(ZENIT News / London, 02.09.2025).- For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted religious life, Catholic Mass attendance in England and Wales is showing a notable increase. According to the latest figures from the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, approximately 554,000 Catholics attended Sunday Mass in 2023—an increase of around 50,000 from the previous year.
Though still below pre-pandemic levels, this rise offers a glimpse of renewal in Catholic communities. In 2019, before the global health crisis forced closures and restrictions, Sunday attendance stood at over 700,000. The latest numbers suggest that the slow but steady return of worshippers is gaining momentum.
A Sign of New Growth?
While some had assumed that those who wished to return had already done so by 2022, this new increase suggests otherwise. Stephen Bullivant, a professor of theology and sociology of religion at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, admits he is “cautiously hopeful” about the trend. He had previously estimated that only about two-thirds of pre-pandemic congregations had returned by 2022 and feared that many families had permanently disengaged from church life.
However, the fact that numbers are rising rather than continuing to decline implies that new individuals or families are finding their way into Catholic parishes. For the first time in years, growth—rather than loss—appears to be the dominant force.
Challenges Remain
Despite the positive trend, Church leaders acknowledge that there is still work to be done. A spokesperson for the Bishops’ Conference cautioned that the reported attendance figures might be slightly underestimated, as not all parishes provided their data. Additionally, even with the increase, Mass attendance remains significantly lower than it was just five years ago.
Catholicism remains a minority faith in the UK, with Catholics comprising about 10% of the population. However, historical trends indicate that the Catholic community has had moments of unexpected strength. In 2009, for example, the number of practicing Catholics (861,000) briefly surpassed that of practicing Anglicans (852,000), a significant milestone in a country historically dominated by the Church of England.
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