HUNTINGTON, IND. ? The nine states with the heaviest Roman Catholic percentages in their populations all voted for John Kerry, data from the newly issued “2005 Catholic Almanac” show.

The most Catholic states, in order, are: Rhode Island (63.5 percent Catholic), Kerry’s own Massachusetts (47.7 percent), New Jersey (43.5 percent), New York (40.6 percent), Connecticut (38.7 percent), Illinois (31 percent), Wisconsin (30.5 percent), Pennsylvania (30 percent) and California (29.8 percent).

Tenth-ranked Louisiana, which is 29.4 percent Catholic, went heavily for President Bush.

The authoritative annual almanac, published by Our Sunday Visitor, says the 67,259,768 baptized Catholics nationwide are 23.2 percent of the population, up from 22.8 percent the previous year.