This Easter Vigil, the Catholic Church in England is expecting a decade-high surge of new entrants to the faith. There is anecdotal evidence of a particular increase in young men, who say their interest was sparked initially by Catholic apologists on social media and also by the traditional heritage of Catholicism.

Almost all English dioceses contacted by CNA reported a significant increase in both catechumens and candidates at the Rite of Election at the start of Lent compared with last year. Many had not seen comparable numbers for a decade.

The Diocese of Westminster, which includes much of the capital city London, said this year it has 252 catechumens and over 250 candidates, making a total of over 500 to be received into the Catholic Church at Easter — the most seen since 2018.

The adjacent Archdiocese of Southwark, which has a significant evangelization program, saw over 450 adults complete the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) this year, more than the year before. Such levels have not been seen since Pope Benedict XVI allowed groups of Anglican communities to enter into communion in 2011 through the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.

“I don’t think it can just be put down to COVID recovery; there seems to be something fresh afoot,” said Mark Nash, Southwark’s director of the Agency for Evangelization and Catechesis. “The Holy Spirit is moving in a very particular way.” 

Although the candidates have a broad variety of backgrounds, some trends he has noticed include young men initially inspired by online U.S.-based evangelists and apologists such as Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire; Father Mike Schmitz, a popular speaker, podcaster, and campus minister; Edward Sri, a theologian, author, and speaker; and Trent Horn, a Catholic apologist and podcaster.

Nash has also noticed more from atheistic countries.

“As part of my work, anecdotally, going to a number of parishes, groups I’ve been in, there has been a large number of younger people — particularly men,” he said. “Increasing numbers of Chinese… in Southwark we are blessed with a panoply of ethnicities. It is really is the Church universal; it is massively edifying.”

The diocese published a video of interviews of four candidates who expressed a variety of reasons and motivations for becoming Catholic, including the witness of the early Church fathers, the experience at a Catholic school, and the powerful faith of a young child. 

A musician living a “rock-and-roll life” spoke of feeling drawn to Mary. “I knew that it was something real and strong and pure,” Vedina-Rose said in the video. “Mary gives me so much comfort and love and understanding, and whenever there have been moments where I felt doubt or I felt lonely or I felt rejected all I have to do is call on Mary and I just feel this comfort… I just love Jesus.”

Across England and Wales similar trends are noticeable: 

The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, on the south coast, said it had an increase from 60 catechumens and just under 90 candidates in 2024 to 105 catechumens and 105 candidates this year. 

In the Diocese of Northampton, just north of London, there were 38 adult candidates for baptism and 62 for reception. Yearly statistics show that this is a level not seen since 2014, and apart from a surge in the mid-2000s, these levels are historically high. 

The Archdiocese of Birmingham, in the midlands, said there were 201 catechumens and candidates at the Rite of Election compared with nearly 130 in 2024. 

In northern England, the Archdiocese of Liverpool had 140 candidates and catechumens this year. Last year it had 110. One attendee at Liverpool Cathedral is Sarah Yates, 21, who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil. Although her parents were not religious, time spent with her grandparents going to Mass laid a foundation for her more recent interest. She credits young people’s increased interest in Catholicism to the internet. 

“I think the rise in social media has led to the increase,” she said. “People can just express any views. If one person in America says something, I can look and then conduct my own research.”

“Personally I don’t like to use social media that much,” she continued, “but with YouTube and Spotify, you can sit in the comfort of your own home, you can learn the entire history of Catholicism — it’s all out there.”

John Withers, the director of WeBelieve, a new festival in England that aims to reach “seekers” as well as Catholics, said he has observed young men drawn to his parish after watching videos on YouTube that progressively interested them in the faith. They began with psychologist Jordan Peterson, then Bishop Barron, then more spiritual speakers such as Father Schmitz. 

“They literally followed that algorithmic journey into the Church,” Withers said. “Society has been ‘spiritual, not religious’ for some time. Now, Christianity — particularly in its ancient forms — is becoming a socially acceptable spiritual option. There is something in the air.”

The increase in those entering the Church appears to have taken place in many different kinds of parishes up and down England. But there has been particular interest in more traditional expressions of spirituality, often at urban-centered Oratories run by a distinct network of priests and founded by St. Philip Neri. 

One priest of the Oratory told CNA: “There is a remarkable resurgence of interest in the faith, especially among young people, and in particular young men. We have a continual stream of interest, such that I would say that there is a new person asking about becoming a Catholic nearly every week.”

“I would say that most of those coming to the Church have no religious background, or almost none,” he said. “It is precisely the lack of purpose and truth in contemporary society that leads them to seek meaning. For that reason then, watered-down versions of Christianity have no attraction.”

One personal story that illustrates this trend is that of Paul Sapper, 27, who works as a communications officer at faith-based legal advocacy organization ADF International, which has defended many of the Christians prosecuted for pro-life work or for conservative values in the U.K. 

Sapper first engaged with Christians at Oxford University and spent time in evangelical churches. He was drawn to the Catholic Church due to its upholding of traditional sexual ethics including contraception. He now attends the Traditional Latin Mass.

He said he believes his generation is increasingly drawn to Christianity in its historic form and that the “hugely encouraging” increase in people at the Rite of Election is a “promising sign that we may be at a turning point and entering a new era.”

“There is a general consensus between people of various worldviews that things are getting worse and that we are in an age of decline in this country and across the West,” he said. “The solution to the crisis we face today is not political or cultural — it’s spiritual, as we are facing a spiritual crisis. As things get darker, more and more people — especially young people — are coming to realize that the light of Christ and his truth shine all the more brightly in the dark.”

“Decline is not inevitable, but our civilization can only be healed by returning to its founding principles, which are based and wholly dependent on the Christian faith and worldview,” he said.

The interest in Christianity is not confined to Catholicism. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, a Protestant book publisher, said there has been a 87% increase in purchases of the Bible between 2019 and 2024, and there have been anecdotal reports of conversions in some evangelical churches.