Most Catholic schools across the country did not sanction walkouts, but planned to support youth-led advocacy through prayer.

"Anxiety is the number one problem," a program spokeswoman said.

Now more than half of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States have issued such statements.

Of the estimated 14.5 million school-age Catholic children in the U.S., about or 55 percent are Latino. Yet 4 percent of school-age Latino Catholic children are enrolled in Catholic schools.

Five players on the US Olympic team's roster of 23 are from the Jesuit-run school -- two are recent graduates and three are current students taking a leave of absence for the Pyeongchang Games.

As same-sex marriage becomes more mainstream, the church holds the line on L.G.B.T. issues.