BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Parishioners of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James and St. Charles Borromeo Church came together the Sunday before Lent for a pancake breakfast — a gathering made even more special because of who was flipping the pancakes.
Catechumens in the process of completing the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) program in the diocese organized the breakfast, did all the cooking, and served the parishioners. It was an idea that Father Joseph Gibino, the administrator of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James and pastor of St. Charles Borromeo, said was made to give the catechumens a chance to meet their fellow parishioners in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
“That was really an important piece, that they see the community,” said Father Gibino, who is also the vicar for the Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis. “It’s part of a very holistic program that is also very inviting.”
Having an event to allow them to mingle and get to know their soon-to-be fellow parishioners is the kind of outside-the-box approach that might be one of the reasons the diocese has seen a jump in the number of catechumens and candidates joining the Church in recent years.
Catechumens are people who have never been baptized in any religion. Candidates are people who were baptized Catholic but did not receive the other sacraments, or who were baptized into other faiths and now wish to become Catholic.
According to figures provided by the secretariat, 1,288 people — including 683 catechumens and 605 candidates — will become fully-initiated Catholics at the Easter Vigil this year. In 2025, the combined total of catechumens and candidates was 966.
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The 683 catechumens joining the Church this year represent a significant increase from 2021, when 298 joined, according to the secretariat.
Father Gibino attributed the increase to the diocese’s move to a two-year timeline for the OCIA process, which he said gives catechumens and candidates additional time to learn about the Catholic faith and “more time to have that initial encounter with Christ.”
That unhurried approach, coupled with the warm, welcoming atmosphere individual churches offer newcomers, leads to positive faith-forming experiences that help attract more people interested in joining the Catholic Church, Father Gibino said.
Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona has the highest number of catechumens and candidates this year — 98 — of any church in the diocese.
“It brings us great joy to know that people want to join the faith,” said Sister Fatima Vivas, the director of religious education for Our Lady of Sorrows.
She attributed the substantial number to old-fashioned word of mouth. Many people attend Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows (the church celebrates nine Masses on Sundays) and then tell their friends about the joyful experience.
“For starters, the number of people who come here is immense. That is a major reason,” said the Spanish-speaking Sister Fatima, who spoke through an interpreter.
Our Lady of Sorrows is largely composed of immigrants from Central and South America who brought their faith with them to the U.S.
In addition, the church has 1,800 children in its faith formation program, and sometimes the youngsters’ parents, upon seeing their children thrive, express a desire to join the faith themselves, Sister Fatima said.
The increase in new Catholics in the diocese is part of a nationwide trend.
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The Archdiocese of Newark is seeing a sharp rise — 30% — in people joining the faith this year, reporting that 1,701 individuals will join the church at the Easter Vigil. In another New Jersey diocese, the Diocese of Trenton, 1,095 people are expected to join the faith, which is up from 795 last year.
Elsewhere in the country, the Diocese of Richmond is reporting a record 900 people will become Catholic this year. Other examples include the Archdiocese of Washington, which has over 1,500 catechumens and candidates this year; the Archdiocese of Seattle, which has 1,595 catechumens and candidates; and the Archdiocese of Chicago, which is preparing to welcome 1,059 catechumens and candidates.
Immigration is a factor in the uptick in the Diocese of Brooklyn, Father Gibino said.
“One of the things that I attribute to our numbers is that we have many immigrants. They really now have the opportunity to meet the church and encounter Christ after coming from places where they may never have had that opportunity before,” he explained.
“Our community is growing, and that is a wonderful thing.”