Tears, years and Malaysia: journeys to full communion in the Church are unique to each new Catholic March 31, 2026

Many dioceses in the United States and elsewhere are reporting dramatic increases in the number of people becoming Catholic. Even as those celebrating the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) grows, perhaps the only common thread in their stories is their search for a deeper relationship with God, as profoundly expressed in Catholicism’s beliefs and practices.

These five stories of parishioners from the Oakland Diocese remind us that God chooses to walk with each person, where we are, and opens our hearts, minds and souls exactly as each person needs.

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  Mildred Lewis, 87, attended Mass for 66 years, baptized this Easter
  “I thought I knew everything about the Catholic Church, but I’ve learned a lot”
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  New Fremont Catholic finds structure and relationship in the Church
  Doug Young’s journey to Catholicism came from a co-worker at the Oakland Coliseum
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  One man’s trans-Pacific path to God
  Matt Isola’s journey into the Catholic faith found climactic moments on a trip to Malaysia
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  Small business CEO takes an OCIA road less traveled
  Soham More’s journey in faith began intellectually, but now deeply reaches the heart
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  Tears of joy flow like waterfalls for San Leandro woman’s journey to Christ through Mary
  A journey to Fatima changed Cheyenne Selsor’s life, and led her to fall in love with God