Apostolic Trip of His Holiness Francis to Ireland on the occasion of the World Meeting of Families (25 to 26 August 2018), 17.08.2018
Statistics of the Catholic Church in Ireland as of 31 December 2016 (from the Central Office for Church Statistics)
Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastical structure
Table 2 – People engaged in activities of the apostolate
Table 3 – Indicators of pastoral workload
Table 4 – Priestly vocations
Table 5 – Educational centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious
Table 6 – Charitable and social centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious
The following are some statistical data relating to the situation of the Catholic Church in Ireland as of 31 December 2016:
Table 1 – Population and ecclesiastical structure
Area (km2)
|
84,405
|
Population (in thousands)
|
7,005
|
Density (inhabitants/km2)
|
83
|
Catholics (in thousands)
|
5,331
|
Catholics per 100 inhabitants
|
76.1
|
Ecclesiastical circumscriptions
|
26
|
Parishes
|
1,359
|
Other pastoral centres
|
40
|
Catholics per pastoral centre
|
3,811
|
Table 2 – People engaged in activities of the apostolate
Bishops1
|
56
|
Diocesan priests
|
2,542
|
Religious priests
|
1,793
|
Total priests
|
4,335
|
Permanent deacons
|
132
|
Men religious (other than priests)
|
59
|
Professed women religious
|
764
|
Members of secular Institutes
|
97
|
Lay missionaries
|
-
|
Catechists
|
2,357
|
[1] Situation on 31.12.2017
Table 3 – Indicators of pastoral workload
Catholics per priest
|
1,230
|
Catholics per pastoral worker
|
683
|
Priests per pastoral centre
|
3.1
|
Priests per 100 people engaged in activities of the apostolate
|
56.3
|
Table 4 – Priestly vocations
Minor seminarians
|
10
|
Major seminarians
|
150
|
Major seminarians per 100,000 inhabitants
|
2.14
|
Major seminarians per 100,000 Catholics
|
2.81
|
Major seminarians per 100 priests
|
3.46
|
Table 5 – Educational centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious
Schools:
|
|
Pre-school and primary
|
3,375
|
Lower middle and secondary
|
599
|
Higher and university
|
9
|
|
|
Students in:
|
|
Pre-school and primary schools
|
526,640
|
Lower middle and secondary schools
|
318,030
|
Higher and university institutes
|
22,775
|
Table 6 – Charitable and social centres owned / managed by ecclesiastics or religious
Hospitals
|
21
|
Clinics
|
-
|
Leper colonies
|
-
|
Homes for the elderly and disabled
|
36
|
Orphanages and nurseries
|
33
|
Family consultation centres
|
57
|
Special centres of social education or rehabilitation
|
8
|
Other institutions
|
3
|
|
|
