An analysis said there is a surge in Catholic converts in New York, where secular culture is strong. Catholic parishes in New York City said the number of people registered this year for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults doubled to tripled from a year earlier, calling it an "unexpected increase."
According to the New York Post and others on the 16th (local time), at St. Joseph's Church in Greenwich Village, New York, registrations for the adult Catholic initiation process tripled from last year to about 130. St. Vincent Ferrer on the Upper East Side also roughly doubled to nearly 90, and the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral likewise swelled to about 100 registrants. Some parishes are even considering adding services as Sunday evening Masses reach capacity.
The same trend appeared in the Diocese of Brooklyn. The diocese said adult converts rose to 538 in 2024, nearly double from a year earlier. Some parishes also reported that Mass attendance increased further after political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in September.
Observers say such change is particularly unusual in New York, where religiosity has been low. In fact, many converts had little religious background or had kept their distance from church life. Analysts say recent social anxiety, political polarization, and fatigue with excessive competition and materialism have led people to seek faith.
Cindy Zhao, a New Yorker who recently converted to Catholicism, said she grew up apart from organized religion but turned to Catholicism to find direction in life after losing a cousin to cancer. Another new believer, Liz Flynn, said, "I happened to pick up a faith book in the gift corner of a restaurant in Florida and embraced faith, and after I began praying the rosary, my life became steadier and calmer."
Recent college graduate Ian Burns, 22, explained the reason for converting: "The world is so chaotic that I needed something to lean on." Keegan Lenihan, who had once been immersed in atheist thinkers, also said religious peace came after experiencing anxiety and panic attacks.
The cases of entrepreneurs Ben Cook and Mark Carlson also draw attention. The two grew up in progressive environments and kept their distance from church, but chose Catholicism again amid disillusionment with social conflict and political culture. Cook said that when his wife faced a crisis during childbirth, "I realized there are many things I cannot control."
Clergy see the rise in conversions not as the result of specific marketing or programs but as stemming from "the psychological fatigue of uncertain times and a longing for community." Father Jonah Teller of St. Joseph's Church said, "Among younger people, there is a growing awareness that material success does not fill the heart."
New York parishes are considering adding teaching staff and worship space to迎 the influx of young adults into the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Experts said, "We need to watch longer to see whether this trend is temporary or leads to a larger religious return."