Income Levels In Catholic Church Consistent With National Average

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: In another example that the Church is truly 'Catholic' we find that the income levels among Catholic Americans are virtually identical with the national average as reported by the study above. Click Here or on the above image to see a more detailed picture.

You will not find this to be the case with other major religious bodies in the United States. In addition to being the largest religious body in the United States, the Catholic Church is also the most ethnically diverse, with ratios that once again parallel the national average.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say the Catholic Church is a "rich church" or a "religion for the wealthy." I honestly have no idea where they got this notion. From a nation have has been flooded by poor Irish immigrants and Mexican migrant workers, nearly all of them Catholic, it seems inconceivable that Americans would develop this kind of inaccurate stereotype. Nevertheless it has happened, in spite of numbers that prove otherwise.

Maybe it's the image of beautiful chapels with marble walls, porcelain statues and golden instruments . I suppose a lot of people don't realize the instruments are usually made out of brass and not gold, and the statues are often carved and painted wood not porcelain. The marble is often real, but usually not very thick. Cost is one factor, but weight is another. Most chapels are built with wood beams, and would crumble under the weight of full marble tiles. In other words, Catholics have a desire to make their places of worship beautiful, but at the same time, they tend to be practical about it too. Let alone the fact that virtually all of the material is donated, and the labor is usually donated as well.

All of this comes from a Church that is the largest charitable institution in the world. The Catholic Church feeds more hungry souls than anyone else. It provides more medical help than any other charitable organization, and educates more children than anyone in the world. In fact, a Catholic parish of any size almost always has a school attached to it. The Church founded the Catholic hospital system, and invented modern universities. Maybe this is why some Americans think the Catholic Church is "rich." Well, I guess if you call giving all your money away "rich," then they may be on to something.