NEW YORK — Catholics across the United States are expected to turn out in high numbers for Holy Week and Easter services this weekend, and the Knights of Columbus — the world’s largest fraternal service organization — has issued a special appeal for Catholics to attend Good Friday services.
Based on new polling from Marist polls, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, 3 in 4 Catholics will attend Good Friday services.
According to the result, 54 percent of Catholics are expected to attend Good Friday service, with 78 percent of practicing Catholics responding that they would attend.
(The Knights of Columbus are a principal sponsor of Crux.)
“There is no Easter Sunday without Good Friday,” said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson in a statement released on Thursday. “Those who take the time to attend the solemn afternoon liturgy will benefit from a rich source of meditation and reflection, and it will better prepare them for Easter and make it an even more joyous day.”
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The poll also found that 73 percent of Catholics plan to attend Easter Mass, with that number jumping to 95 percent among practicing Catholics.
Young Catholics are just as likely to attend Easter Mass, with 72 percent of respondents under the age of 45 noting they plan to attend Mass, compared to 74 percent of respondents over 45 years old.
The survey polled 1,271 adults over the age of 18 with a margin of error estimated to be at +/-3.1 percent.
Pope Francis will celebrate the Good Friday service, the Way of the Cross, and the Easter Mass — all of which will receive live broadcasts sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
