United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Distributes 2003 'Source Book'

1/23/2003

From: Sr. Mary Ann Walsh of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 202-541-3200 or 301-587-4762 (home)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has distributed to media the 2003 Source Book, a media research tool produced annually by the USCCB media relations staff.

The Source Book includes a listing of USCCB staff who will provide expertise to media covering the Church. It also includes an explanation of the USCCB structure and data on church personnel and activities.

The 2003 Source Book notes, for example, that in the United States, there are:

-- 65,270,444 Catholics (23 percent of the U.S. population) -- 45,713 priests -- 4,719 seminarians -- 13,764 permanent deacons -- 75,500 religious sisters -- 5,690 religious brothers.

The 2003 Source Book also notes that in the last year of most recent statistics, there were:

-- 1,007,716 Infant Baptisms -- 79,892 Adult Baptisms -- 81,240 persons received into Full Communion through conversion from another Christian Church -- 3,391,581 students educated in Catholic schools and colleges -- 82,395,935 patients treated in Catholic hospitals -- 5,811,381 patients treated in other Catholic healthcare institutions -- 7,017,845 individuals in need of help who were assisted by Catholic Charities.

Information from the 2003 Source Book can also be located on the Web at http://www.usccb.org.

Anyone wishing a copy of the source book can request one by e-mailing mburroughs@usccb.org.