(ZENIT News / Rome, 02.09.2025).- A new study reveals differences in Americans’ devotion to saints. Mondo Cattolico analyzed the monthly searches for each saint in each U.S. State in Google. St. Michael is most searched in areas with strong protective traditions, while Marian devotion stands out in immigrant-rich states like Florida and New York. St. Francis of Assisi resonates in environmentally conscious regions like Oregon and Vermont, while St. Jude is particularly sought in Arizona and New Mexico. Though less frequently searched, St. Joseph remains significant in Illinois, where his role as a fatherly protector aligns with local traditions. In summary, the study reflects that:
- St. Michael is widely searched in states like California and Texas, reflecting his role as a protector in spiritual battles.
- Hail Mary devotion is strong in immigrant-rich states like Florida and New York, highlighting deep Marian traditions.
- Love is a key patronage in Nevada and Georgia, showing a strong desire for guidance in relationships and emotional well-being.
- Dying is frequently searched in Arizona and Michigan, emphasizing the need for spiritual comfort during life’s transitions.
Implications
What are the implications of this? At least 5
Regional Identity: Popular saints and patronages reflect the unique history and demographics of each state, often influenced by immigrant traditions.
Religious Outreach: Churches and organizations can personalize outreach, events, and ministries to align with local spiritual priorities.
Societal Trends: Tracking these trends over time may reveal shifts in societal concerns, such as growing interest in patronages related to mental health or healing.
Community Engagement: The findings provide opportunities for fostering interfaith dialogue and strengthening community bonds through shared spiritual values.
Business Opportunities: Catholic businesses can tailor product offerings, promotions, and campaigns to resonate with regional devotions, especially around feast days or highly searched saints.
How did you conduct this study? The authors of Mondo Cattolico give us the following answers: “We identified the most popular saints by search volume via www.catholic.org/saints/. We did so to avoid confusion with locations, schools, churches, and other entities that were not specifically a saint and named after them.
For each saint we searched for relevant prayer queries, and looked at the search volume, for each of them in every state via Google Keyword Planner.
“We also identified a list of padronages and needs via https://www.houseofcarmel.com/index.php/patron-saints-by-patronage and identified the top most popular by search volumes in the US. After that we looked at the search volume for each of them in every state via Google Keyword Planner”.
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