In a surprising development, the Catholic Church everywhere is witnessing a surge in adult baptisms. This significant spiritual shift runs contrary to the mentality of the secular, overly pragmatic West. Most surprising of all, the conversions are happening among 18- to 40-year-olds, a group many consider the least likely to be interested in the Faith.
A Global Catholic Renaissance
This development became particularly apparent last Easter, when many parishes welcomed adults into the Faith. The Diocese of Lansing in Michigan, for example, experienced a 30 percent increase from the previous year, with 633 converts—the highest in over ten years.
The Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, now ranks first in the nation, boasting a conversion rate nearly six times the national average, with 4,838 new converts in 2025. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Catholic center, Father Ryan Kaup baptized a record 20 students and received into the Faith an additional 50 Christian adults.
This revival is not confined to America. France saw a 45 percent increase in adult baptisms this year. In England, a significant increase in Mass attendance indicates that Catholics might soon outnumber Anglicans for the first time since the Church of England severed its ties to Rome in 1534.
The Emptiness of the Secular, Ugly Pragmatic World
There are four reasons why so many adults are turning to the Catholic Church.
The first reason is that the Church provides an answer to the stifling emptiness of the modern secular world. This world offers a relentless pursuit of pleasure, efficiency, and worldly prestige, which has left souls craving for authentic goodness, truth and beauty.
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In times of instability, ambiguity, and chaos, people are drawn to the ancient traditions of Catholicism. In an age of moral relativism and therapy-speak, the firm affirmation of Catholic doctrine offers a profound stability.
Today’s sterile ideologies like liberalism, socialism, wokism and DEI leave many suffocated by a spiritual and cultural vacuum. People have a deep longing for something more—something transcendent.
Finding God Through Beauty and Awe
Second, the Catholic Church offers a response to a world filled with evil, ugliness and lies. It presents the good, true and beautiful through which one can come to know God.
This presentation is not only an intellectual exercise; it involves both the body and soul. It engages the five senses, nurtures the will to admire and be generous and enlightens the intellect to love God, the supreme Truth.
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The “smells and bells” of Catholic traditions can be experienced amid captivating works of art, sublime music and the serene silence of a cathedral. They enable worshippers to grasp the higher truths of religion, as all knowledge is derived from the senses.
The Church, with its rich visual and aesthetic culture, fulfills this deep-seated need for mystery and wonder in ways no other alternative can match.
The typical path to Catholicism is through an interest in the divine, which is sparked not by theology but by aesthetics. In a world where morality is considered passé, the most effective outreach often starts with what is beautiful about Catholicism, then focuses on what is good, and finally arrives at what is true.
The Rise of Virtuous Masculinity
The third reason why adults are turning toward the Church is that this reawakening attracts men who were often neglected in times past. The current culture provides horrible and impure role models for men. This Catholic boom contradicts the culture and offers alternatives to young men. Today, young men are more religious than young women. They are seeking answers to core questions: How can I become a better leader? How do I take control of my life? How can I practice purity without being perceived as feminine?
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Many Gen Z men turn to the Church because its teachings do not make them feel ashamed for being men who practice virtue, especially purity. They are attracted to the categorical and logical nature of Catholicism and the brotherhood it cultivates—a brotherhood of modern-day apostles. They are attracted by the Church’s intense “all-in” appeal.
An Intimate and Relatable God
Finally, many young adults are drawn to the personal and balanced goodness of Catholicism. It provides a proximity to the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ. God was truly born as a God/Man, walked this earth, and faced all life’s hardships. This makes Him entirely relatable, especially for young people trying to understand who they are and find their reason for being.
Catholicism is the only religion that offers a comprehensive explanation of a suffering Christ—one who understood human pain in His own flesh through His passion, crucifixion and death. This intimacy with a God who personally understands suffering is a compelling attraction that cannot be found anywhere else.
Ultimately, many converts claim their journey was not just about finding community since they have friends. They came to the Church looking to know, love and serve a marvelous and transcendent God. It is in this Catholic Church that they experience an unparalleled and immediate connection.
Photo Credit: © Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
First published on TFP.org.