CHICAGO, Illinois, September 28, 2026 — Léa Guiragossian, at 22, a medical student in Bordeaux, became Catholic on Easter this year. This weekend she went to Paris to witness Pope Leo XIV while he was in France. She is part of an increasingly large cohort of young converts throughout the United States and Europe.
A Rise in Conversions
Across the United States, church leaders observe more adults entering the church this year. A recent analysis by the prayer app Hallow showed a 38% increase in new Easter converts last year as compared with 2025, on average across dioceses. The Diocese of Des Moines saw an increase of 51%.
According to the Archdiocese of Newark, 1,701 people are scheduled to join the church — an increase of 30 percent from last year. Portland, Boston and Cleveland saw comparable gains. Young adults make up much of the increase in these numbers, Catholic leaders say.
These numbers were striking: France recorded 10,384 adult baptisms at Easter in 2025 – a jump of 45% on the previous year. For the first time since such surveys began, young adults between 18 and 25 represented almost half of new converts. Guiragossian is one of a generation of adult converts.
Alfred Guiragossian, a 25-year-old copywriter from Lahore, had gathered with hundreds of other young Catholics in Paris this weekend for the visit of Pope Leo XIV. France’s history of secularism is long, and church attendance has been in decline for decades. Baptism numbers offer insight that the trend may be changing for some young adults.
Why Young People Are Drawn In
Kristy Nabhan-Warren, a professor of Catholic studies at the University of Iowa, cited global uncertainty. That included the war in Iran, economic pressure and the increased integration of artificial intelligence into lives. She said many are searching for more than modern life has to offer them.
The church provides us a sense of safety, prettiness, enigma and companionship, Nabhan-Warren explained. These traits resonate with Millennials, Gen Z and even younger generations looking for something deeper; more personal. Others connect the trend with a weariness of social media and a feeling that secular existence does not answer deeper questions.
Although there is a clear attraction toward community, Father Aaron Junge of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said he sees signs of hope. Pope Leo has cautioned very clearly about technology that raises barriers between people, he remarked. Junge said interest in joining the church had already been growing before the pope’s election and that this trend has since gained steam.
Guiragossian was one of a group of young Catholics from Bordeaux who traveled to Paris hoping to catch a glimpse of the pope. It made her one of the newest converts to a church in the West, where younger people have typically found it difficult to find their places. Her story and others like it have inspired new hope among church leaders throughout the Australian landscape.
The Pope’s Influence
Last year, Pope Leo XIV was elected as the first pope from the United States and has attracted crowds in France. Before his election, interest in the faith was already on the rise, church leaders say. The increase is not only a matter of church leadership, experts say.
Talking to youths at a summer meeting in Rimini organized by Communion and Liberation, the pope said many people were stunned by their Christian faith. He called on them to reach out beyond their own ranks and resist division. The plea is echoed by a generation nurtured on the internet and yearning for community.
Questions About Staying Power
That growth has arrived against a backdrop of a prolonged slump in church membership and church attendance across much of Europe and the United States. An Easter spike isn’t a reflection of how many new attendees will stick around. Parishes must offer long-term support for converts post-baptism.
Church leaders said the next challenge is to welcome and integrate new members through classes, mentoring and communal life. How long the increase lasts should depend on how many new believers stay with it in coming years. At Vatican News, readers can keep up with the pope’s schedule and messages.
