Ministry in the Midst of Pandemic: A Survey of U.S. Catholic Bishops

This survey of US Catholic Bishops conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) received 116 responses between the end of May and the middle of June 2020. Some responses were recorded in lockdown while others were recorded following their region’s lockdown. Celebrations of sacraments and rites, particularly confirmations (81%) and first communions (78%), were reported to have been the programming most affected by the pandemic. 95% of dioceses reported helping local parishes apply for Federal or State financial assistance. Respondents reported being “very much involved” in helping set up online mass (63%) and online learning for Catholic schools (79%).