Google searches on how to become Catholic spike 373% after death of Pope Francis

That’s quite a headline, isn’t it?

Google searches on how to become Catholic spike 373% after death of Pope Francis

Following on the news out of the Easter season that, for a second year in a row, dioceses all over the world are reporting record numbers of new Catholics, the fact that Google searches for “how to become Catholic” have increased makes sense.

It occurred in the context of Pope Francis’s death late last month. One wonders what Pope Leo’s new papacy will do to conversions, too.

I was thinking about that question - how do I become Catholic? - and what the answer is. Yes, one goes to OCIA and takes the classes and received the sacrament at Easter. But what about after that? What does it mean to be Catholic?

I’ll be on Morning Air tomorrow morning at 8:20 eastern to answer that question. The answer comes from what I learned in the Legion of Mary: to be Catholic, one’s life must be active across three different facets: prayer, works, and fellowship. See here how you can listen in on the radio, in the app, or by streaming.

An increase in Catholics in the Easter season

Dear readers and listeners, in case you missed me on Relevant Radio yesterday (this was before our new Pope was announced), I joined the show to discuss with John the reported increase in new Catholics across the US and the world at Easter. These are adult converts, and this is the second year in a row where a marked increase has happened. I maintain it’s the tumult of the COVID years that caused people to search for meaning and find it, obviously, in the practice of the faith. All good news, all around! You can listen here around minute 17:11.

May you continue to have a blessed and joyful Easter!

An American Pope!

I am as surprised and thrilled as the rest of the US (Chicago especially) that our new Pope, Pope Leo XIV, has been elected - the first American Pope. I audibly gasped as I watched.

Moments before he was announced, while I watched the Vatican News coverage, I saw an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that someone was waving, in that sea of flags. It struck me in my heart in an odd way, and not just because I have a devotion to her. I wondered, will the new Pope be from Mexico (I don’t even know if there are Mexican cardinals)? But no - she is the patroness of the Americas, which includes the US. Isn’t that something!

All Catholics need to do now is pray. Forget whatever “camp,” politically, you are in, or you think he is in. He’s not, whatever you think, because the Church is above and outside politics, including American politics. What stood out to me, aside from his words that evil will not prevail, was his emotion. He was visibly moved and held back tears before he spoke so clearly. It demonstrated depth and humility, and a recognition of the gravity of the moment. How proud his mama would be.

What a joyful moment for the Church and the world! Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV, for the Church, and for all the human race as we, in the words of the Pope, “go forward.!”