New Study from Vinea Research Examines  Catholics’ Faith Life and Well-Being Post-Pandemic

New Study from Vinea Research Examines 

Catholics’ Faith Life and Well-Being Post-Pandemic

Research reveals surprising outcomes and motivating factors for steady decline in Mass attendance 

In late February 2022, Vinea Research administered an online survey to a sample of more than 1,500 self-identified Catholics who went to Mass at least once per year. This research was designed with the goal of helping pastors know more about the pandemic experience and the effect it had on their flocks, after Hans Plate, Founder of Vinea Research, found that pastors were seeking more of this information. The survey analyzed effects of the pandemic on Catholic individuals, their faith lives, parishes, and future intentions. The results of the survey included both positive and negative outcomes on Catholics, with one of the significant negative outcomes being that in-person Mass attendance has decreased and is not expected to be back to pre-pandemic levels by summer of 2022.

On a positive note, half of Catholics surveyed stated that their overall faith in God is better. They also indicated that their family relationships and prayer life is either the same or better.  Within the category of Catholics’ faith lives, the area that showed the most improvement was gratitude. Catholics reported feeling more grateful overall, and especially feeling thankful and appreciative of their families. 

“It’s encouraging to see that even in the midst of suffering, Catholics did not lose their faith in God,” noted Plate. “In fact, the majority felt their faith in God was better today than it was before the pandemic.”

Negative impacts of the pandemic on Catholics are not insignificant– 39% of Catholics say that their lives overall are worse than they were prior to the pandemic. The areas that they identified as having been most negatively affected are personal finances, mental well-being, and diet. Nearly one-third (31%) of people who formerly attended Mass at least weekly now state that they have grown accustomed to not being at church. Of pre-pandemic weekly Mass-goers, only 61% are projected to be physically present at Mass again on a weekly basis by the summer of 2022. As of February, 40% reported that their parishes were still streaming Masses online, and 61% of parishioners stated that their parishes still required masks.

There are many more data points included in the report that provide insight into the impacts of the pandemic on the Church. The research covers topics such as how financial contributions were impacted, what parishioners thought of the way their parishes handled the pandemic, and more. Plate hopes that the research will provide some of the information that pastors are seeking to better understand what their parishioners have experienced in the past two years, and how they can better minister to their flocks. 

“This study reaffirmed that Catholics are a diverse group. The impact of COVID varied greatly, but they remained faithful to God. Unfortunately, there are some disconcerting findings on intended future Mass attendance: not only do some previous weekly Mass-goers expect not to be physically present at Mass, but many give convenience and comfort reasons as drivers for this.,” said Plate. “This study is the tip of the iceberg. We have lost people and are at risk of losing more given response to some of the attitudes measured in the survey. Let’s continue to track the numbers, add some insights as to why (through qualitative research), and identify the things that will get them back and keep others from leaving.”

For more information on Vinea Research and to access the full report, visit https://www.vinearesearch.com/media.  

To request an interview with Hans Plate, contact Carrie Kline.