Catholicism Bridges Committed Communities at ASU

Reporter: Gabrielle Arias

Tempe, Ariz.- Arizona State University students are turning to Catholicism in record numbers during their college years, with many converting or returning to the faith at the All Saints Catholic Newman Center.

The ASU Newman Center saw 100 students receive their sacraments this year. In previous years, they averaged about 15-25 students.

This total is one of the strongest years the center has seen, the director of campus ministry, Ryan Ayala, said.

Due to this increase, the Newman Center has opened a summer cohort for additional students interested in receiving their sacraments. 40 students have already signed up, Ayala said.

“If you compare it annually, we have seen a 300% increase in students becoming Catholic compared to previous years,” Ayala said.

Ayala said the growth at the Newman Center at ASU reflects a broader trend of people choosing to explore Catholicism and commit to Christ.

According to research by the National Catholic Register, out of 71 responding dioceses, 66 reported growth in those preparing to receive their sacraments. Some sacraments saw an increase of more than 50%, with others more than doubling previous years.

Arizona is one of the states seeing the largest increase in Catholicism, according to the U.S Religion Census.

In 2010, 4.6% of residents were Catholic. While in 2020, 21.3% of residents were Catholic. This is the second-highest increase in the United States, according to the census.

In May of 2025, the Catholic church appointed its first American pope. Pope Leo XIV was a cardinal from Chicago, Illinois, before being elected to the papacy.

Ayala said there is not enough data yet to support claims that Pope Leo XIV is the direct cause of the surge in Catholics.

But he said, “There's something cool about the current pope being a fan of the Chicago White Sox and speaking English. He's American. He's one of us.”

Ayala said he believes the longing for community in difficult times is driving the interest in Catholicism up.

“It can be ugly when you look at all the world events that are happening, and so what we've been able to kind of provide is a place where you don't have to run in fear,” Ayala said. “You are truly welcomed here, and you're truly loved. That's a reflection of God's mercy and love.”

He said the rise is also tied to a deeper search for meaning among students navigating loneliness and uncertainty. 

“Post COVID, post Charlie Kirk situation, which hit home for a lot of our students because his first rally was here at ASU, it was enough to kind of jar you out of your sleep, wake you up and ask what’s my meaning? What is my purpose?” Ayala said.

In a campus as large as ASU, Ayala said the need for an answer is especially important.

“College students can experience an incredible amount of loneliness, especially at a place like ASU,” Ayala said. “When students come to the Newman Center, they feel community.”

For students struggling with loneliness, the sense of community at the Newman Center is what helped draw them to the faith.

Natalie VanderWheele, a student who converted from non-denominational Lutheran to Catholicism, began her journey in the faith at the University of Arizona Newman Center before transferring to ASU.

“I struggled really hard to just find a community. 
There were not many open communities down there [in Tucson] or things that I was interested in because it's mostly Greek life. I wasn't a part of that. I was searching for something more,” she said.

VanderWheele said the church offered something deeper that she had not previously experienced.

She said she was drawn to the reverence of Catholic worship and the deeper meaning it offered.

“I really resonated with, obviously, the Protestant beliefs that I grew up with, but something that I felt was missing from those was the reverence towards Jesus and God and the Sunday services in general,” Vanderwheele said.

Norah Bowers, a non-religious student who converted to Catholicism, said she had a similar experience of finding purpose through the Newman Center.

Bowers said her grandparents were Catholic, but she did not grow up in the church. She said she was nervous to go to the Newman Center at first, but after meeting other girls, she began going every Sunday for a semester. 

“I went to the Newman Center, and I ran into some girls that I knew a little bit from Barrett, and they encouraged me to love and get more involved and come back,” Bowers said.

She then began the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, a process for new members looking to learn more about the Catholic church and receive their sacraments. She was baptized this past Easter Vigil.

“I mean, as soon as I was lining up to go, I was feeling almost like relieved. I was telling Mary Beth, one of the missionaries, this yesterday that I was feeling so proud of accomplishing that and really committing myself to that,” Bowers said.

She said she believes what drew her and other students to the Newman Center was the feeling of community.

“The feeling of connectedness. I've definitely met so many people and a lot of my now close friends through the Newman Center,” Bowers said. “It was a sense of relief that I finally found the faith community that I had kind of been looking for.”

Luciana Gilbert, who was born in the Catholic faith, said her return to the Catholic faith came after a long period of struggling, questioning and searching for answers.

She said that despite knowing the sacraments and commandments, she fell away from her faith and felt no emotional connection until her senior year of high school.

“I really struggled with mental health and just struggled having something stable within myself to hold onto, not leaning into pride and not leaning into insecurity,” Gilbert said. “I think the Lord really met me at the lowest point that I was at.”

Gilbert said she “felt a nudge in her heart to give [Catholicism] a shot”, and that’s how she ended up at the Newman Center.

“I told God, ‘I don't know where you're leading me, and I'm really scared, and I don't know what the next step is, but I need to trust you right now,’” she said.

She said that feeling of uncertainty was a turning point in her faith.

“That feeling of standing on a cliff and being like, Lord, I choose you, and I don't know what that means, and I don't know the gravity of that yes yet, but I know that that's what I need to give right now,” Gilbert said. 

She said that her confusion came to an end Easter Sunday at the Newman Center.

Gilbert said she attended mass and received a vision during the Eucharist, where Catholics believe the bread and wine transform into Christ’s body and blood, and Christ is truly present.

“I have this vision with the chalice when it goes from wine to the blood of this woman holding a chalice against the side of Jesus' body as he's on the cross being crucified. And she's like collecting the drips of blood from his side of his body,” Gilbert said.

She said that moment solidified that she was ready to rejoin the faith.

Maximo Coronel, a Newman Night co-coordinator who was born and raised Catholic in Mexico, said his faith became more intentional after coming to ASU.

Coronel said when he first came to ASU, he didn’t attend mass. He said one random Wednesday, he felt the urge to go to mass at the Newman Center.

“It popped in my head that if I'm gonna be Catholic, I want to do it well and I want to do it because of me, not because my mom,” Coronel said.

He said he believes this is what sets students apart from going with their families. Students are attending of their own will and not out of obligation.

That emphasis on individual choice connects to a larger theme at the Newman Center: building a community where students feel they belong and keep coming back.

“Our mission is to be the home, the Catholic home for ASU students,” Ayala said.

Ayala said the first step in bringing students through the doors of the church is creating a welcoming environment for all students.

“We've really tried to be intentional about creating a welcoming and inviting space. We don't care where you are on the political map, on the religious map,” Ayala said.

Coronel said he believes that a sense of belonging and purpose is what keeps students coming back.

“The students who come back and get more involved, you just see the love for Christ that they have. They’re not just here because it's fun or because we give out free food or whatever, but there's something more, and they know that there's something more here,” Coronel said. 

In a rapidly changing world, students can find stability within the Catholic church, Ayala said.

“There's something about, in the midst of a changing world, there's an institution that remains the same, and that has remained the same for 2000 years,” Ayala said.