Adult Baptism numbers in UK and France surge this Easter

Thousands of people across the UK are to be received into the Catholic Church this Easter. Westminster Diocese alone will receive 500 adults into the Church this Easter, a 25 per cent increase on the previous year. Southwark, the other Catholic diocese in London, also reported large numbers of adults entering the Church. It reported that 450 will be received at the Easter Vigil, which represents a decade-high figure.

Archbishop Mark O’Toole of Cardiff-Menevia has seen a 100 per cent increase in conversions on the previous year.

“We notice that large numbers who join us are young men,” he told The Daily Telegraph, noting that they use the words “coherent” and “consistent” when describing their reasons for joining the Catholic Church.

Fr Daniel Seward of the York Oratory has noticed a similar pattern.

“There is a sense of moral chaos and lack of meaning in today’s society,” he said.

“If people can find something that makes sense, provides meaning and also gives a community, which the Catholic Church does, they are going to be attracted to this, and I think this is particularly true for young men.”

Southwark Archbishop John Wilson said: “While each [conversion] story is unique, at the heart of every story is the same yearning, the same feeling of restlessness. These feelings can only be answered and fulfilled by Christ.”

Meanwhile, France’s Catholic Church will welcome more than 10,384 adult catechumens at Easter this year, marking a 45 per cent increase from 2024. The number is the largest since records began. The 18-25 age group now represents 42 per cent of adult catechumens in France.

In line with the trend, a report released by The Bible Society last week found that church attendance in the UK had increased by 55 per cent since 2018.

FULL STORY

Young men lead the way as adult Baptisms in UK surge at Easter (By Thomas Edwards/Catholic Herald)