Catholics still largest Congress denomination; 10 percent Jesuit grads

[UrbScotty]

The 113th Congress includes some slight shifts in religious makeup over the previous session, with a few more Catholics, the first Buddhist in the Senate and the first Hindu to serve in either chamber.

It's a historic high for the number of Catholics in Congress, with 163, though that's just two more seats than the previous high point, when there were 161 Catholics in the 111th Congress of 2009-10.

That's an increase of seven seats over the 156 Catholics had in the 112th Congress.

Since at least the 1960s, Catholics have been the single largest denomination in Congress. Although when Protestant denominations are counted together, they still constitute the largest number of members, at 56 percent.

http://ncronline.org/news/politics/catholics-still-largest-congress-denomination-10-percent-jesuit-grads

[rug]

1. And a Jesuit is Chaplain of the House.

http://chaplain.house.gov/chaplaincy/index.html