Changing Face of Hispanic Religion

In a huge cultural transformation that is changing the face of religion in the United States, millions of Hispanic Americans have left the Roman Catholic Church for evangelical Protestant denominations.

At around some 40 million, Hispanics in the United States now almost outnumber blacks, according to government figures released last month. Other studies claim that an estimated 9 million of them are evangelical. And of that number, close to 70 percent are Pentecostal.
Traditionally, the faith most associated with Hispanics is Catholic. This was true in 1970 when 90% of the Hispanics in the United States identified themselves as Catholic. However, a Barna Research survey of the religious faith of Hispanics in 2001 revealed that only 53% said they were Catholic.

At around some 40 million, Hispanics in the United States now almost outnumber blacks, according to government figures released last month. Other studies claim that an estimated 9 million of them are evangelical. And of that number, close to 70 percent are Pentecostal.
Traditionally, the faith most associated with Hispanics is Catholic. This was true in 1970 when 90% of the Hispanics in the United States identified themselves as Catholic. However, a Barna Research survey of the religious faith of Hispanics in 2001 revealed that only 53% said they were Catholic.

These statistics are especially poignant in Tucson, where Hispanics equal more than one-third of the population according to the 2000 Census.

Below is a map of the Protestant Christian Churches in Tucson:


View Larger Map