Philip J. Murnion and David DeLambo, National Pastoral Life Center, New York, NY, 1999.
Parishioners continue to exercise considerable leadership in the ministries of parishes.
In 1997, the average number of volunteer hours by those who have leadership responsibilities was 810 per month, the equivalent of five full-time parish ministers. Religious sisters and brothers, because they have not received the sacrament of Holy Orders, are usually considered lay ministers. Deacons receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders and are not, therefore, considered lay ministers. In 1997, the number of parish lay ministers paid for at least 20 hours a week was 29,146, an increase of 35 per cent since 1992. In 1997, only 6.4 per cent of lay parish ministers were Hispanic, African American, Asian American, or Native American, disproportionate to their numbers in the total Catholic population.