She builds on this to suggest that Ulster's Catholics and Protestants might yet forge a new, regional identity, if Catholics finally attain a state in which they can feel at ease with themselves.
On the other hand, a fast-growing number of New York's Catholics are not white.
The Democrats could not win without the enthusiastic support of Irish Catholics in New York and New England.
O'Connor's unique personality slowed the decline in influence of New York's Catholics.
But New York's Catholics, while admiring the pope and O'Connor, mostly ignore their teaching on contraception, and many would like a softer attitude to gays and women priests.
Meanwhile, a new study says American Catholics view sex abuse by clergy as the most important problem facing the church today, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
The new leader of the world's estimated 1.2 billion Roman Catholics has brought a new sense of simplicity to the Vatican, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.
The cardinals' decision to pick a man from a diverse and rapidly rising continent sparked hope amongst many Catholics of a new mindset amongst the powers that be in the Vatican, one that takes emerging powers more seriously.
New York's powerful Irish Catholics are unlikely to give up what they regard as a sinecure without a fierce struggle.
The story of the Japanese Catholics is known to the new pope.
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But according to a new survey by the Pew Forum, Catholics in the US view the crisis of clerical sexual abuse as the most important challenge facing the Church.
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After all, March has been packed with various religious events from holidays observed by several different faiths to the selection of a new Pope, which garnered attention from Catholics and non-Catholics alike all over the world.
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Almost two-thirds of this reduction happened in the 1980s and 1990s, when Catholics were apparently drawn away to new Pentecostal churches.
More than 200 Catholic Bishops from around the world are due to arrive in Rome shortly for a three-week conference on how to check the falling away from the faith of millions of European Catholics and how to inspire a new evangelisation.
African Catholics look forward to the future pope introducing new and effective measures to check the seeming absolute powers and privileges of African bishops and priests.
Francis, who was inaugurated as the new head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics on Tuesday, has made some changes since taking the helm -- most notably by adopting a simpler, personal style and calling for the Church to focus on serving the poor and needy.
When Jorge Bergoglio stepped onto the balcony at the Vatican on Wednesday evening to reveal himself as the new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, he made history as the first non-European pope of the modern era, the first from Latin America, the first Jesuit and the first to assume the name Francis.
Today, Catholics account for almost a quarter of the total at the new PSNI.
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Now there are four areas which we're working on, one of them obviously is a new and transformed police service where all sections of the community, both Catholics, Protestants, Unionists and Nationalists can participate and respect.
The cardinals will remain locked in isolation until one candidate, almost certainly from among their number, garners a two-thirds majority, or 77 votes, and is named the new spiritual head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
Meanwhile, the new leader of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, encouraged Catholics to express their views on issues such as abortion.
But Kunjamon is from a new and fast growing community from south India who have come quickly in large numbers, they are Catholics and speak a different language so they don't have too much in common with the established Indian community.
Catholics worldwide must hope that the spirit moves the Cardinals when they gather in March to elect a new pope.
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In 2009, Benedict appointed Dolan archbishop of New York, the nation's second-largest archdiocese after Los Angeles, serving about 2.5 million Catholics.
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