Archdiocese of Baltimore experiences significant surge in numbers of people entering the Catholic Church 

When 7-year-old Elsa Moon told her mother she had been “talking to God,” her mother asked if he had said anything back. 

“He told her, ‘Elsa, I love you. Do not be afraid,’ ” Mikaila Moon remembered. “That’s what brought me back to the church.” 

That moment set the Moon family on a path back to faith. 

Mikaila had left the Protestant church years earlier. As an unbaptized catechumen, she will receive all three sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation and Eucharist – this Easter Vigil at the Garrett County parish of St. Peter the Apostle in Oakland. 

Her husband, Tyler, had been raised Catholic and received his first Communion, but drifted away. Returning now as a candidate, he will be confirmed. All four of their daughters will also be received into the Catholic Church. 

Their story is one of more than 1,280 unfolding across the Archdiocese of Baltimore this Easter – a count based on those who attended the archdiocese’s formal rites and one that does not include several hundred others at some parishes.  

The number represents about a 65 percent increase from 778 last year, up from 663 in 2024 and 437 in 2023, nearly tripling the total in three years.  

Catechumens are unbaptized people preparing for all three sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. Candidates are baptized Christians who will receive the sacraments of confirmation and/or Eucharist. 

Reflecting on the surge in numbers, Archbishop William E. Lori said the trend “has to be attributed to the Lord and to his grace which is active in our midst and active in so many hearts.” 

The archbishop sees a generation asking hard questions and seeking something the culture cannot offer. 

“There is a desire to belong to something larger than themselves, something that is stable, something that is reliable,” he said. “And I think that many are finding that answer by belonging fully to Christ and belonging to his body, the Church.” 

The catechumens and candidates had been scheduled to gather in February at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland and the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg for the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion – a significant marker on their faith journey. A winter storm forced cancellation of the liturgies, and Archbishop Lori instead delegated pastors to celebrate the rites in their own parishes (see Archbishop Lori’s column, page 4). 

Across the archdiocese, parish leaders say a significant share of those entering the church this year are young adults – and in some places, a striking number are men. Colton Shumaker of St. Peter the Apostle in Libertytown is among them. The 19-year-old candidate was introduced to the Catholic faith through a former girlfriend. He said the church’s history and sacramental life drew him. 

“The thing that inspired me to take the next step was mostly the tradition in the Catholic faith that dates all the way back to when Jesus was on earth,” he said, adding that learning about eucharistic miracles “was also a very important discovery in my belief.” 

Shumaker cited his Catholic grandmother who accompanies him to Mass every week as “a great role model” for him and his journey.  

Carolyn Nolan, adult faith formation coordinator at St. Peter in Libertytown, pointed out that the parish’s OCIA class had all men this year, most of whom she believes were inspired by the Holy Spirit, their spouses and children who are already Catholic. 

She also pointed to a significant influx of Latino catechumens bringing “a richness of culture, love of family and devotion to their new Catholic faith” – even among those who had not previously been formally catechized. 

Tim and Laura Montgomery of St. Joseph, Fullerton, will enter the church alongside two of their three daughters after 42 years as Protestants. Tim and their 17-year-old daughter Macie are candidates and their youngest daughter Makinley is a catechumen. 

What drew them, they said, was the Catholic Church’s “rootedness in tradition” and its commitment to preserving and faithfully interpreting Scripture rather than reshaping it to reflect the preferences of the moment. 

The more they encounter the Church’s beauty, teachings and worship, they added, the more it feels like “coming home.” 

Levi and Sloane Massey of St. Patrick Church in Havre de Grace are also candidates – a young married couple expecting their first child, both previously baptized Christians. Sloane had attempted confirmation as a teenager but left with questions unanswered. 

“We’re in our mid-20s,” she said. “We didn’t grow up with God in the culture like previous generations did, and I think just coming back to something extremely traditional is very appealing to us as we’re entering adulthood.” 

Parish leaders say those motivations often reflect a broader cultural moment. 

Deacon Timothy Maloney, director of faith formation at St. Joseph, Fullerton, observed that “in times of instability, people often seek a sense of security and meaning, and many turn to their faith for that foundation.” 

For Tyler Moon, the moment crystallized watching his family find its way together. 

“I am happy to see that we were not the only ones called,” he said, “and have seen a large number of people interested in joining Catholicism the past year. It’s been truly miraculous to see.”  

Listen to the Easter Sunday episode of Catholic Review Radio to hear conversations with two of the people interviewed in this story. To find out how to listen, visit CatholicReview.org/cr-radio

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