That total includes 491 catechumens, those not yet baptized, and 538 candidates who had been baptized in non-Catholic Christian communities. About 200 more people were received into the Church this year than in 2025.

What is drawing these new Catholics to our beautiful faith?

The Archdiocese of Chicago conducted a survey from late February through May to answer that question. Twenty dioceses across the country participated, from Los Angeles to New York to Miami, including Cleveland. The number of responses totaled more than  2,000. I am heartened by the results, and I hope you will find them encouraging, too.

According to the survey, respondents’ motivations to explore our Catholic faith generally fell into two main categories, plus a third, lesser category:

1) Those who felt a “personal hunger” toward goodness, truth, inner peace, joy and purpose, with the following statements ranking highest:

a.    Interest in exploring a deeper relationship with God (82%)

b.    Wanting to grow in goodness and virtue (77%)

c.    Desiring a deeper understanding of truth (76%)

d.    Desiring a greater sense of inner peace (72%)

e.    Exploring the existence of God and/or the person of Jesus Christ (72%)

2) Those interested in the “institutional Church” were motivated by a search for truth, and attracted to the Church’s liturgy and the wisdom of the 2,000-year-old Catholic faith, with the following statements ranking second-highest:

a.    Attracted to the sacred liturgy in Catholic prayer, ritual and the sacraments (68%)

b.    Looking to discover deeper joy and enduring happiness (66%)

c.    Attracted to the longevity of the Church’s tradition over centuries (66%)

d.    Attracted to the wisdom of a 2,000-year-old Church to help navigate life (65%)

e.    Interested in exploring life’s ultimate purpose (64%)

3) Those interested in the Church community and the positive example of Catholics, with the following statements chosen by more than half of respondents:

a.    Attracted to opportunity to belong to a Church community uniting believers around the world across generations (56%)

b.    Looking for belonging and more meaningful relationships (56%)

c.    Inspired by positive examples of family, friends, or personal connections who are Catholic and live out their faith in a real way (55%)

d.    Desired healing or redemption from a personal challenge (51%)

About 30% of respondents had no religious affiliation prior to deciding to become Catholic, and the rest were split between Catholics who were completing their sacraments and those from other Christian faiths.

I thought it would be helpful to share what respondents said initially attracted them to the Catholic faith, since evangelization was a key part of the pastoral letter I issued in December 2024.

In it, I invited everyone to consider their own story of faith — when they experienced God saving them from despair, when they truly felt how much he loved them, when his light showed them the way through the darkness, or when they knew their sins were forgiven — and then share that story with others.

I was happy to read that one-third of survey respondents said they were invited to a Catholic Mass by a Catholic friend, spouse, sibling, or mentor, and another 21% said they were invited to another faith-based experience by a Catholic friend, etc. As I said in the letter, the ability to give personal witness to God’s action in our lives is critical to the health of the Church. More than that, it is essential to invite others to experience what we have: Jesus is alive and present in the Church — its sacraments, its proclaimed word, and its people.

Finally, through open-ended questions in the survey, many respondents described experiencing the Church as a source of both stability and hope within an increasingly uncertain and even chaotic world.

How do you see the Church? How do you feel about your faith? I see the Church as a family of faith whose members are devoted disciples of Jesus Christ, and I recognize that faith in Christ is a remarkable gift from God. Faith in Christ leads us to heaven, where our destiny is to be made into saints. So, witness to your faith by your life and tell your story of encounter with Jesus to others. Even if you are a devout, lifelong Catholic, I hope this column reminds you what a great treasure we have as Catholics that must be cherished and shared.

May God bless you and those you love.