8 Gulf Pine Catholic • April 10, 2026 THANKSGIVING NOVENA TO ST. JUDE O Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition. In return I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. St. Jude pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Amen. Say three Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glorias. Publication must be promised. This Novena has never been known to fail. I have had my request granted. Publication promised. LCL By comparison, between 2014 and 2024, higher retention rates of the Catholic faith were seen in Baby Boomers (68% to 62%), Generation X (70% to 60%) and Millennials (64% to 53%) even as those cohorts saw overall declines during that decade. Adult conversions to the Catholic faith after the age of 16 remain in the range of 2% to 3% of the share of U.S. adults across all age cohorts, said Gray. Conversions among Gen-Z adults in the U.S. increased from 0.4% in 2021 and 0.3% in 2022. In 2024, that share rose to 2.9%, consistent with other generations in recent years. “A 2.9% convert percentage in 2024 is not an outlier from other generations in recent years and brings Gen-Z in line with prevailing patterns,” Gray wrote. Gray said the low rates in 2021 and 2022 may have been due to two factors. First, as a younger generation, the Gen-Z cohort has had “less time” to “make a religious switch,” he said. Secondly, he said, the period “overlaps with the COVID-19 pandemic,” when potential converts may have been unable to enroll in OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) classes. He also pointed out that “significant change” could be seen across generations in “racial and ethnic diversity.” Data shows that 40% of Gen-Z Catholics self-identify as Hispanic or Latino, compared to 18% among their Baby Boomer counterparts, he wrote. Less than half of Gen-Z (47%) and Millennial (46%) Catholic adults identify themselves as white and non-Hispanic, Gray noted. He added that “the number of Catholics who self-identify as something other than Hispanic or non-Hispanic white is also larger among Millennials and Gen-Z than older Catholics.” Gray told OSV News that statistical evidence of an overall rise in Catholics is not yet available. “It could be true. We hope it’s true; we hope that there’s this big influx of new Catholics,” he said. “We won’t know until next year.” Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina. Cara Gen Z Data From page 1 Pope Leo XIV names Australian archbishop prefect of Dicastery for Legislative Texts BY COURTNEY MARES OSV News VATICAN CITY (OSV News) -- Pope Leo XIV has named Australian Archbishop Anthony Randazzo as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, the Vatican body responsible for interpreting the Catholic Church’s canon law. The pope’s latest appointment on March 25 fills a post in the Roman Curia that had been vacant since September. Archbishop Randazzo succeeds Arch-bishop Filippo Iannone, whom Pope Leo named prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in September. Archbishop Randazzo, 59, is the bishop of Broken Bay in Australia and the president of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania. In conjunction with the appointment, the pope granted him the personal title of archbishop. The Dicastery for Legislative Texts, formerly known as the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, serves as the Roman Curia’s authority on the interpretation of existing canon law. It works closely with the Church’s tribunals, but does not hold independent law-making authority. A native of Australia, Archbishop Randazzo was ordained a priest in Brisbane in 1991 and later pursued studies in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He brings direct curial experience to the role, having worked for five years in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith beginning in 2004, a role that would have provided him with experience in the Vatican’s disciplinary section handling abuse cases. Pope Francis appointed him as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Sydney in 2016 before he was later named bishop of Broken Bay in 2019. Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See, Keith Pitt, welcomed the appointment, calling it “a proud moment for Australia and the Pacific as we remain hopeful for a Papal visit to our region in 2028.” Archbishop Randazzo will remain in Broken Bay for three months as apostolic administrator before relocating to Rome to assume his new duties. In a statement on social media, he said he was “deeply grateful to Pope Leo for the trust he has placed in me.” Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney. Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay, Australia, speaks during a news conference at the Vatican Oct. 4, 2024. Pope Leo XIV named the prelate prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts on March 25 and in conjunction with the appointment also granted him the personal title of archbishop. CNS photo/Justin McLellan
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