Landmark Survey of Catholic Parishes Underway
The Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project, supported by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University, is conducting a comprehensive study of Roman Catholic parish life in the United States. This research is the most detailed and in-depth investigation of its kind in more than 30 years and promises to be a landmark study.
The research framework for the project is inspired by the Notre Dame Study of Parish Life of the 1980s. The research will include a series of surveys in representative samples of Catholic parishes in the United States. The first phase, a single-informant survey of a stratified random sample of more than 3,500 U.S. parishes, is now underway. Pastors have the option of completing the paper copy of the survey or filling it out online at the CARA website. This phase will be followed by an in-depth study of parish leaders and parishioners at approximately 60 parishes, including a random national sample of 35 parishes that reflects the diversity of geographic region, demography, and size of U.S. parishes. There will also be a careful focus on Canon 517.2 parishes, multi-cultural parishes, and parishes using multiple parish ministry.
The research will provide pastoral leaders with a comprehensive overview of Catholic parishes and a detailed picture of emerging trends in areas such as:
• Opportunities and challenges in multicultural parishes
• Engagement of young adults in parish life and pastoral leadership
• Changing patterns in parish staffing and compensation
• Ministry in parishes that share a pastor and/or staff
• The roles of business managers and finance councils
• Experiences of parishioners in parishes administered by Parish Life Coordinators (Canon 517.2)
