Many Australian Catholics who skip Mass still keep the faith, bishops’ study finds

Many Catholics in Australia who do not regularly go to Sunday Mass still pray, believe Jesus is the Son of God, and say their faith matters, according to a study released Oct. 7 by the countryʼs bishops.

The report, " Absent from the Table: Catholics in Australia Who Do Not Regularly Attend Sunday Mass ," was commissioned by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference and carried out by its National Centre for Pastoral Research. Researchers surveyed 1,973 self-selected adult Catholics online in 2024 and interviewed 67 of them from March to July 2025.

“Despite their irregular attendance, most participants remained deeply connected to their faith,” the executive summary states.

Around two-thirds of respondents said faith was very important to them, 77% said Jesus is the Son of God, and 64% said they pray regularly. Just over half (55%) affirmed the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, while 24% saw the elements as symbolic and 21% were unsure.

In all, 74% of respondents attended Mass less than weekly: 19% monthly, 36% occasionally, and 19% not at all. The full report notes that the findings, based on a self-selected sample, “are not fully generalisable to all Catholics…