Young adults are entering the Catholic Church in record numbers and students at George Mason University in Fairfax reflect the national trend.
“I would say it doesn’t entirely surprise me,” said Father Joseph W. Farrell, director of St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel on the GMU campus. “Pope Francis often spoke of God as a ‘God of surprises’ and I think that’s exactly right. At the same time, what has been striking is how quickly this moment has emerged. There’s a suddenness to it that few of us would have predicted even a few years ago.”
In total 27 students were received into the church at the Easter Vigil, a record number at GMU. Thirteen more in OCIA (formerly RCIA) are discerning whether to receive the sacraments in the coming months or next Easter.
Father Farrell thinks something significant is happening in the hearts of today’s college students. “We are seeing a notable growth in religious interest across the board. It is markedly different from when I graduated from George Mason 20 years ago. Many students today are coming of age in a time when institutions they once assumed were stable feel increasingly fragile or uncertain.”
With the onslaught of headlines predicting robots replacing humans and grim job prospects for college graduates, Father Farrell believes that a yearning for God is a natural reaction.
“They are immersed in a world shaped by rapidly advancing technology — AI-generated content, constant digital noise and a growing difficulty in distinguishing what is real from what is artificial,” he said. “In that environment, many begin to hunger for something solid and authentic. In a paradoxical way, AI helps to awaken spiritual hunger. It is prompting many students to ask deeper questions about truth, reality, and what it means to be human.”
Those deep questions are providing the Catholic Church with a unique evangelical moment to offer seekers 2,000 years of continuity. “What we are seeing is a desire not for a diluted or purely symbolic faith, but for something real — the tangible reality of the sacraments, a coherent moral vision, and a clear sense of purpose,” said Father Farrell. “In a culture that often feels disembodied and transient, the church’s sacramental life and philosophical depth are deeply attractive.”
Being on the front lines of the evangelistic wave is “deeply gratifying” for Father Farrell. “Every day I thank God and Bishop (Michael F.) Burbidge for the privilege of serving the young people of my alma mater,” he said.
“We encounter and welcome students from all backgrounds and experiences, and together we learn to follow Christ more closely. Their sincerity, their questions, and their desire for something real are a constant source of encouragement. Quite simply, ministering to them is what gets me out of bed in the morning.”
