Media Kit

The Catholic Pulse Report: The Confession Study

The National Study on the Sacrament of Reconciliation

A first-of-its-kind national study finds that most Catholics who have stepped away from Confession haven’t given up on it. Among 1,500 U.S. Catholics surveyed in 2026, 67% of those who haven’t been in the past year say they are open to returning, with roughly half wanting to go more often. Findings from The Catholic Pulse Report: The Confession Study, conducted by Vinea Research Group, show that distance from Confession is driven more by hesitation, uncertainty, and lack of habit than by disbelief or rejection. The study goes beyond participation rates to explore what draws Catholics to the sacrament, what keeps them away, and the spiritual impact it has on their lives.

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Meet the Founder

Hans Plate is the Founder and President of Vinea Research.  With more than 25 years of experience providing professional market research to industry-leading companies such as Pfizer and Medtronic, Hans felt compelled to apply proven business-based research methods in service to the Church.  Combining his market research expertise with his devout Catholic beliefs, Hans leads a team at Vinea Research to provide high-caliber, action-oriented market research to parishes, Church leadership, apostolates, and advocacy groups.  Hans resides in northeast Maryland with his wife and five daughters.

Suggested Interview Questions

What inspired Vinea Research Group to launch the Catholic Pulse Report, and why begin with Confession?

What did this study examine that other surveys usually miss, and why does that matter?

Your study highlights God’s mercy as the primary reason Catholics are drawn to Confession–why is that finding significant?

What are the biggest barriers that keep Catholics from going to Confession today?

One of the more hopeful findings is that many Catholics want to return to Confession–what do you think is behind that openness?

How can pastors and Church leaders use these findings in practical ways at the parish level?

What is your vision for the Catholic Pulse Report over time, and what it could become for the Church?

Where can people go to download the full report and stay apprised of future studies?

What People Are Saying

enlightening and practical

Both enlightening and immediately practical, this report meets the urgency of our new "apostolic age." If we hope to evangelize effectively, we must know the Catholics in our pews and those we are striving to welcome into our parish communities. The Catholic Pulse Report on the Sacrament of Reconciliation provides exactly this insight, making it an invaluable resource for bishops, priests, and lay leaders committed to renewing the Church’s mission.
Archbishop William E. Lori
Archdiocese of Baltimore

Important and Thoughtful

This study offers an important and thoughtful look at the sacrament of Confession in the lives of Catholics today. It is a great help to those engaged in Church renewal who understand the importance of this sacrament for the life of faith. I am grateful to Vinea for their important work that helps us better understand and respond to the needs of the faithful entrusted to our care.
Bishop Andrew Cozzens
Diocese of Crookston

Shedding Crucial Light

These words resound at the intersection of two fundamental desires: the desire of every human heart to receive the healing mercy of forgiveness, and the desire of God to grant this to every soul. Indeed, as this new study the “Catholic Pulse Report” indicates: “The desire for mercy is the strongest draw to Confession.” Yet nearly 70% of Catholics, according to this study and others, have not gone to Confession in the past year. While studies have reported decline in Catholics receiving the sacrament, this study rightly notes that “relatively little research has explored the deeper questions behind those patterns.” If we are to truly understand and begin to address this issue, we must better understand not only that this issue exists, but why – why are Catholics participating in the sacrament of Confession less and less? The Catholic Pulse Report goes a long way toward shedding crucial light on this question, through rigorous research and analysis conducted with a depth not typically seen in other research. This study is dynamic, diligent, and profoundly illuminating, and includes reflections on the data that are not only informative, but pastorally useful and practical, framed in ways sensitive to different experiences and pastoral contexts. I have no doubt that the Church will benefit greatly from not only this study, but additional studies from Vinea in the future.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades
Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

DEEPLY GRATEFUL

How deeply grateful I am that such a study on the sacrament of Confession has been conducted. As both a confessee and a confessor, I find the results both encouraging and confirming of my own experience. I pray that this work encourages further studies like it, helping the Church better understand and respond to the spiritual realities facing Catholics in our time.
Fr. John Riccardo
Executive Director, ACTS XXIX

A PRACTICAL PATH FORWARD

The Catholic Pulse Report provides a striking new lens on participation in Confession, confirming what pastors have long intuited but could not prove until now: many Catholics are not turning away from the sacrament but are quietly waiting to be invited home. Even amid decline, the persistent desire for mercy points to the real seeds of renewal already at work. At the same time, this study highlights the catechetical gaps that must be addressed with clarity and conviction. In doing so, it offers parish leaders both confidence and a practical path forward, rooted in what the Church has always known: that a true encounter with God’s mercy changes everything.
Tim Glemkowski
Executive Director, Amazing Parish

What Pastors Need

I was just looking for this kind of data a few months ago. It’s exactly what pastors need to better understand their people.
Fr. Derek Mobilio

Incredibly Helpful

To reach the people in the pews, this kind of insight is incredibly helpful.
Fr. Boniface Endorf, OP

Invaluable Tool

This study is an invaluable tool for understanding how Catholics experience Confession today and how we can better invite them back.
Rev. James M. Cox

Assets

Media Requests

Contact Carrie Kline at carriek@missionadvancementpartners.com for interview requests.

Contact Carrie Kline for interview requests.

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About Vinea Research Group

The Church longs for renewal, yet many leaders must make decisions without clear, faithful insight into the people they serve. Much of today’s research, while valuable, reflects a secular framework that overlooks the spiritual and pastoral realities essential to renewal.

Vinea Research Group exists to change that by equipping the Catholic Church with mission-aligned research that provides clear, actionable insights so leaders can act with confidence, communicate with clarity, and share the true story of the Church with hope.

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