February 24, 2026 // Bishop

Diocese to See Record Number Enter the Church at Easter Vigil

Jill Boughton

Freelance Writer

If the numbers in our diocese are any indication, more and more people are knocking on our church doors seeking to become Catholic. A record 787 people took a significant step over two weekends in February on both ends of the diocese. There were 327 unbaptized individuals who participated in the Rite of Election; their journey will include what is known as the period of purification and enlightenment during Lent and will culminate with all the sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil on Saturday night, April 4. An additional 460 candidates – either baptized in a different Christian tradition and now seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, or else baptized Catholic but never catechized as children – participated in the Calling to Continuing Conversion and indicated their readiness to complete Christian initiation. During Lent, these candidates will also go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to prepare for the other sacraments.

Brian MacMichael, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, told Today’s Catholic: “The last couple years in the diocese have seen major increases in the numbers of those who are becoming Catholic. 2025 saw an unexpected jump – we had over 150 more than in any of the previous 15 years – and now 2026 has exceeded last year’s attendance by well over 100. We heard in 2025 that this trend was echoed nationally and even internationally.”

What’s behind the uptick? MacMichael ventured an educated guess.

“Of course, there’s no singular reason, as every person’s journey is different,” MacMichael said. “A pretty common refrain across generations, however, seems to be an appreciation for the clear presentation of the true, the good, and the beautiful that the Catholic Church provides, along with the ability to encounter Jesus in the Mass and in the sacraments, especially the holy Eucharist,” explained MacMichael.  Many people also mentioned being evangelized by friends.

Because of these numbers, the Rite of Election and Calling to Continuing Conversion were moved from our two diocesan cathedrals to a larger church on each end of the diocese – St. Charles Borromeo in Fort Wayne on Sunday, February 15, and St. Pius X in Granger on Sunday, February 22. Bishop Rhoades told those at St. Pius X it would have been standing-room-only at either cathedral and gave thanks that “so many of you are listening to God’s call.”

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, abbreviated OCIA, is the process through which adults and older children prepare to enter the Catholic Church. Formation includes months or even years of instruction, participation in parish life, prayer, and discernment. The Rite of Election and Calling to Continuing Conversion serve as a hinge moment in that journey, shifting the focus from general formation to immediate preparation to celebrate the sacraments of initiation.

The rites drew godparents, sponsors, OCIA team members, and family or other parishioners from across the diocese. The tone was both solemn and celebratory. Those preparing to enter the Church were called individually by name, with their godparents or sponsors testifying collectively to their readiness and commitment. Bishop Rhoades signed the Books of the Elect, in which the catechumens (the unbaptized) had previously inscribed their names at the Rite of Sending in their own parishes. This signified their transition from being catechumens to being chosen as the elect, ready to be baptized this Easter.

In his homily at both locations, Bishop Rhoades placed the rites within the wider context of the Lenten season, 40 days of prayer, penance, and charitable works. He stressed that while Lent is observed by the entire Church, it carries particular weight for those preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation at Easter.

“First of all, dear catechumens, this is the most important Lent of your life, the final stage of your preparation for the Easter sacraments: baptism, confirmation, and the holy Eucharist.” He emphasized that the Church sees these sacraments as real encounters with grace and transformation. “Baptism is not a mere formality, and it’s not like joining a club. Through baptism, you will receive the blessings that flow from the dying and rising of Jesus, including the forgiveness of sins. You will be unified with the crucified and risen Jesus. You will undergo a death to the bondage of sin and receive new life and freedom by the gift of God’s grace.”

During Lent, the elect will participate in special Lenten rites known as scrutinies, which focus on spiritual healing, self-examination, and strengthening against sin. For the elect, after Baptism, Confirmation will be conferred by the pastor so that, together with First Communion, all three sacraments are celebrated during the Easter Vigil liturgy.

Many baptized, non-Catholic candidates for full communion also enter the Church during the Easter Vigil at the parish, making a special profession of faith in the Catholic Church and all it teaches, before being confirmed and receiving the Eucharist for the first time. In his homily during the rites in Fort Wayne and South Bend, Bishop Rhoades addressed the candidates for full communion, saying: “You are already sharers in Christ’s death and resurrection and have received the gift of his new life in baptism. But you are preparing this Lent to enter into full communion with the Church instituted by Jesus and governed by the successor of St. Peter.”

Bishop Rhoades reflected on the central role of the Eucharist for Catholics, calling it “the source and summit of the Christian life,” “the sacrament of Christ’s love unto the end,” and “the Church’s greatest treasure.” He invited those preparing for initiation “to contemplate the amazing mystery of the Eucharist during this Lenten season.”

In addition, every year, large numbers of adults who were baptized Catholic as infants but never catechized or prepared to receive the other sacraments of initiation, are prepared to join in renewing their baptismal promises – many receive their first Communion at Easter, and Bishop Rhoades will confirm them later during the Easter season.

Included among these uncatechized Catholics is Stacy Romero of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Elkhart. Although her parents and older siblings received the sacraments of initiation and made sure she was baptized at St. Thomas in Elkhart, one parent became alienated by someone within the Church, and after that, the family stayed away. Romero went to Mass only when her paternal grandmother took her. She had her first child baptized 30 years ago but didn’t continue his formation because of his disabilities.

“I always felt like I was missing something,” Romero told Today’s Catholic. She remembers being jealous when her best friend began attending a parochial school, but she didn’t pursue reconnecting with the Church until she was hired as business manager at St. Vincent de Paul on April 7, 2025. “I believe God gave me that job to help me go through with this.” She has grown closer to Jesus through the OCIA process but admits it’s been a struggle because of an illness and an auto accident.

One thing that has helped a great deal is time spent in adoration. “I never even knew what that was,” Romero admitted, but it’s given her a way to be close to Jesus in the Eucharist even before she is able to receive Communion. “It’s been a struggle at times but a joy most of the time. I can feel the difference in every aspect of my life.”

Fernando Galarza is another nominal Catholic who had been on a “dark path,” but “I needed something else in my life,” he said. His fiancée, Carey Brooks, was formerly active in a Baptist church but has been increasingly drawn to becoming Catholic. She is a candidate for full communion at St. Joseph Church in Mishawaka.

For Gavin and Danna Guajardo from Our Lady of Hungary Parish in South Bend, Danna is the one whose background is Catholic. She attended Our Lady of Hungary during middle school, but she received no sacraments; her mother wanted her to decide for herself what she wanted. After a rebellious phase, Danna wanted to get in touch with Jesus, so she accompanied her mother-in-law to a Pentecostal church but really wished their family could be Catholic. So, she was surprised when Gavin said, “OK, let’s be Catholic.” Gavin had grown up in San Antonio but identified as an agnostic. However, his two best friends in the Army were a committed Baptist and a Catholic; the three of them spent much of their time discussing theology, and eventually the Catholic member of the group convinced both of his buddies to convert to the faith. Besides completing their initiation, the Guajardo family is also looking forward to the baptism of their two young daughters this Easter season.

Tegegn Drake, a high school sophomore, will have a shorter period of preparation than most of the other elect. On March 19, the feast of St. Joseph, Bishop Rhoades will visit Saint Joseph High School in South Bend to baptize him and confirm him and several candidates for full communion. For these students and their sponsors, OCIA has taken place during their one-hour flex period, with reading assignments as homework.

The only one of four siblings to attend Catholic schools (Holy Cross Grade School and Saint Joe High), Tegegn said, “I grew close to the faith, and I’ve known I wanted to be a part of the Catholic Church since eighth grade.”

Bishop Rhoades encouraged candidates to use Lent as a time of renewal and ongoing conversion, supported by prayer, Scripture, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And he urged all present to take Lent seriously as a time for spiritual renewal because “we all need continual conversion and repentance.” The traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, he said, “are meant to help us as we journey toward Easter so that we may draw more abundantly from the mystery of redemption the new life in Christ we received in baptism.” He encouraged everyone “to renew the grace and commitments of our baptism and accept Our Lord’s invitation to follow Him decisively and consistently.”