Recent news reports suggest a surge in the number of adults becoming Catholic across the western world. Deo gratias. This includes a rising number of college students converting to the Faith. But why?
We asked young Catholic, Elaine Kutas, pictured below, who is an English and Journalism student at Hillsdale College, to find out. Elaine spoke to three student converts from three different colleges across the Diocese of Lansing. Here are their stories:
Karen Hotz, a junior at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, pictured above, began her search for Christ during high school when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. She discovered sermons on YouTube while trying to find something comforting, and this sparked her faith journey. When she began her freshman year at Michigan in the fall of 2023, she knew she needed to find a community that would help her grow her faith. After church-hopping, she finally attended a Catholic Mass, with some persuasion from someone close to her.
She did not feel the call to become Catholic immediately, as she had many misconceptions about Church teachings. But the summer after her freshman year, Karen spent much time researching the Catholic faith and realized it was beginning to make sense to her.
“At the beginning of my sophomore year I learned more about the Order of Catholic Initiation of Adults (OCIA) process, and then I entered it, and it was the best decision I ever made,” she said.
“One thing that really clicked with me is that no matter what Catholic Church you go to, they are all the same. I really admired the unity that I couldn’t find in other denominations.”
Karen said that despite being at a large state school, she found an amazing Catholic community.
“It is so much bigger and more vibrant than I would have thought. I never expected to meet so many people who were Catholic and so involved in their faith, while being at a big secular school.”
University of Michigan is unique in that it has St. Mary Student Parish dedicated to offering campus ministry services to students. Father Kyle Shinseki, SJ, the pastor at St. Mary, exudes excitement for the many programs they offer and the devotion he sees in the students. This past Easter, 28 students entered the church.
Like Karen, Ethan Antieau, a junior at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, pictured above right, encountered the Lord in a powerful way as a teenager, which led to his conversion.
During high school, Ethan was a part of an ecumenical friend group that loved to talk about theology and their various faith beliefs. Ethan remarked that their Catholic friend was very passionate, leading him to wonder about Catholicism.
“For some reason, his arguments stuck, and when I started college, I found myself dissatisfied with my church and thinking that it wasn’t really true to the original Christian church,” Ethan said. “I talked to my friend about it, and eventually he convinced me to go to Mass with him, and soon thereafter, he became my sponsor.”
While on MSU’s campus, Ethan found community at St. John’s Student Center and was able to ask the questions that were on his heart.
“I went to talk to the priests at St. Johns, and I would just have so many questions. The answers I got always made sense in my mind, and I began to look into old Church doctrine, the Church Fathers, and the first couple centuries of Christianity, and it just made a lot of sense.”
St. John’s Student Center is partnered with St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing, creating a different dynamic in their faith community. Anna Stankewitz, the Director of Campus Ministry, partners with St. Thomas in order to create a vibrant and inclusive faith community that connects the two locations. Beyond the many opportunities for receiving the sacraments at St. Johns, Father Corey Bilodeau, a parochial vicar at St. Thomas, is starting a small group Bible study for students who are entering the Church through OCIA, are returning to the faith, or just have a general interest in the Catholic Church.
“There’s an opportunity to encounter Jesus in the sacraments every day, and students really take advantage of that,” Anna said. “We’re only two blocks away from campus, so there are students constantly wandering in here to study, pray, or just hang out.”
Brett Schaller, a 2024 Hillsdale College graduate, entered the Church after graduation but while working for Hillsdale College. Despite being raised Christian, Brett, pictured above left, came to Hillsdale in the fall of 2020, not knowing there was a difference in teachings among the various denominations.
“The phrase ‘make your faith your own’ is cliché, but I think it is a reality, especially when I went to college,” Brett said. “During college, I had a combination of studying history and an awakening of denominational awareness, alongside a sort of spiritual revival in my life.”
After church-hopping and continued discernment, Brett began attending the Anglican church in Hillsdale at the beginning of his junior year, exposing him to a high form of worship that he had not experienced before. This then gave him a greater willingness to attend Catholic Mass, which he finally did.
“I think I had been reading and praying my way closer to the Catholic Church,” Brett said. “I think what it ultimately came down to was the question of authority; is the Catholic Church what she claims to be? If she is, then everything else flows from it, and so I think at a certain point, I came to that conclusion.”
The fall after graduation, Brett entered OCIA at St. Anthony’s in Hillsdale and was welcomed into the Church during the Easter Vigil this year.
While reflecting on the rise in conversions among young people, Brett shared his joy for being a part of this movement.
“I think that the witness of authentically, unashamedly, living the faith is one of the most powerful things,” Brett said. “It’s kind of wild to be a part of this wave of converts. It’s cool to know that so many people are on the same journey as I have."
