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Roman Catholic Churches See a Surge of New Converts
New York Times ^ | March 26, 2026 | Elizabeth Dias

Posted on 03/26/2026 9:38:05 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

People are joining the Roman Catholic Church in surprising numbers.

This Easter the Archdiocese of Detroit will receive 1,428 new Catholics into the church, its highest number in 21 years. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will have its most in 15 years. In the Diocese of Des Moines, the count is jumping 51 percent from last year, from 265 people to 400.

“The Times gathered data from two dozen dioceses, like Los Angeles and Phoenix, as well as Gallup, N.M., and Allentown, Pa…

Each reported a significant jump.

For Jesse Araujo, 19, in Pahrump, Nev., the biggest influence…was listening to Catholic podcast stars he found on YouTube, like Father Mike Schmitz…

In Detroit, Sharon Kalil, 26…was raised Jewish and described her young adult self as atheist, but last summer she started visiting churches. “It’s hard to explain — it just really felt like a calling on my heart,” she said.

Amen-Ra Pryor, 23, a Ph.D. student in mathematics at Howard University in Washington, started his freshman year of college during the pandemic and struggled with depression and finding community…

Over time he began exploring “the deeper questions,” he said, “like, what does it mean to live a good life and to do good, and what is faith, and is faith reasonable?”

He started reading ancient philosophy from Christian thinkers, and watched YouTube videos from Catholic apologists, like the Thomistic Institute and Taylor Marshall. When he moved to Washington, he started attending mass at St. Augustine’s, a congregation started by emancipated Black Catholics before the Civil War, where he will be formally received into the church at the Easter Vigil.

He is particularly drawn to the church’s teaching on suffering, which he said helps him get through difficult trials, and he appreciates going to confession…

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Ministry/Outreach; Skeptics/Seekers
KEYWORDS: catholic; christianity; church; confirmation; converts; eastervigil; rcc; rcia; romancatholic; sacraments
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1 posted on 03/26/2026 9:38:05 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
Post Vatican II: "Out of the frying pan into the fire …"

2 posted on 03/26/2026 9:48:50 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and his mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Finally some good news.

Christ is King!


3 posted on 03/26/2026 10:08:34 PM PDT by proust (All posts made under this handle are, for the intents and purposes of the author, considered satire.)
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To: proust

I’m traveling from California to Idaho for Easter Vigil as my nephew’s wife asked me to be her sponsor when she is baptized and confirmed. I understand there are 45 people being baptized and/or confirmed. For those who don’t know, Easter Vigil, to my mind, is the most majestic Catholic service of the year. Even with maybe 20 to be received into the church, with all the rest of the service the whole service will push up against 3 hours. With this number, I expect closer to 4 hours. That’s ok—- my home parish will be welcoming 85 (!!!) and Lord knows how long it will take


4 posted on 03/26/2026 10:19:17 PM PDT by j.havenfarm (25 years on Free Republic, 12/10/25! More than 12,750 replies and still not shutting up!)
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To: j.havenfarm
👍

5 posted on 03/26/2026 10:25:35 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and his mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

They know Jesus.


6 posted on 03/26/2026 10:28:13 PM PDT by stanne
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To: j.havenfarm

Amazing. Thanks. 🙏


7 posted on 03/26/2026 10:29:15 PM PDT by proust (All posts made under this handle are, for the intents and purposes of the author, considered satire.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

I’m old school Lutheran.
But anybody that
wants to go from
Godless to a
church is welcome, regardless
of the Christian or Jewish
place of worship.
You will find your way on the
journey if you believe in God.


8 posted on 03/26/2026 11:19:42 PM PDT by rellic
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

That is a sad thing to hear.


9 posted on 03/26/2026 11:32:17 PM PDT by roving
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To: proust

I’ve been seriously thinking of converting myself. The Lutheran church has left me. It’s unrecognizable.


10 posted on 03/27/2026 2:08:01 AM PDT by Puppage (You may disagree with what I have to say, but I shall defend to your death my right to says it.)
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To: roving

If you really think that, then you’re really not going to enjoy the Wedding Banquet.


11 posted on 03/27/2026 4:31:38 AM PDT by vladimir998 ( Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: roving

As a catholic by birth, this is wonderful news. One holy apostolic church! The true religion for all. Welcome!


12 posted on 03/27/2026 4:44:49 AM PDT by napscoordinator (DeSantis is a beast! Florida is the freest state in the country! )
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

It’s not just the Catholic church that’s seeing the pews filling up. Some people still don’t like the pedos and globalists.


13 posted on 03/27/2026 5:14:28 AM PDT by Wilderness Conservative (Death to the DEATH TO AMERICA, Democrats.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
This is the best thing in the world, part of the Fifth (your indexing system may vary) Great Awakening.

It is coinciding with the worldwide MAGA movement.

Converts to Catholicism usually are very hard core and excellent.

Don't forget 2 Chronicles 7:14. It is happening!

14 posted on 03/27/2026 5:33:32 AM PDT by caddie (Going forward we all need to become Trump, and also Captain Obvious, and Charlie Kirk too. )
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To: roving
The Catholic Church is full of infiltrator Communists and worse, satanists, homos, child predators, and nihilists; that began worldwide in the 1930s.

Of course these kinds of people will target the Church for destruction, it is the plan of satan.

Even worse, old hippies and other useful idiots have amplified the Commie signal.

But now, things are getting better, because people are seeing their evil works as plain as day.

The real Church is not corrupted at all. New converts in greater numbers are coming back to it. But the evil enemies of the Church have always had it in its sights.

Of course they would.

15 posted on 03/27/2026 5:39:50 AM PDT by caddie (Going forward we all need to become Trump, and also Captain Obvious, and Charlie Kirk too. )
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To: rellic

Here is praying that the conservative WELS and LCMC grow at the expense of LCMS


16 posted on 03/27/2026 6:35:40 AM PDT by Cronos (Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.)
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To: Cronos
Here is praying that the conservative WELS and LCMC grow at the expense of LCMS

Did you mean to say "at the expense of the ELCA"?

17 posted on 03/27/2026 6:47:17 AM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus
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To: Ronaldus Magnus

I knew I shouldn’t have put in those acronyms and I would get them up.

Basically that the conservatives grow at the expense of the liberals.

Sorry for mixing that up


18 posted on 03/27/2026 7:24:13 AM PDT by Cronos (Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.)
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To: Ronaldus Magnus

I knew I shouldn’t have put in those acronyms and I would get them MIXED up.

Basically that the conservatives grow at the expense of the liberals.

Sorry for mixing that up


19 posted on 03/27/2026 7:24:30 AM PDT by Cronos (Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Poor suckers.


20 posted on 03/27/2026 7:48:14 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ)
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