‘Something is happening’: data on Catholic conversions really are unprecedented

Many U.S. dioceses are expecting heavy increases in people joining the Catholic Church at Easter 2026, including some with record highs, a survey by the Register found. “Something’s happening,” said John Helsey, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which is expecting a 57 percent increase in unbaptized people becoming Catholics at Easter — from 635 in 2025 to nearly 1,000 in 2026. In most places, this year’s increases aren’t a one-off but follow significant increases in recent years. Bishop Frank Dewane, who leads the Diocese of Venice, Florida, which is expecting a 94 percent increase in converts, suggests the Church is enjoying what he calls “a golden age of Catholic resources,” including podcasts and other online sources that get information about the Church to people who would ordinarily never set foot in it, and yet come to find Catholicism unexpectedly attractive.