.7	49,121	Cheyenne	Wyoming
145	9.6	232,273	Indianapolis	Indiana
146	9.6	40,293	Amarillo	Texas
147	9.0	162,964	St. Augustine	Florida
148	9.0	130,465	Kansas City-St. Joseph	Missouri
149	8.4	105,196	Lafayette	Indiana
150	8.3	200,000	Salt Lake City	Utah
151	8.2	67,244	Biloxi	Mississippi
152	8.1	35,647	Baker	Oregon
153	8.0	32,170	Anchorage	Alaska
154	7.7	40,001	Steubenville	Ohio
155	7.4	5,473	Juneau	Alaska
156	6.4	52,379	Owensboro	Kentucky
157	6.3	368,100	Atlanta	Georgia
158	5.5	105,416	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma
159	5.2	64,216	Springfield-Cape Girardeau	Missouri
160	5.0	40,155	Shreveport	Louisiana - 2005 totals
161	4.9	65,209	Pensacola-Tallahassee	Florida
162	4.6	82,749	Wheeling-Charleston	West Virginia
163	4.4	186,307	Raleigh	North Carolina
164	4.3	219,860	Richmond	Virginia
165	4.3	67,342	Memphis	Tennessee
166	4.0	67,434	Mobile	Alabama
167	3.9	107,524	Little Rock	Arkansas
168	3.7	157,450	Charleston	South Carolina
169	3.5	44,462	Tulsa	Oklahoma
170	3.3	150,431	Charlotte	North Carolina
171	3.3	61,390	Tyler	Texas
172	3.1	69,400	Nashville	Tennessee
173	3.0	86,505	Birmingham	Alabama
174	2.8	73,649	Savannah	Georgia
175	2.4	53,942	Knoxville	Tennessee
176	2.4	50,698	Jackson	Mississippi