Sunday Mass Attendance in U.S. Catholic Churches Reaches Pre-Pandemic Levels

Sunday Mass attendance in the United States has returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to recent data. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University reported that in-person attendance has reached 24 percent, matching the level seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. This figure has remained consistent through the first week of 2025, indicating a steady recovery.

From the start of the pandemic lockdowns in March 2020 to May 2023, attendance averaged 15 percent. Prior to the pandemic, the average was 24.4 percent. Mark Gray, director of polls and editor of the blog at CARA, noted that data from the Diocese of Arlington, Va., reinforced a trend he and his colleagues had observed.

Gray explained that the data was gathered through national surveys and Google Trends, which track searches for terms correlated with Mass attendance. He described this method as a proxy rather than a direct measurement. The data does not account for those who participated in livestreamed or televised liturgies during the pandemic.

Gray mentioned that including television and internet participation in the analysis showed a similar percentage of Catholics engaging in Mass during lockdowns. He noted that pandemic restrictions varied locally, with some areas reopening quickly and others remaining closed for longer periods.

Since the last Christmas in 2024, Gray stated that things have returned to normal. Some Masses during the year typically see spikes in attendance, reflecting the natural variations in congregational participation.

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