Throughout 2025, the Catholic Enquiry Centre (CEC) heard from hundreds of people across Aotearoa New Zealand who were asking questions, searching for meaning, or feeling drawn back to faith after time away.

Here’s a glimpse of what we’re seeing — and how the Church is walking alongside people on that journey.

A Growing Number of People Are Reaching Out

Between January and mid-December 2025, the Catholic Enquiry Centre received over 300 enquiries by phone and email.
More than half came from individual people, not organisations — people just like you.

What’s especially encouraging is that enquiries steadily increased across the year, with many people reaching out in the final months of 2025. This tells us something important:
👉 More people are discovering the Catholic Church and taking brave first steps.

Why Are People Getting in Touch?

From September onwards, we began tracking the types of questions people were asking. What we found was striking:

• About two-thirds of enquiries were from people who were:

  • Exploring the Catholic faith for the first time

  • Returning after time away

  • Wondering how to become Catholic

• The remaining enquiries came from people who were already Catholic and looking for support, resources, or ways to share their faith.

In other words, most people contacting us are on a faith journey — curious, hopeful, sometimes unsure, but open.

“I’ve Been Reading… and I Think I Want to Become Catholic”

Many people tell us they’ve already spent time reading online, watching videos, or quietly reflecting before they ever step into a church or contact a parish.

We often hear things like:

“I’ve been learning more about Christianity and feel drawn to the Catholic faith.”

“We’ve been attending Mass and want to learn more about becoming Catholic.”

“I’m returning to faith after many years away.”

This is why accessible, trustworthy online information matters so much. For many people, the journey begins privately — with questions, late-night searches, and gentle curiosity.

Our website, catholicdiscovery.nz, is often the first place people land.

Walking With You — Step by Step

The Catholic Enquiry Centre exists to listen, encourage, and connect people with the next right step — whether that’s learning more, finding a local parish, or simply having someone to talk to.

In 2025, we sent out thousands of free resources — booklets and prayer cards — to help people explore faith in their own time.
One of our most popular resources is the What Catholics Believe booklet series, sent free to people who are exploring or returning to faith.

These resources are simple, welcoming, and designed for people who may be completely new to Catholicism.

A Friendly Face in Local Parishes

In October 2025, we launched a new initiative called Catholic Enquiry Connect.

Its goal is simple:
✨ to help people move from curiosity to community.

Across the country, volunteers known as Connectors and Champions are helping ensure that people who reach out are warmly welcomed and supported in local parishes.

It’s still early days, but nearly one quarter of parishes already have someone involved — a really encouraging start.

If You’re Curious — We’re Here

If you’re exploring faith, returning after time away, or simply wondering what the Catholic Church is about, you don’t need to have it all figured out.

You’re welcome to:

• browse our website

• request free resources

• ask a question

• or just reach out for a conversation

👉 There’s no pressure — only an open door.

You can explore more at www.catholicdiscovery.nz
or contact us directly at [email protected]

You’re not alone on the journey. We’d love to walk alongside you.