Colleges across the United States, both Catholic and secular, are reporting substantial growth in their OCIA programmes, according to a new report from the prayer app Hallow.
Hallow surveyed approximately 60 colleges and universities of various sizes and locations throughout the United States, including Catholic schools.
Of the schools that reported their OCIA data to Hallow, participation more than doubled in 2025-26 compared with the previous academic year. On average, the schools reported a 115 per cent growth in OCIA participation.
A Hallow employee suggested that the growth in these programmes comes from lonely college students seeking community – and finding it in the Catholic Church.
“We're finding that students are lonelier and more disconnected than ever. But what gives me hope are the stories being shared right now,” Rebekah Smith, a senior partner success lead at Hallow who works with college and university students, told the Catholic Herald.
She continued: “Students are searching, they're hungry, and so many are finding their way back to their faith and to the peace of Christ. It's an honour to support our campus partners across the country who are helping make that possible through the Holy Spirit.”
The increase in numbers was particularly strong in parts of the country that are not considered strongholds of Catholicism.
At the University of Mississippi (“Ole Miss”), located in Oxford, Mississippi, OCIA participation grew from 25 students in 2024-25 to 86 in 2025-26, a 244 per cent increase. Mississippi has the lowest percentage of Catholics in the United States.
In neighbouring Tennessee and Alabama, ranked 49th and 48th for Catholic population respectively, the states’ flagship universities have also seen remarkable growth in their OCIA programmes. At the University of Alabama, the OCIA population doubled from 41 to 82, and at the University of Tennessee, participation increased from 25 students in 2025 to 40 in 2026.
At the University of Southern California (USC), the OCIA programme has grown dramatically over the last three years, all without official advertising.
Deacon Paul Pesqueira, who oversees the OCIA programme at the USC Caruso Catholic Center, told Hallow the number of participants has jumped from 18 in 2023-24 to 44 in 2025-26. Deacon Pesqueira has overseen the programme for 14 years.
“All of this has happened at USC with zero marketing. Nothing,” he said. “Always word of mouth.”
Catholic schools also saw growth in OCIA participation. At the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, the number of OCIA candidates and catechumens increased from 52 in 2025 to 76 in 2026.
Boston College, in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, saw a modest increase from 28 to 31, and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, saw its OCIA numbers rise from four in 2025 to 14 in 2026.
