A new poll shows that 73 per cent of respondents who identified as Catholic said they would be attending church for Easter and 53 per cent of all Americans said they plan to attend church services on Easter Sunday.
Among respondents who said they were practising Catholics, 95 per cent said they planned to go to Easter Mass.
For Good Friday, 54 per cent of Catholics said they will attend services, with 78 percent of practising Catholics planning to do so. Catholics and other Christians traditionally spend a portion of the day in a spirit of silence, recollection and prayer.
The Knights of Columbus, based in New Haven, sponsored the survey conducted by the Marist Poll.
The Knights’ CEO, Carl Anderson, urged Catholics to make a special effort to attend Good Friday services.
“There is no Easter Sunday without Good Friday,” Anderson said in a statement accompanying release of the poll results on March 29. “Those who take the time to attend the solemn afternoon liturgy will benefit from a rich source of meditation and reflection, and it will better prepare them for Easter and make it an even more joyous day.”
The survey also found that younger Catholics — under 45 years old — are just as likely to attend Mass on Easter as those 45 years of age or older. (74 per cent to 72 per cent).
The survey of 1,271 adults was conducted from March 19 to March 21 by the Marist Poll. Adults aged 18 and older residing in the continental United States were interviewed in English by telephone using live interviewers. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.