Laity Working in the Catholic Church 2025 National Survey Report

In the Winter of 2025, the National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM) conducted a national survey, Laity Working in the Catholic Church Survey, to understand the life and ministry of today’s lay leaders in parishes, dioceses, and Catholic ministries. The 2025 survey is the first survey in 20 years to explore the life and ministry of lay ministers.

Much has changed in the past decade, and the survey was a way to understand and interpret the new context by better understanding the people who are engaged in the Church’s ministry today. The survey was distributed to lay ministers through national Catholic organizations and diocesan offices from January through March of 2025. The survey results reflect the responses of 1861 lay ministers who were contacted through one of the national Catholic organizations or dioceses. It is not a national random-sample survey of Catholic lay ministers.

This report of the survey results provides an analysis of the findings organized into three categories: 1) Ministerial Identity, 2) Formation for Ministry, and 3) Ministerial Setting.

Download the report using the link below, as well as slides of the presentation summarizing key points from the survey.

Download the full survey report and overview of findings.

About the National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM)

The National Association for Lay Ministry is a collaborative organization of lay, religious and ordained ministers that empowers, advocates for, and develops lay pastoral leadership and promotes the growth of lay pastoral ministry in the Catholic Church.

For more information about the National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM) go to their website.