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Media Talk: How many people are joining the Catholic Church this Easter?
Every Easter, the Catholic Church initiates new members all around the world. These new members-to-be are divided into two categories: catechumens and candidates for full communion with the Church.
In simplest terms, catechumens are unbaptized individuals. Candidates for full communion have either been baptized in another Christian denomination or are lapsed Catholics who were never formed in their faith and need to complete their initiation.
Nationwide, the 2008 Official Catholic Directory lists 49,415 adult baptisms and 87,363 people coming into full communion.
Here is the breakdown of the fours years before that:
- 2004: 76,829 adult baptisms, 75,429 received into full communion
- 2005: 73,405 adult baptisms, 81,720 received into full communion
- 2006: 80,817 adult baptisms, 73,684 received into full communion
- 2007: 62,464 adult baptisms, 92,975 received into full communion
2009
Only partial figures from a sample of U.S. dioceses are available for 2009.
Unavailable figures indicated with --.
| Diocese/Archdiocese |
Catechumens |
Candidates |
Total |
| Arlington, Va. |
442 |
727 |
1,169 |
| Atlanta |
513 |
2,195 |
2,708 |
| Austin, Texas |
296 |
573 |
869 |
| Baltimore |
* |
* |
984 |
| Birmingham, Ala. |
99 |
346 |
445 |
| Boise, Idaho |
155 |
* |
* |
| Camden, N.J. |
126 |
211 |
337 |
| Cincinnati |
536 |
594 |
1,130 |
| Des Moines, Iowa |
96 |
255 |
351 |
| Detroit |
520 |
463 |
983 |
| Dubuque, Iowa |
98 |
173 |
271 |
| Evansville, Ind. |
82 |
138 |
220 |
| Grand Rapids, Mich. |
219 |
318 |
537 |
| Jackson, Miss. |
65 |
175 |
240 |
| Joliet, Ill. |
163 |
251 |
414 |
| Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo. |
145 |
289 |
434 |
| Lexington, Ky. |
73 |
199 |
272 |
| Louisville, Ky. |
220 |
283 |
503 |
| Lubbock, Texas |
96 |
210 |
306 |
| Manchester, N.H. |
124 |
185 |
309 |
| Marquette, Mich. |
23 |
62 |
85 |
| Metuchen, N.J. |
90 |
215 |
305 |
| New York |
500 |
750 |
1,250 |
| Ogdensburg, N.Y. |
27 |
40 |
67 |
| Orlando, Fla. |
443 |
* |
* |
| Owensboro, Ky. |
100 |
177 |
277 |
| Philadelphia |
436 |
537 |
973 |
| Pittsburgh |
200 |
449 |
649 |
| Raleigh, N.C. |
418 |
649 |
1,067 |
| Rapid City, S.D. |
41 |
85 |
126 |
| Rochester, N.Y. |
194 |
259 |
453 |
| Rockford, Ill. |
129 |
387 |
516 |
| St. Augustine, Fla. |
229 |
357 |
586 |
| San Diego |
305 |
920 |
1.225 |
| San Jose, Calif. |
420 |
* |
* |
| Savannah, Ga. |
113 |
281 |
394 |
| Seattle |
736 |
506 |
1,242 |
| Shreveport, La. |
35 |
130 |
165 |
| Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Mo. |
81 |
216 |
297 |
| Steubenville, Ohio |
50 |
72 |
122 |
| Stockton, Calif. |
220 |
340 |
560 |
| Toledo, Ohio |
222 |
307 |
529 |
| Tucson, Ariz. |
179 |
329 |
508 |
| Victoria, Texas |
52 |
116 |
168 |
| Washington |
475 |
347 |
822 |
| Wheeling-Charleston, W. Va. |
137 |
246 |
383 |
| Wichita, Kan. |
* |
* |
436 |
| Wilmington, Del. |
118 |
172 |
290 |
| Worchester, Mass. |
78 |
33 |
111 |
| Youngstown, Ohio |
169 |
237 |
406 |
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