Stable Transformation

Utilizing data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) of Georgetown University, this chapter explores the core and periphery within Catholic parishes over the past forty-plus years. Trend data reveal that many Catholics do not attend or participate in parishes at all, while others at the “core” are highly involved. This chapter traces meaningful differences between periphery and core Catholics and highlights how the core has diminished and the periphery has grown over time. While the Catholic Church maintains its steady share of the population through immigration, reverts, and smaller numbers of adult converts, it maintains this stability with smaller and smaller shares of the Catholic population intensely connected to parish life.