The number of Catholics in the U.S. has grown by 40 percent in the past 40 years – from 48 million to 67 million – new hubs of Catholic life have emerged, ranging from booming major metro areas to smaller communities that are punching well above their weight on vocations. Out of the top 10 gainers, only one diocese – the Archdiocese of New York – is located outside of the South or the West. Of the 10, six are in Texas or California. According to the data, the highest rates of Mass attendance can be found, at the state level, on the Great Plains – especially in the Dakotas and Nebraska. Historically Catholic Louisiana posted the second-highest rate of Mass attendance in the country, behind only Nebraska.
