In a recent appearance at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, Vice President JD Vance opened up about his family’s religious life. Vance, a Catholic convert, shared that he and his wife Usha are raising their three young children in the Catholic faith. Their two oldest attend a Christian school, and his eight-year-old recently received First Communion.
Vance met Usha, who was raised Hindu, during their time at Yale Law School. At the time of their marriage, both were largely agnostic. Vance converted to Catholicism after their first child was born, with Usha’s support. He praised her as “the most amazing blessing” in his life and he noted that she often joins him at church and maintains a close relationship with his priest.
Addressing their interfaith marriage, Vance emphasized open communication: “We talk to each other about this stuff. So we’ve decided to raise our kids Christian.” He expressed a personal hope that Usha might one day convert, saying, “Do I hope eventually she is moved by the same thing I was moved in by Church? Yes. I honestly do wish that. Because I believe in the Christian Gospel.” However, he respects her autonomy, adding, “But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”
In an interview on the “Citizen McCain” podcast in June, Usha elaborated on their approach. She explained that after Vance’s conversion, they discussed raising their children Catholic. “We’ve ended up doing is we send our kids to Catholic school, and we have given them each the choice,” she said. “They can choose whether they want to be baptized Catholic and then go through the whole step-by-step process with their classes in school.”
Vance has faced criticism for his mixed-faith marriage, with some accusing him of political opportunism. In a response on X, the Vice President clarified that Usha has no plans to convert but reiterated his hope she might someday share his views, while affirming his unwavering support for her.
