Individuals stand during the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion held at St. Thomas More in Paducah on Feb. 15, 2026. RACHEL HALL | WKC
‘Looking for something to believe in’
Worship office co-coordinator sees ‘movement of the Holy Spirit’ with increased Rite of Election numbers
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
With a total of 451 candidates and catechumens attending the Diocese of Owensboro’s Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion gatherings, Dcn. Ken Bennett thinks “there’s something going on.”
“People are looking for something real, something to hang their hat on,” said Dcn. Bennett, the diocese’s co-coordinator of the Office of Worship, who said attendance had increased by about 65% this year, as compared to 2025.
This year, one celebration was held on Feb. 15 at St. Thomas More Parish in Paducah and two were held in the afternoon and evening on Feb. 22 at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro.
Dcn. Bennett said last year saw a total of 271 attendees, 2024 saw 257, and 2023 saw 196 total candidates and catechumens.
He added that these numbers do not reflect the total number of individuals participating in OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) who will enter the Catholic Church at this year’s Easter Vigil. He explained that some people may ultimately choose to back out beforehand – and others, who do plan to enter the Church, may not have attended the celebrations due to scheduling conflicts.
Dcn. Bennett added that during these three gatherings, there were a significant number of people from Latin America and Myanmar. He also observed a number of families attending together.
“Things have been in turmoil (in society) over the past several years, and I think that despite what we’re told about how divided we are, I do believe people are looking for that unity, something spiritual,” said Dcn. Bennett. “They’re looking for something to believe in.”
He said he has observed similar growth in the diocesan Mass counts, in which parishes record the number of individuals in their pews during a specific weekend in the fall, and submit that information to the Office of Worship.
“When you look at our Mass count numbers, those are up,” he said. “We’re right back to pre-Covid as far as Mass attendance goes.”
In the November 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic, it was reported that that year’s Mass counts showed that 51.32% of registered parishioners had attended Mass during this period – a 2.53% increase from 2024.
“I think things ebb and flow,” said Dcn. Bennett, emphasizing that during this time of noteworthy growth, it does not guarantee that this phase is permanent.
Yet “people know that when things are tough, or they feel uncertain, the Church is the place to go to,” he said.
He affirmed the parishes for welcoming all people who are seeking Christ amid their life’s journeys.
“Our pastors are doing something right, our OCIA is doing something right, and the people in the pews are doing something right,” he said. “There’s something that’s attracting people to us (because) it’s a living faith.”
He said that despite the uncertainty of today’s world, this is a sign of hope.
Even though humans may focus on the “doom and gloom” of today’s world, “what I saw at the Rite of Election were bright, sunshiny faces,” he said. “There’s some movement. It’s the movement of the Holy Spirit.”
Originally printed in the April 2026 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
