OCIA numbers are nearly doubling in some dioceses, and Emily Jaminet says the Catholics already in the pew are the reason — or the obstacle. Drawing on her work leading OCIA at her own parish, Emily shares practical ways to greet newcomers, explain the culture of the Mass without embarrassing anyone, and open real conversations about faith with neighbors and school parents. She also makes a direct appeal for sponsors, and passes along her brother's advice on the patience a decades-long return to the faith requires.
Emily Jaminet — author, speaker, and co-founder of Inspire the Faith — joins Deacon Mark Campbell to talk about something she's seeing firsthand in her role helping lead OCIA at her parish in the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio: programs there have nearly doubled, matching a broader trend of growing interest in the Catholic faith among young people documented by Vatican News. Her point to listeners is that there's still time this fall to invite a neighbor, a family member, or another school parent to take a closer look at the Church.
Emily walks through the practical work of accompaniment. She stands in the vestibule before Mass to greet parents, including non-Catholic parents of Catholic school students, and gently sets expectations — offering a shelf for the coffee cup rather than letting someone feel out of place mid-Mass. Deacon Mark adds the parallel of a kindly-worded invitation to remove a hat. Emily also offers to walk interested friends through the church at a quiet hour before school pickup, pointing out the tabernacle, explaining why Catholics genuflect, why the nave is kept silent, and where conversation belongs — because the culture of a Catholic church is beautiful once it's explained, and intimidating when it isn't.
She encourages listeners not to keep friendships so superficial that people never learn their faith background, sharing the story of a pilot who reached out to her after noticing the virtue of a Catholic coworker and being connected through a mutual friend. And she makes a direct ask: OCIA directors everywhere are looking for practicing Catholics willing to serve as sponsors and mentors through the whole conversion process. Deacon Mark echoes it, noting that Catholics who feel like beginners in their own faith often grow the most by walking alongside someone else.
Emily closes with advice from her brother, a pastor, on patience: someone away from the Church for 30 years may take one year, two, or three to fully come home, or to work through an annulment — God is in control and works on his timing, while our prayers, our witness, and our joy make the difference. Learn more at EmilyJaminet.com, and reach out to your local pastor with any questions about OCIA.
Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com.
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