The Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, marked a year of vibrant growth and renewed pastoral planning in 2025, advancing the local bishop’s four pastoral priorities: evangelization, vocations, Catholic education, and social outreach, according to a year-in-review report from The Catholic Times, the diocesan newspaper.
To kick off 2026, the diocese hosted a major evangelization event as the SEEK conference, organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), which came to Columbus Jan. 1–5.
The report states that the event, held at the city’s convention center, was set to “draw thousands of students from across the United States to encounter Christ and celebrate the Catholic faith through talks, breakout sessions, worship and opportunities for Confession, Eucharistic Adoration and Mass.” Its theme, “To the Heights,” is a famous expression of the newly canonized Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, who enjoyed mountain climbing and calling his friends to high pursuits of virtue.
The report also highlights a surge in vocations: the number of diocesan seminarians rose from 17 to 43 from 2022 to 2025, with expectations for 50 in the coming year.
Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus attributed the growth in vocations to diocesan programs where school and college students can talk to young priests, seminarians, and religious sisters about the call to serve God in religious life. He also credited initiatives like Andrew Dinners for young men and Marian Evenings for young women, which are informal events designed to foster vocations. Andrew Dinners typically invite young men to share a meal with priests and seminarians, hear vocation stories, and ask questions about the priesthood. Similarly, Marian Evenings offer young women an opportunity to connect with religious sisters, learn about discernment, and explore the beauty of consecrated life. Bishop Fernandes also credited evangelistic efforts at the Newman Center near Ohio State University.
In June 2025, the diocese began a new phase of pastoral planning. Nearly 2,000 online surveys were submitted, alongside interviewing 40 individuals and holding 18 focus groups to gather diverse feedback. As part of this effort, the “Disciple Maker Index,” a national survey tool developed by the Catholic Leadership Institute, was made available to parishioners across the diocese. The survey helps parish leaders “make data-driven decisions to help parishioners grow in their faith.” The results are now guiding the development of measurable goals aligned with Bishop Fernandes’ four pastoral pillars.
Social outreach expanded with the opening of a new 12,000-square-foot Our Lady of Guadalupe Center on the west side of Columbus. The center provides Latino and immigrant families with health, education, and emergency support services. The diocese also launched a new disaster relief fund and plan, ensuring preparedness for both natural and human-made crises.
In education, 11 Catholic high schools and 39 Catholic elementary schools are at 90% capacity, with new schools in development. The report also noted a sacramental change : the age for Confirmation will be lowered to the 4th or 5th grade.
Bishop Fernandes stated, “Children need to be exposed to the awe and wonder of God at a much earlier age and recognize their inherent value and worth as a child of God.”
>> Columbus diocese lowers Confirmation age to 9 and 10 to strengthen family formation <<
The diocese continues to grow more culturally diverse, with Masses now celebrated in more than 17 different languages ” and in a variety of Eastern and Western Catholic rites. The presence of missionary priests has helped sustain parish life, reducing planned parish closures from 32 to 16.
The post 2025 recap: Ohio diocese charts major growth in vocations, evangelization, outreach appeared first on CatholicVote org.