Click on the image above to be taken to the Archdiocese of St. Louis All Things New page.

Results will be communicated to the parish in July. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Beverly Basler, Communications Coordinator, communications@sacredheart-vp.com or call 636-225-5268, ext. 216.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis and All Things New
The Archdiocese of St. Louis is made up of 178 parishes encompassing the City of St. Louis and 10 surrounding counties – a large and diverse territory:  urban, suburban, and rural.
Thirty-five percent of our diocesan priests (74 priests) serving in parishes are 65 years of age or older.  By 2026, we will have fewer diocesan priests to serve in parishes than the number of parishes.
Prior to the COVID- 19 pandemic, Mass attendance was declining between 0.5% to 1% per year. The long-term implications of COVID are unknown, but the rebound in Mass attendance from 2020 to 2021 still leaves us 25% below pre-COVID levels. In 2019, only 33% of our pews were occupied during the typical weekend Mass. By 2021, only 25% of our pews were occupied during the typical weekend Mass.
As many as 5,000 Catholics are “leaving” the Church – OR –  not re-engaging in the Church after high school or college.
In the last decade, the percentage of the adult population claiming no religious affiliation (the “Nones”) grew from 17% to 26%.  In the last decade, the percentage of the millennial population claiming no religious affiliation grew from 27% to 40%.
Our Planning Area for All Things New
Our Planning Area is mostly in St. Louis County, with the exception of the western border in Franklin County and the southern border in Jefferson County. The geography of this area is defined by three Interstates (64, 44, and 270, Highways 109 and 141, and the Missouri River to the northwest and Jefferson County to the south.
There are 11 territorial parishes, one personal parish, and nine parish elementary schools in the planning area. Currently, there are 25 diocesan and six order priests assigned to this group.
Churches on the eastern side of this planning area have parishes within five miles of each other in the northeast and southeast sections. Ascension, St. Clare, and Holy Infant are within 3-4 miles also within short drives to nearby churches to the east. Three churches in the western part of the planning area are 7-8 miles apart but linked by major roadways.
The total population in the planning area in the 2020 census was 255,008 which was up 3% from 2010. The population is aging. The percentage of the population 55 or older has risen from 20% in 2020 to 34% in 2021. Despite the heavily Catholic population and the stable general population, Mass
attendance has declined 44% from 2014 and is now at 12,000 on an average weekend. Given the number of masses, attendance fills the churches in this planning area at 28% of capacity. The nine elementary schools in this
planning area have 2,348 children enrolled in Catholic elementary schools, down 15% from 5 years ago. Three schools have fewer than 200 students.  There are 2,196 students enrolled in PSR in 2021, down 35% from five years earlier.
 
More about Sacred Heart and results from the Disciple Maker Index survey to come!