The findings contained in «Native American Catholics at the Millennium» were presented to the full assembly of bishops at their semiannual meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, last week by Bishop Donald Pelotte of Gallup, New Mexico, and chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Native American Catholics.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 4.1 million people identify themselves as Native American. Dioceses reported that 493,615 Native Americans, or 12% of their total population, are Catholic. Because of the demographic shift of Native Americans to urban areas, the report suggests that large numbers of Native American Catholics are uncounted.
The report says that within the ranks of Native Americans there are 27 priests, 8 seminarians, 74 deacons, 34 women religious and 65 ecclesial ministers who serve the Church.
Copies of the report are available through Daniel Mulhall at (202) 541-3097 or at dmulhall@usccb.org.
