The Archdiocese of Chicago is seeing a significant increase in the number of people seeking to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil April 4 this year, mirroring a trend that has been noted in dioceses across the United States.
In an effort to better understand what inspired them to find out about becoming Catholic and what motivated them to pursue that journey to receiving their sacraments of initiation, the archdiocese has asked each of them to complete a survey.
The information will help archdiocesan and parish leaders in the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults know better how to minister to those seeking to become Catholic, said Tim Weiske, director of the archdiocese’s Department of Parish Vitality and Mission.
“The Spirit’s at work, and we want to cooperate with the Spirit in accompanying these people, by and large young people, who are responding in a new way, responding in larger numbers,” Weiske said. “The Lord’s always calling and people are responding more now. What does that mean for what we should do? That’s where we thought the idea of surveying the catechumens and the candidates on their experiences. What sparked their response to explore OCIA? What are they finding helpful? What questions do they have?”
While the department hopes to have answers from the surveys by the end of Holy Week, the effort to welcome new Catholics will continue during the Easter season, when Cardinal Cupich will celebrate a “Mass for the newly initiated and newly received” on April 19.
Weiske said parish leaders began reporting that more people were joining OCIA programs last fall. The size of that increase has become clearer since the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion ceremonies were held Feb. 22 and March 1.
At the Easter Vigil, the Archdiocese of Chicago expects to welcome 614 catechumens, or people who will receive all of the sacraments of initiation: baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist, according to Todd Williamson, director of the Office for Divine Worship.
That marks a 38% increase over the 446 catechumens welcomed in 2025.
The archdiocese will welcome another 445 candidates, or people who were baptized in another Christian tradition. The candidates will be confirmed and receive the Eucharist, bringing them into full communion with the Catholic Church. That’s a 78% increase over the 250 candidates welcomed in 2025.
Overall, 1,059 catechumens and candidates are expected to enter the Catholic Church, up from 696 in 2025, a 52% increase.
Weiske and Williamson said that people in other dioceses in the United States also are reporting increasing numbers this year, and the number of baptized Catholics who are completing their sacraments of initiation is also increasing.
The online survey offers candidates and catechumens an opportunity to share what made them curious about the church, whether it was, for example, the election of Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago and the first pope from North America, a desire to share the faith of a spouse or future spouse or something else.
“One of the things we’re hoping to find out from the survey is what were the different motivating factors?” Weiske said. “And for some, certainly Pope Leo being American and, for us, a Chicagoan was a factor that might have taken them from ‘Maybe I’m thinking about it’ to ‘I’m going to do something about it.’ But from the early results, it’s certainly not everyone. It’s one factor, but not the factor.”
The survey also asks them to reflect on what barriers and encouragement they found along the way, Weiske said.
While leaders are pleased to see the numbers grow, they are more concerned about making sure that parishes and the archdiocese are offering those interested in becoming Catholic the support that they are looking for.
“The survey was trying to answer the questions, ‘What is happening? Why is it happening?’” he said. “So that way we can do our part to walk with these people who are exploring faith anew or more deeply.”
At the Rite of Election — a ceremony in which the church formally recognizes catechumens as being ready for baptism — and the Call to Continuing Conversion, which recognizes candidates who have been baptized and are seeking full communion with the church, Cardinal Cupich invited participants to reflect on the survey questions with their godparents or sponsors, as a way to prepare themselves for their upcoming sacraments, Williamson said.
The Mass for the newly initiated and newly received is something encouraged in the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, Williamson said.
The Mass is to take place during the Easter season, during the period of “mystagogy” when the new Catholics, or “neophytes,” continue to meet together and receive support from the parish, he said.
“The Order of Christian Initiation itself says that during this aftercare for the newly baptized and the newly received, the bishop, particularly if he was not able to preside at the sacraments of initiation, should at least gather with all of those who who’ve been newly initiated in order to begin his pastoral care of them,” Williamson said, and it suggests that the gathering be a Mass.
The archdiocese did have similar Masses decades ago, but has not celebrated them since the early 2000s. However, some auxiliary bishops have celebrated them in their vicariates.
This year, with a larger number of new Catholics, seemed like a good time to revive it, Williamson said.