The Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York is witnessing a surge in people coming to faith, which has made the Easter season even more special this year.
There were over 400 baptisms during an Easter vigil on Saturday evening, almost doubling the number seen in the past, News 12 reported.
Michael Duffy, who shepherds the flock at St. Agnes Cathedral, said, “It is among the most exciting things for a priest to see our parish growing,” adding there were nearly 1,000 attendees at the vigil.
In a social media post on Saturday, the cathedral declared, “He is Risen, alleluia!”
“By our Baptism we were raised to new life in Christ, Risen from the dead. Today, let us be strengthened in faith, hope, and love, so that as with compassion and boldness we may proclaim the joy of the Risen Lord! We especially pray for all those who were Baptized and Confirmed tonight – may God bless and preserve them in the gift of faith!” the cathedral stated.
Duffy explained that what was happening had nothing to do with his efforts.
“There’s nothing that I’m doing as a priest. It’s the fact that the message of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed, and that message touches hearts here in Rockville Centre and far beyond,” he said.
Meanwhile, more than 700 adults in Paris, France, had reportedly planned to be received into the Catholic Church during the Easter vigil, EWTN News reported on Friday:
Across France, more than 13,000 adults will be baptized this Easter, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference — an increase of 28% compared with 2025.
The “boom” in adult baptisms in France is a relatively recent phenomenon. It has intensified over the past decade, with a marked acceleration following the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching record levels since 2024.
Indeed, the number of people converting to Catholicism was on the rise in America, Breitbart News reported March 29.
According to Bishop Robert Barron, the church broke the record last year for the number of adults converting and did it again this year. He said many adults have expressed a hunger for the truth.
He noted, “St. Augustine said, ‘Lord, you’ve made us for yourself, and therefore our heart is restless till it rests in you,’ and that remains true. There’s a longing in the heart that can’t be satisfied by anything in this world, and so religion speaks to that.”
In February, President Donald Trump celebrated the return of faith that was spreading across the nation while speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, according to Breitbart News.
“To be a great nation, however, I think, and I may be wrong, but I don’t think so because I’ve watched a lot and I study a lot, you have to have religion. You have to have it. You have to have faith. You have to have God,” he said, also stating “Thankfully, as we gather today, there are many signs that religion is coming back, and now it’s no longer signs. It’s just coming back. It’s coming back so strong.”