reflections, updates and homilies from Deacon Mike Talbot inspired by the following words from my ordination: Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach...
Showing posts with label Catholic identity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholic identity. Show all posts
Lou Holtz is carried off the field following a win in the Orange Bowl. Holtz won 100 games, including the 1988 National Championship, during his 11-year tenure in South Bend.
Lou Holtz’s Catholic faith is bigger than football
The former football head coach shined not only on the field, but also off the field through his religious values
Legendary Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz might be remembered for his greatness on the field, but his enduring Catholic faith led him to be a positive and enduring force shaping Notre Dame football and its reputation for years to come.
Holtz died March 4 at age 89. The 1988 national championship winner began his tenure in 1986 for Notre Dame to help resurrect a struggling Irish team. In addition to giving ten years, 100 wins, five New Year’s Day bowl victories, an undefeated 12-0 season and a national championship, Holtz left his mark with his visible Catholic faith and commitment to cultivating virtuous men on the football field.
Holtz’s early life was formed by the Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Aloysius Grade School in East Liverpool, Ohio. Holtz once told the National Catholic Register that the nuns and early education “influenced my life tremendously. This was due to the fact that they encouraged you always to make sure that God is the focus of your life, and they didn’t allow you to do anything except to the very best of your ability.”
Holtz told the Register that he prayed to God to be a great athlete, only to have been made a coach instead. Holtz’s weekly attendance and trust in the Church on religious principles helped “bring meaning and lasting happiness to life.”
Holtz took on his position at Notre Dame after various stops along the way, including William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas and Minnesota. The opportunity at Notre Dame was not only a larger one in the public eye, but inherently had faith tied into football on the field as a world-renowned Catholic university. Holtz immediately embraced the rich football and Catholic tradition, publicly sharing his faith, re-instating a mandatory Mass attendance prior to games and prioritizing moral messaging to players. His teams began to take the virtues of fortitude, prudence and temperance onto the football field and quickly translated to success for the Irish. Holtz leaned into the distinctiveness of Notre Dame as a truly Catholic and faithful university, which reflected and shared the faith on a national stage. He helped reassert that the football program wasn’t separate from the University’s religious mission — it was part of it.
Holtz posted the famous “Play Like a Champion Today” sign in 1986 hoping to inspire players as they entered the field. After spotting the sign in a college football book, he felt that it “was appropriate for Notre Dame” and brought it along with the team for road games to encourage players and remind them of the sacrifices it took to get to their position. These actions helped make a lasting impact and shape the modern landscape of Notre Dame football that fans across the world recognize today.
Holtz’s time at Notre Dame is certainly remembered for his undefeated national championship season in 1988. However, he is also remembered as a legend for his unforgettable pregame speeches and instillment of virtue in his players. He shared that he wanted “Good people who happen to be good football players” for Notre Dame football. His messaging for speeches was often focused on integrity in the players, respect, self-control and academic excellence, aligning directly with the pillars of Notre Dame. Holtz made Notre Dame’s Catholicism visible on a national stage and reinforced its intimate ties with football.
Lou Holtz retired from Notre Dame in 1996 for a few years before picking up his final job at South Carolina for six seasons. Holtz began to appear in commentary roles for ESPN and other televised programs, bringing his witty sense of humor and passion for the game to every broadcast. In 2020, Holtz earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump as the White House described him as “one of the greatest football coaches of all time” and a “philanthropist, author and true American patriot.”
Lou Holtz “is remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service and unwavering belief in the potential of others,” his family said. They posted a statement sharing a Mass of Christian Burial at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame to be announced as details are finalized. As the University of Notre Dame and nation remembers Lou Holtz for his football excellence and transformation of collegiate programs, it is important not to forget the ways he impacted players and communities beyond the game through his Catholic faith.
‘Christ is my identity, my foundation,’ says Catholic player on US women’s hockey team
February 25, 2026
Haley Winn of the U.S. women's hockey team, holding the U.S. flag, celebrates her team's Olympic gold medal win during a victory ceremony Feb. 19, 2026, after they won in overtime by defeating Canada 2-1 during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy. (OSV News photo/David W Cerny, Reuters)
By Mike Latona / Catholic Courier
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (OSV News) — The Olympic gold medal hanging from Haley Winn‘s neck was a crowning touch on her rapid rise to ice hockey’s mountaintop.
Winn — a graduate of Bishop Kearney High School in the Rochester suburb of Irondequoit — and her United States women’s team struck gold Feb. 19, thanks to a 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the Olympic final in Milan, Italy. Winn played stellar defense throughout the 2026 Winter Games, helping her team score 33 goals in seven games while allowing just two goals.
‘Tears of joy, disbelief’
“It’s crazy to think about. It’s so hard to put into words,” Winn, 22, told the Catholic Courier, newspaper of the Diocese of Rochester, in a Feb. 22 telephone interview from Milan. “Just to be a part of something so much bigger than myself, it’s so special. There’s been so many emotions — a lot of tears of joy, disbelief.”
The gold-medal win came in Winn’s first Olympics and followed three world titles with other U.S. national teams on which she played. She asserted that her hockey success was only made possible through two mainstays in her life — her family and her Catholic faith.
“I wouldn’t be (an Olympic champion) without them,” Winn said of her parents, Janet and Mike, and older brothers Casey, Ryan and Tommy — all five of whom were on hand in Milan to cheer her on. “It’s their medal as much as mine.”
Inspiration from praying together
Winn said she also drew inspiration from praying together with several U.S. teammates before each Olympic game.
“Christ is my identity, my foundation,” she said. “I think it’s the thing that keeps me grounded.”
Staying grounded was no easy task in the gold-medal contest, as Winn’s U.S. team faced a 1-0 deficit until Hilary Knight’s goal tied the score with just over two minutes left in regulation. Megan Keller followed with the game-winner 4:07 into sudden-death overtime, setting off a wild U.S. celebration.
“I just had a sense of belief and confidence that as soon as we got that tying goal, it was over,” Winn said, lauding the ability and cohesiveness of her U.S. teammates: “It’s the best team I could have played on, a great group of girls. Everyone just has so much trust in each other and gives you the confidence to play your own game.”
Logged substantial ice time
Winn, a 5-foot-5-inch defenseman wearing uniform No. 8, logged substantial ice time in every Olympic game. Offensively, she netted her first Olympic goal — in a 5-0 win over Switzerland Feb. 9 — and three assists during the Games.
En route to her Olympic success, Winn spent her high school career with the BK Selects Hockey Academy for boys and girls, playing in elite youth events across the U.S. and Canada.
Winn, as well as BK Selects players from other states and countries, resided in dormitories on Bishop Kearney’s top floor while attending the school, where Winn’s mother is on the board of directors. She was one of eight BK Selects alumnae to play in the Olympics — five for the U.S. squad — yet was the only Rochester-area resident among those eight.
Upon graduating from Bishop Kearney in 2021, Winn played Division I hockey at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York. In her senior season, she served as co-captain and was named ECAC Player of the Year as well as first team All-American. She graduated in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Winner of world championships
Winn also has won International Ice Hockey Federation women’s world championships in 2023 and 2025 and was on the U.S. under-18 national team that earned the world title in 2020. In June 2025, she was selected second overall by the Boston Fleet in the Professional Women’s Hockey League draft. Through late February, she had helped the Fleet to a first place showing in the eight-team PWHL.
Despite the time demands of playing top-level hockey, Winn makes ample time for her Catholic faith and is adamant about sharing it with others. While attending Clarkson, she joined a team Bible study group as a sophomore, and by her senior year, she was overseeing it.
Winn noted that her faith kicked into another gear while still at Bishop Kearney. Through attending Masses at Rochester’s St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish with other team members, Winn developed a friendship with Father Robert Werth, a Diocese of Rochester priest who assists in the parish. Winn’s parents eventually became good friends with Father Werth as well.
Becoming stronger in Catholic faith
“Father Bob and Haley have really helped Mike and I become strong in our faith through the years,” Janet Winn said, noting that they often attend Sunday Masses that Father Werth celebrates when they’re not traveling for their daughter’s hockey games.
“He is amazing. I don’t have enough good things to say about him,” Winn remarked about Father Werth. The priest, in turn, lauded the star hockey athlete: “She is the best — the most humble person, maybe even a little shy.”
The same cannot easily be said about Winn’s brothers. Casey, Ryan and Tommy became viral sensations during the Olympics with their zany outfits and videos; their supportive antics even led the four siblings to being featured on NBC’s “Today” show.
Meanwhile, Winn was part of a U.S. squad that, according to published reports, attracted a television viewing average of 5.3 million people — peaking at 7.7 million during overtime — in the final against Canada, making it the most-watched women’s ice hockey game on record.
Gold medalists of the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team pose for a team group photo during the victory ceremony during the victory ceremony during the ceremony after they won in overtime defeating Canada 2-1 during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, Feb. 19, 2026. (OSV News photo/David W Cerny, Reuters)
As she continues to gain popularity around the world, Winn said she will utilize that attention not for personal gain, but to continue voicing her religious beliefs.
“I am so blessed that God is using me to glorify him on this platform,” she stated.
Mike Latona is senior staff writer at the Catholic Courier, newspaper of the Diocese of Rochester. This story was originally published by the Catholic Courier and distributed through a partnership with O
Poland stands out as the undisputed leader in religious vocations in Europe in 2025, with 206 new ordained priests, the highest number on the continent. This recent data from the Polish Catholic Information Agency KAI, reported by the Catholic Herald, shows that while much of Europe grapples with declining ordination figures, Poland’s numbers remain robust, reflecting a deep-rooted commitment to religious life.
This is particularly evident in the Diocese of Tarnów, which leads the country with 13 new priests scheduled for ordination this year.
In contrast to much of Europe, where the number of new priests has fallen below replacement levels — leading dioceses to increasingly rely on clergy from Africa and Asia — Poland’s continued leadership in ordinations seems to underscore the resilience of its Catholic identity and religious practices. Such resilience is especially significant given that Poland, like other European nations, faces the pressures of secularization, changing family structures, and a declining birth rate.
The number of diocesan ordinations in Poland has declined slightly, with 141 new diocesan priests in 2025 compared with 153 in 2024, but the picture has remained relatively stable in recent years.
Poland’s strength in fostering vocations can be traced to several key factors that distinguish it from much of Europe.
Foremost among these is the nation's deeply ingrained Catholic identity, which continues to shape the lives of many Polish citizens. According to the 2021 census, nearly 71.4% of the population identify as Roman Catholic. Though this marks a noticeable decline from the 88% who identified as Catholic a decade earlier, Poland still boasts one of the highest church attendance rates in Europe — 29.5% in 2022 — a vital element in sustaining vocations to the priesthood.
The Diocese of Tarnów, located in southern Poland, remains one of the most religious and traditional areas of the country. Thediocese is located in a region that was once the Austrian province of Galicia, Marcin Rzegocki, managing director of the Auxilium Foundation of the Diocese of Tarnów, told CNA.
“Due to various historical factors, this region remains one of Poland’s most religious and traditional areas today. In fact, the religious life in this part of Poland is often characterized as heavily clerical in nature,” he said. This long-standing popular devotion has allowed Tarnów to remain a fertile ground for priestly vocations.
Throughout the 20th century, the diocese enjoyed an abundance of priestly vocations, so much so that it became a source of vocations not only for Polish dioceses but also for dioceses in Western Europe, the U.S., and mission territories.
“Historically, Galicia was also a major source of economic emigration to Western Europe and the Americas,” Rzegocki said. “Even today, priests and nuns from this region can be found serving around the world.” Despite changes in family structures as well as demographic and societal shifts, Tarnów’s religious culture continues to foster a steady stream of vocations.
A central historical figure in the development of Tarnów’s vocational culture was Archbishop Leon Wałęga, who served as the bishop of Tarnów from 1901 to 1931. Wałęga played a crucial role in fostering priestly vocations, particularly through his devotion to Our Lady of Tuchów, an important Marian sanctuary in the diocese.
Wałęga worked alongside the Redemptorist Fathers from Tuchów to promote devotion to the miraculous image of Our Lady. In 1904, he crowned the image — covered by a silver sheet dress — marking the beginning of a deep connection between the diocese and the intercession of the Virgin Mary for priestly vocations.
The coronation ceremony in October 1904, attended by around 130,000 faithful and 200 priests, became a defining moment for the diocese. Wałęga’s act of entrusting the diocese’s vocations to the care of Our Lady of Tuchów marked a profound spiritual commitment that continued to shape the diocese for years to come.
And this tradition has extended beyond Poland’s borders. For over a century, bishops, priests, seminarians, and laypeople alike have made the pilgrimage from many different countries to seek guidance in their discernment and pray for vocations.
Reflecting on the future of vocations in Poland in an interview with KAI, Bishop Andrzej Przybylski, delegate of the Polish Episcopal Conference for Vocations and president of the National Council for Vocational Pastoral Care, acknowledged both the opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead.
“In Poland, we are still observing a time when the number of vocations is stable, although still very low compared to the most fruitful years,” he said. “We have had a period of significant vocational growth, and we believe that this should continue. The question is how to welcome those who are now discovering this path and decide to walk it.”
Przybylski emphasized the importance of creating environments for young people to discern their vocations. “We want to accompany vocations. We believe that God calls people how he wants, who he wants, and according to his plans,” he said. “We, however, want to create a vocational culture, to encourage many young people to discover their vocation.”
New Church statistics reveal growing Catholic population, fewer pastoral workers
The Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics releases the 2025 Pontifical Yearbook providing details about the number of Catholics, consecrated religious, priests, and bishops throughout the world.
By Vatican News
The Vatican Publishing House (LEV) has published the Pontifical Yearbook 2025 and the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2023, which was compiled by the Central Office of Church Statistics, a department of the Secretariat of State.
The data reported in the Pontifical Yearbook offers information regarding the life of the Catholic Church worldwide for 2024. During this period, one ecclesiastical province was created; three episcopal sees were elevated to Metropolitan Sees; seven new dioceses were established; one episcopal see was elevated to an archdiocese, and an Apostolic Administration was elevated to a diocese.
The Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae offers a snapshot of the main quantitative phenomena concerning the pastoral activity of the Catholic Church worldwide, including statistical insights for the biennium 2022–2023.
Global Catholic population
The global Catholic population increased by 1.15% between 2022 and 2023, rising from approximately 1.39 billion to 1.406 billion, a percentage very similar to that of the previous biennium. The distribution of baptized Catholics varies in the various geographic areas, in accordance with the different demographics of each continent.
Africa includes 20% of the Catholics of the entire planet and is characterized by a highly dynamic spread of the Catholic Church. The number of Catholics increased from 272 million in 2022 to 281 million in 2023, with a relative variation of +3.31%. The Democratic Republic of Congo confirms its first-place position for the number of baptized Catholics, with almost 55 million, followed by Nigeria with 35 million; Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya also register significant figures.
With a growth of 0.9% over the biennium, the Americas consolidate their position as the continents to which 47.8% of the world's Catholics belong. Of these, 27.4% reside in South America (where Brazil, with 182 million, represents 13% of the world total and continues to be the country with the highest concentration of Catholics), 6.6% in North America, and the remaining 13.8% in Central America. When the number of Catholics is compared to the total population, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay stand out, with a Catholic incidence exceeding 90% of the population.
The Asian continent records a growth of Catholics of 0.6% over the biennium, and its weight in 2023 is around 11% of the global Catholic population. In 2023, 76.7% of Southeast Asian Catholics are concentrated in the Philippines, with 93 million, and in India, with 23 million.
Europe, while hosting 20.4% of the world Catholic community, confirms itself as the least dynamic area, with an increase in the number of Catholics over the biennium of just 0.2%. This variation, on the other hand, in the face of an almost stagnant demographic dynamic, translates into a slight improvement in territorial presence, which reaches nearly 39.6% in 2023. Italy, Poland, and Spain boast a Catholic incidence exceeding 90% of the resident population.
The Catholics of Oceania numbered just over 11 million in 2023, an increase of 1.9% compared to 2022.
Growing number of bishops
The number of bishops in the Catholic Church has grown over the last biennium with an overall variation of 1.4%, rising from 5,353 in 2022 to 5,430 in 2023. This growth trend is observed in all continents, with the exception of Oceania, where the number of bishops has not changed over the biennium.
The relative variation is somewhat more pronounced for Africa and Asia and below the world average for Europe and America. It can also be noted that the relative weight of each continent remains nearly unchanged during the period, proportional to the relative importance of the individual continental realities, with a greater concentration of bishops in America and Europe. In Africa, the share of bishops in the world total rises from 13.8% in 2022 to 14.2% in 2023.
The number of Catholics per bishop in 2023 varied significantly from continent to continent. While the global average is 259,000 Catholics per bishop, values of 365,000 and 334,000 are recorded for Africa and America, respectively. Particularly favorable is the situation in Oceania, where each bishop is responsible for 87,000 Catholics, which, from this point of view, indicates a slight excess of bishops compared to other continents.
Fewer priests
At the end of 2023, within the 3,041 ecclesiastical jurisdictions in the Catholic world, there were 406,996 priests, with a decrease of 734 compared to 2022, equivalent to -0.2%. The analysis by geographical area highlights an increase in Africa (+2.7%) and Asia (+1.6%) and a decrease in Europe (-1.6%), in Oceania (-1.0%), and in America (-0.7%).
In addition to the continents, a comparison of the distinction between diocesan and religious priests reveals that, in Asia and Africa, the overall increase in priests is attributable to the dynamics of both diocesan and religious priests.
In Africa, in particular, the overall increase in priests results from an increase of approximately 3.3% in diocesan priests and 1.4% in religious priests. On the American continents, the increase in diocesan clergy over the biennium stands out in Central and Latin America. In Europe, however, a reduction of 1.6% is observed both overall and in its individual components (diocesan and religious); the same pattern, though with a smaller decline (-1.0%), is observed in Oceania.
The distribution in 2023 by geographical area highlights that while 38.1% of the total priests are in Europe, 29.1% belong to the American continents, while the other continental areas follow with 18.2% in Asia, 13.5% in Africa, and 1.1% in Oceania.
The structural analysis of priests can be supplemented with that of Catholics to highlight any imbalances between the demand and supply of pastoral service. In the case of a perfect balance between the presence and the need for pastoral activity, the percentage composition of priests should coincide, for each territorial area examined, with that of Catholics. In reality, a comparison between the percentage composition of priests and Catholics shows that in 2023, significant discrepancies were recorded.
In particular, the percentages of priests exceed those of Catholics in North America (10.3% of priests compared to 6.6% of Catholics), in Europe (38.1% of priests and 20.4% of Catholics), and in Oceania (1.1% of priests and 0.8% of Catholics). The most evident shortages of priests are found in South America (12.4% of priests and 27.4% of Catholics), in Africa (13.5% of priests and 20.0% of Catholics), and in the Central Continental region of the Americas (5.4% of priests and 11.6% of Catholics).
Larger cohort of permanent deacons
Permanent deacons constitute the group of clergy that is growing most vigorously. In 2023, their number reached 51,433 compared to the 50,150 recorded in 2022, with an increase of 2.6%.
Territorial disparities remain pronounced: significant growth rates are observed in Oceania (+10.8%) and the Americas (+3.8%), while slight declines are recorded in Africa and Europe. No significant changes in the global distribution of deacons are noted during the biennium considered, except for a decrease in the relative number of deacons in Europe and an increase in that of America, mainly due to substantial growth in North America. This category of pastoral worker is particularly present in the Americas (especially in North America, which accounts for 39% of all deacons worldwide) and also in Europe (31%).
To highlight the supportive role of these workers in pastoral action alongside priests, one can consider the ratio of the number of permanent deacons, area by area, to the number of priests present. It is found that the worldwide distribution of deacons per one hundred priests is 13 in 2023, ranging from a minimum of just 0.5 in Asia to a maximum of 29 in the Americas. In Europe, the ratio is around 10, while in Africa, only one permanent deacon serves alongside every one hundred priests.
The magnitude of this index, although appreciable, is still quite modest for permanent deacons to have a significant impact on balancing the demand and supply of service to Catholics in the territory. However, in evolutionary terms, it is noted that permanent deacons tend to have a greater presence in those areas where candidates for the priesthood are lower in number.
Slower rate of decline in the number of consecrated religious
The reduction of both professed religious brothers who are not priests and professed religious sisters, which has occurred over time, continued in 2023, albeit at a less intense pace.
In particular, it should be noted that regarding professed religious brothers who are not priests, while an increase was recorded in Africa between 2022 and 2023, all other continents experienced a decline. It is worth emphasizing that the decline in South America has slowed compared to the average annual decrease of the previous period and that a state of stability is observed even in Central America. The relative weight of professed religious brothers who are not priests in the various areas, when considered over time, confirms the decline in Europe, which continues to decrease in 2023.
The decline in the number of professed religious sisters also continued in 2023. At the global level, their number decreased from 599,228 in 2022 to 589,423 in 2023, with a relative variation of -1.6%. Regarding their geographical distribution in 2023, nearly 32% reside in Europe, followed by Asia with 30%, the Americas with 23% (evenly distributed across the two hemispheres), Africa with 14%, and Oceania with 1%.
The decline in the number of professed religious sisters worldwide is largely attributable to a considerable increase in deaths, resulting from a high proportion of elderly religious sisters, while the number of those abandoning religious life has become less significant over the biennium.
Africa recorded a significant increase of 2.2% between 2022 and 2023, followed by Southeast Asia with +0.1%. North America, on the other hand, saw a decline of -3.6%. South America followed closely, with -3%, while the decline recorded in the Central Continental region of the Americas and the Central Antilles was more moderate. Europe holds the negative record, with a variation of -3.8%.
These movements naturally influence changes in the continental proportions of the total number of professed religious sisters. A reduction in the presence of religious sisters in Europe and North America is observed in the 2022-2023 period, to the benefit of Asia and Africa. Specifically, while in 2022 the total number of professed religious sisters in Europe and the Americas accounted for 55.8% of the world total, in 2023 this percentage dropped to 54.8%. The most significant changes in the period were observed in Southeast Asia (from 28.7% to 29.2%) and in Africa (from 13.9% to 14.5%).
Professed religious sisters remain a substantial reality, despite the globally observed decline and that in some continental regions. The total number of religious sisters is 45% higher than the priestly population. Even though their statistical role in service provision has generally declined over the years, their contribution to the life of the Christian community remains essential, sometimes even substituting for that of priests.
Continued reduction in numbers of seminarians
The temporal trend observed worldwide in the number of major seminarians indicates an uninterrupted decline that has been recorded since 2012.
In terms of total numbers, candidates for the priesthood decreased globally from 108,481 in 2022 to 106,495 in 2023, with a variation of -1.8%. The decline observed in the global total affects all continents except Africa, where seminarians increased by 1.1% (from 34,541 to 34,924). In Europe, Asia, and the Americas, but especially in the first continent, the decreases are significant (-4.9% in Europe, -4.2% in Asia, and -1.3% in the Americas). In Oceania, the trend is negative but of minor magnitude.
The percentage distribution of major seminarians by continent shows modest changes over the biennium. Africa and Asia contributed 61.0% of the world total in 2022, a percentage that rose to 61.4% in 2023. Apart from a slight negative adjustment in Oceania, the Americas and Europe together saw their share decrease. In 2022, American and European seminarians totaled 41,199, representing almost 38% of the world total, while one year later, they dropped to 37.7%.
To highlight the positive and negative surpluses of vocations at the territorial level, it is useful to compare the percentage distribution of seminarians with the corresponding distribution of Catholics. It follows that in 2023, significant disparities were recorded.
The percentages of seminarians exceed those of Catholics in Africa (32.8% of seminarians compared to 20% of Catholics) and in Asia (28.6% of seminarians and 11% of Catholics). These continents thus tend to fully meet the need to autonomously sustain their local apostolate.
In Europe and America, however, the percentages of seminarians are lower than those of Catholics (12.0% of seminarians and 20.4% of Catholics in Europe and 25.7% of seminarians and 47.8% of Catholics in the Americas). In these two continents, therefore, it is more difficult to adequately respond to the needs of the Catholic population, particularly in terms of generational turnover in the priesthood.
Mardi Gras is strongly associated with wild bacchanalia and debauchery, but the original intent of the holiday and how it's kept by the faithful is much different. Fat Tuesday, as it is known in English, is a long-standing tradition of the Catholic Church and it marks the last day of ordinary time before the start of Lent, a time of fasting and repentance. While the parties in Europe, South America, and parts of the United States have gained the most attention in popular culture, they seriously misrepresent and outright eclipse the Catholic intent of the holiday.
According to historians, the celebration of Mardi Gras has its roots in the pagan Roman celebration of Lupercalia. This was a February holiday and it honored the Roman god of fertility. It involved feasting, drinking, and carnal behavior.
However, with the rise of the Church in ancient Rome, Christian teaching and morals took root, but there always remained a strong need to blend ancient Roman traditional practices with the growing Christian faith. The blending of tradition with new religious beliefs was a common practice in the ancient world and it helped people to transition away from paganism. In fact, there are a number of ancient Roman traditions that persevere in the Roman Catholic Church to this day, where they continue to guide the faithful.
As Catholic Christianity spread throughout Europe during the first millennium, different cultures celebrated the last day before Lent in their own ways, adapting the practices to suit their cultures. In France, the holiday became particularly popular as people feasted on foods that would be given up during the forty days of Lent. Meats, eggs, and milk were finished off in one day, giving the holiday its French title of 'Mardi Gras' which means Fat Tuesday.
As Europeans crossed the Atlantic to colonize the Americas, they brought their religious practices with them. From the onset, holidays such as Mardi Gras were celebrated in the colonies with as much enthusiasm as they were celebrated in Europe. As the colonies swelled with European immigrants, the celebrations went from the simple to the elaborate. In New Orleans, masked balls and public celebrations quickly became common. In fact, the celebrations became so popular that virtually every citizen of the city joined in even if they were not Catholic.
However, in the late 18th century, the Spanish took control of New Orleans and having a more militant and serious perspective on the faith, they imposed significant restrictions on the holiday revelry. Among them, they banned masked balls. However, by 1823, this ban was lifted and parades returned by 1837. At this point, the celebration began to lose its identity as an exclusively Catholic tradition and became more secularized over the centuries.
In Louisiana, Mardi Gras in an official state holiday.
In other parts of the world, the holiday became a season unto itself each branded with unique cultural practices. For example, Venice, Italy is famous for the masked balls that take place on Mardi Gras and the days before. The Venetian tradition dates back to the 13th century and the city remains a popular Mardi Gras destination today.
Still, the original intent of Mardi Gras has always been to indulge, within the context of Catholic morality and reason, the last day before the start of the Lenten season. Here, it is appropriate to mention that while Lent is a season of self-sacrifice and repentance, it is not meant to be a period of self-punishment or extreme hardship.
More Lent & Easter
Easter 2025 / Lent 2025
Begins on Wednesday March 5th, 2025
Ends on Thursday April 17th, 2025
'So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead'
Harris leads Trump among Catholic voters, per EWTN News/RealClear poll
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. | Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images; KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris leads among Catholic voters over former president Donald Trump, according to the findings of a new EWTN News/RealClear Opinion Research survey two months away from the presidential election.
The poll, conducted from Aug. 28-30, surveyed 1,000 Catholics and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
Catholic voters, like most of the electorate, consider the economy by far the most pressing issue facing the country and oppose transgender surgeries for minors and transgender males competing in women’s sports. They are divided on the question of who should set policy on abortion, U.S. support for Ukraine, and Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The findings also reveal a significant gender gap among Catholic voters, while Trump is currently receiving support from 30% of Catholic Latinos.
According to the findings, 50% of Catholic voters currently support Harris for president while 43% support Trump and 6% are undecided. Harris is also ahead of Trump among Catholic Latino voters, leading the former president 60% to 30% overall but with 9% still undecided. This is important given the growing size and influence of Latinos in American Catholicism.
The vice president also leads Trump among Catholic African American voters 82% to 12% and Catholic Asian voters 58% to 35%. Trump carries non-Hispanic white Catholic voters by a margin of 52% to 42%.
Similarly, Harris leads the former president in every age group, with her biggest leads among Catholic voters aged 30-39 and 40-49. Interestingly, her smallest margin is among the 18- to 29-year-olds, Gen-Z Catholic voters (many of whom will be voting for the first time in 2024), where she holds a statistically insignificant lead of 44% to 43%.
Among Catholic voters, she has also managed so far to avoid damage from President Joe Biden’s low job approval rating, currently at 49% disapproval with 41% approval, while 10% are neutral.
Especially notable is the gender gap that has emerged among Catholic voters. Female Catholic voters support Harris over Trump 56% to 37%, while male Catholic voters favor Trump 49% to 43%.
Similarly, on the generic ballot for control of Congress, 49% of Catholics support the Democrat candidate while 41% support the Republican candidate. Female Catholic voters, meanwhile, favor the Democrat candidate 54% to 35% while male Catholic voters support the generic Republican 48% to 43%.
The gender gap exists across many other issues. The economy is considered by far the most pressing issue of the election by both men and women — 51% overall, 54% female and 48% male. But the second most important issue for Catholic women voters is abortion at almost 13% (compared with 6% for Catholic male voters). Catholic male voters rank border security and immigration as second most important at 17% (compared with 9.5% for Catholic female voters). Among all Catholic voters, after the economy, the next most important issues are border security and immigration at 13% and abortion at 10%.
When asked who should be responsible for setting abortion policy: state legislatures, the federal government, or neither, 45% of female Catholic voters say neither, compared with 28% of male Catholics. Overall, Catholics in the era after the fall of Roe v. Wade are divided on the question — a plurality of voters (38%) think neither the state legislature nor the federal government should be responsible for setting abortion policy, 34% think state legislatures should be responsible, and 29% say the federal government should be responsible.
Divided on key issues
Similar divides among Catholic voters are visible when it comes to some of the most important foreign policy questions. When asked how Israel is carrying out its response to Hamas’ savage Oct. 7, 2023, attack, 41% consider it somewhat or completely acceptable, while 39% consider it somewhat or completely unacceptable. Twenty percent are not sure.
As for the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, 37% of Catholic voters think the U.S. is providing too much support to Ukraine, 36% think it is giving about the right amount of support to Ukraine, and 28% say the U.S. is not providing enough support to Ukraine, a plurality of over two-thirds of Catholic voters favoring U.S. support for Ukraine.
Moving on to China, only 6% think China poses no threat, and close to half would call China a significant or severe threat.
Areas of broader agreement do extend to some of the most controversial cultural issues. Half (50%) of Catholic voters oppose puberty blockers/cross-sex hormone treatment or surgical procedures for minors, while 14% support both procedures, 7% support surgical procedures, and 7% support puberty blockers.
A majority of Catholic voters (67%) also think athletes who were born male but now identify as girls or women should not be able to compete in women’s sports and athletics, while 18% say they should; 15% are unsure. Fifty-six percent of Catholic voters favor the death penalty for a person convicted of murder, while 23% oppose it, and 21% are unsure.
Mass attendance and Catholic voters
The poll also found that when it comes to Mass attendance, 12% of American Catholics attend Mass daily or more than once a week, 31% once a week, 16% once or twice a month, 32% a few times a year, and 9% once a year. Harris leads among every category of Mass-attending Catholics save for daily Mass attendees who support Trump 55% to 30%.
Unlike the findings in previous polling of Catholics, in this unusual election at least, regular Mass attendance or adherence to Church teaching may no longer be an indication that the voters will vote for the Republican presidential candidate.
In addition, this is the most volatile presidential election in modern American political history, and this first poll was conducted in the immediate aftermath of the Democratic National Convention. It also comes well before the scheduled first presidential debate on Sept. 10, and other events between now and Nov. 5 may have a substantial impact on the race, such as another international crisis or the felony sentencing hearing for Trump in a New York courtroom on Sept. 18.
National polls are finding the race extraordinarily tight with the candidates effectively tied both nationally and in every battleground state. In that environment, each vote is needed, and Catholic voters will have a key role to play in deciding the next occupant of the White House. EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research will continue to track Catholic voter attitudes all the way to Election Day.
