From the desk of the Tar Heel disciple:
April 13, 2026 (#90)
After Easter II?
As mentioned in the previous entry, many American and some European bishops are rejoicing in the marked increase in the number of converts to the Catholic Church in recent days. The Church in France has reported more than 20,000 new members this Easter, the great majority of them being teenagers and young adults. This is indeed great news, worthy of celebration, especially after years of precipitous decline in the number of converts to the Catholic Faith. Unfortunately, the number of baptized Catholics who leave the Church and/or the practice of the Faith also continues at a rapid pace. In the dioceses of the United States, during the past generation, there has been a great decline in the number of infant Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, and Marriages. The number of American priests and those studying for the priesthood also continues to decline.
Of course, there is no way to predict whether these statistics portend long term trends or not. But the support of the newly baptized and confirmed should be of paramount importance, both for their own souls as well as for the well-being of the Church of the future. In ancient times, Mother Church placed a much-needed emphasis on the continued spiritual formation of the recently baptized adult, technically known as a neophyte, with an intensive process of continued catechesis known as the period of mystagogia. Unfortunately, many parishes which regularly receive new converts, have no such follow up.
The bishops of Paris and the surrounding dioceses have shown great wisdom in calling attention to the need for the renewal of such a period of continued formation and are publicly committed to determine how best to respond to the recent surge in the number of converts to the Church there. Thus far, there has been no similar announcement among American bishops. Humanly speaking, it is very understandable that after an extended period of study and formation, now known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), not to mention the intense experience of the liturgies of Holy Week, parish staff and converts alike might well welcome a period of rest. But experience has shown that perseverance in the practice of the Faith should not be taken for granted. While recent statistics indicate that less than 10% of those who enter the Church by means of OCIA eventually leave the Church, statistics also indicate that many of the recent converts are left without on-going support or guidance to strengthen their new faith commitment. For example, how many of the newly baptized adults have not made their first confession even a year or more after their baptism?
Rather than simply lament what is missing in too many cases, the next blog entry in this series will attempt to offer practical suggestions for necessary improvements and thus the building up of the Body of Christ.
