The final focus of my research was the Catholic church and, more specifically, Catholic education. To give tangible evidence to my findings on the decline of religion in the United States, I looked at Catholicism. From 1998 to 2018, there was an 18% decrease in Catholic affiliation in the United States (1). There are many reasons for this decline. A study of Catholic schools gives part of the answer to the larger question. Generally speaking, the number of teenagers and young adults attending Catholic institutions of education is dropping, and so is the number of institutions. There are two sides to this story. As Americans become less religious and Catholic, they are less likely to send their kids to Catholic schools. This results in less funding for the existing institutions and their closure. Additionally, the youth years are informative for religion. Those who attend Catholic institutions are more likely to be Catholic and stay Catholic. In the last 50 years, over 700 Catholic high schools have closed (2). As they continue close, it affects the Catholic American youth.
A second major issue with Catholic education is that many are or have become more secular. In today’s hyper-competitive America, parents pay tens of thousands of dollars for their kids to get into strong nationally ranked colleges, with learning about religion as a secondary cause. The reason why teenagers are sent to Catholic schools has changed. For many Americans, it is no longer about the religious aspect. They care about the future of their children’s success in a secular American economy. As a result, some high schools have shifted away from traditional Catholic teachings, or they have become secondary. Leadership in these schools continues to debate what they focus on but is aware that some parents care more about where their child attends college than the religion they learn.
Author: Liam Adamczyk