2003 Edition of The Official Catholic Directory Documents Steady Increase in U.S. Catholic Population; New Version Provides Updated Lists for All Offices in Church.

Business Editors

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2003

According to the newly released 2003 Edition of The Official Catholic Directory(TM), there are now 66.4 million Catholics in the U.S., an increase that tracks with the domestic population growth rate of 2 percent last year and maintains the portion of the U.S. population identified as Catholics at 23 percent.

The directory also contains data suggesting that Catholic hospitals are working hard to do more health care work with fewer resources. The number of Catholic hospitals in the U.S. actually declined to 585, down from 597 a year ago (2 percent), in spite of an increase in the number of patients assisted at Catholic hospitals to 83.9 million, up from 82.4 million in the 2002 totals (2 percent).

The new edition of the directory reports on the most up-to-date personnel changes, new appointments and assignments, and updated contact information for all 208 (Arch) Dioceses in the U.S. Other items of interest include a list of the College of Cardinals, the prominent offices and committees in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and committees and offices in the Vatican. A profile of Religious Women and Men is also listed in the directory.

"The Official Catholic Directory contains comprehensive statistics on the progress of the Catholic Church in the U.S. for dozens of categories, in all 50 states, and is the only authorized directory to the personnel, institutions and establishments of the Catholic Church," said Jeanne Hanline, publications director of The Official Catholic Directory. "The directory contains more than 60,000 clergy and thousands of laity listings around the nation. E-mail and Web site addresses are also available for institutions, such as hospitals, schools and special care facilities."

According to Hanline, the 2003 edition of the directory reports that the five cities in the U.S. with the largest Catholic populations(a) are the following:

   1.  Los Angeles: 4,206,875 (38 percent of city residents)
   2.  New York: 2,488,146 (45 percent)
   3.  Chicago: 2,446,000 (40 percent)
   4.  Boston: 2,083,899 (53 percent)
   5.  Brooklyn, N.Y.: 1,824,642 (39 percent)

The 2003 edition is available now for $319.00 per copy (clergy discounts available) and can be ordered by calling [phone] from the U.S. and Canada, or [phone] elsewhere in the world. This subscription also includes a supplemental edition published in the fall, which contains a pilgrimage destination guide, additional updates not in the main volume, and a list of Archdioceses and Dioceses in the world with telephone, fax, e-mail and address information.

Founded in 1817, The Official Catholic Directory is now in its 186th year of publication as the authoritative guide to the Catholic Church in the United States. It is published by P.J. Kenedy & Sons in cooperation with National Register Publishing. For more information, please visit www.nationalregisterpub.com.

(a) Based on figures reported to The Official Catholic Directory, not size of dioceses