Piotr Kowalczuk
The growth trend has been ongoing for several years
Research conducted by the American portal National Catholic Register (NCR) shows that, compared to last year, the number of catechumens increased by as much as 112% in the Diocese of Norwich, by 105% in Pueblo, and by 60% in Philadelphia. In many dioceses, this phenomenon of a systematic increase in the number of adult conversions has been observed for several years. NCR collected data from 71 dioceses (40% of all). It turned out that an increase in conversions was recorded in as many as 66. This includes both catechumens and Protestants who decided to convert to Catholicism. As Edward Trendowski, responsible for religious formation in the Diocese of Providence, told NCR, in recent years he has noticed that people are becoming more spiritually open than before. They have started asking themselves and others difficult, deep questions.
The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has been overcome
Laura Nelson, responsible for formation in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, recalled in a statement for NCR that during the pandemic, religious life almost died out for obvious reasons: “Immediately, fears arose that it would not be possible to return to the pre-pandemic situation in terms of faithful engagement and attendance at services. Meanwhile, it soon turned out that the new statistics far exceeded those from before COVID.”
Young people answer God’s call
Barbara Ferreris, responsible for spiritual formation in Tampa, Florida, where 26 catechumens will soon be baptized (25% more than a year ago), indicates that these are mainly young people, in their twenties and thirties, usually single: “They have their careers, homes, cars, but they are looking for something more. They want something more. They know that God is calling them and they are answering that call.” Laura Nelson, in turn, points out that young people need stability, solidity, and objective truth, “but we live in a world of apparent truth. Even if they don’t know and love Jesus, they see that the Church stands on solid foundations and does not change like everything else around it.”
Migration, a Pope from the USA, information about the Church
According to those involved with catechumens in the dioceses, the sharp increase in conversions in the USA stems from several factors: firstly, from mass migration to the USA during Joe Biden’s presidency. The American Church has helped and continues to help these people. Secondly, it concerns the election of an American as pope. He speaks to his compatriots without a foreign accent and without an interpreter, which attracts adults to the Catholic Church. Bishop Frank Dewane of Florida, on the other hand, points out that the Church is now experiencing a “golden age” thanks to podcasts and other modern forms of online communication, through which information about the Church reaches people not associated with the community of believers.
