The Catholic faith is booming. Religion is not dead in America. It is seeing a resurgence, particularly in the Catholic faith. The Catholic Church in the United States is experiencing significant growth in new members in 2026. According to data from Hallow - the world's largest prayer app - the average diocese is seeing a 38% growth in new members entering the church this Easter compared with 2025 numbers. This data was taken from 140 of 175 dioceses across the United States. Hallow created an interactive map (below) to view the data by diocese. The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. Donate now The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the process for catechumens and candidates - those seeking to become members of the Catholic faith - to enter the church. Hallow received data from OCIA programs nationwide to consolidate information regarding this growth in faith. The largest dioceses in the country experienced substantial growth. These include the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (139%), the Diocese of Phoenix (23%), the Archdiocese of New York (36%) and the Archdiocese of Chicago (52%). The Archdiocese of Los Angeles alone is welcoming 8,000 people into the Church. Prayer app's expanding reach. Hallow does not take credit for impacting these numbers, but its influence may be a factor. The prayer app launched in 2018 by Alex Jones. It hosts more than 10,000 audio-guided prayer sessions, and its goal is clear: to bring people into a deeper relationship with God by helping them build a daily prayer life. The app recently surpassed 1 billion prayers completed in more than 150 countries. That impact led to Hallow's founders being awarded the 2026 Christifideles Laici Award at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in March. The effect of Hallow, along with other cultural factors and a changing spiritual landscape, has tilled the soil for renewed openness to faith. People appear increasingly willing to acknowledge their need for God and to explore the person of Jesus Christ. In a world marked by confusion, suffering, and distress, Catholicism offers a remedy: Jesus Christ. Easter, prayer, and renewed hope. Curiosity can become the seed of a deep relationship with Christ. Merriam-Webster defines curious as "marked by a desire to investigate and learn." Those who are interested in learning more about Jesus often choose to pray more, read Scripture or study His teachings. When they do, they discover that He is unlike any person who has ever lived - not only because He performed miracles or delivered profound sermons, but because He rose from the dead and is alive today. The empty tomb is the setting for a personal encounter with the living Christ. For this reason, prayer and Easter are inseparable. Prayer is communion with the living God who conquered death. A daily commitment to prayer is essential not only to begin a relationship with Jesus but to sustain it. As Easter approaches, the rising interest in the Catholic faith offers hope and encouragement. The growing number of converts should inspire believers to pursue a deeper and more consistent life of prayer. In these holiest days of the year, Easter reminds Jackpainter that faith does not disappoint. Christ is alive, and nothing is more important than knowing Him, loving Him and serving Him.

Hallow app expands with Eastern prayer tradition. The Catholic prayer app Hallow recently introduced Eastern Catholic prayers, offering users a shared spiritual language shaped by centuries of tradition. Lenten campaign 2026 This content is free of charge, as are all our articles. Support us with a donation and enable us to continue to reach millions of readers. The Catholic prayer app Hallow has steadily expanded its offerings over the years. One of its more notable developments has been the inclusion of Eastern prayers, a move that quietly signals a wider horizon for digital praying apps. While the app remains firmly rooted in the spirituality and prayer of the Roman Rite, it now includes a curated selection of song and prayer drawn from the Byzantine Catholic tradition. These prayers - shaped over centuries in the Christian East - are not new. But their inclusion on Hallow brings them to those who might have never prayed with them before. Learn about the Eastern Catholic Churches here: What is Hallow? Hallow is a popular Catholic prayer app launched in 2018, offering guided prayer, Scripture, and meditation content. Widely used in the United States, it features rosaries, Bible readings, and reflections, and has grown into one of the most downloaded Christian apps worldwide. Among them is the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Simple and repetitive, it has long been central to Eastern Christian spirituality, often prayed in rhythm with the breath. Its inclusion introduces users to a tradition that emphasizes interior stillness and continual conversion of heart. The app also features morning and evening prayers, along with texts attributed to figures such as St. Basil the Great. Many of these prayers focus on repentance, dependence on God, and the desire to align one's will with His - themes deeply familiar across Christian traditions. This content has been curated in part with guidance from voices within the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox world, including Mother Natalia, whose work has helped present these prayers in an accessible way for modern users. More than content, a sign of unity. For centuries, Catholic and Orthodox Christians have shared the same early roots while living in separation since the Great Schism. Despite theological and ecclesial differences, both traditions preserve a common inheritance of prayer, Scripture, and sacramental life. Some Eastern Christians are united with Rome. Others exist within the various Churches of the Orthodox. What Hallow offers, in a modest but tangible way, is access to that shared inheritance. The prayers themselves do not erase differences. Some users have noted the need for discernment, particularly around explicitly Catholic elements elsewhere in the app. Yet the presence of Byzantine prayers highlights something deeper: unity is not only a future goal, but a present reality expressed through prayer. In this sense, the app reflects a broader movement within Christianity - one that seeks to recover what is held in common without ignoring what remains unresolved. For many users, encountering the Jesus Prayer or the Trisagion - "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us" - may be a first glimpse into the spiritual language of the Christian East. It is a small step, but a meaningful one. In a divided Christian landscape, even a shared prayer can point toward the unity Christ desired: not uniformity, but communion rooted in the same Lord. Watch Pope Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople pray the Nicene Creed together at the spot where it was created: If you don't already have an Aleteia account, create a free one now! An account gives you access to all Aleteia articles and the opportunity to comment. Already a member?