About this episode

The episode discusses the recent surge in conversions to the Catholic Church and explores the factors contributing to this trend.

Welcome back to the Word on Fire Show . I'm Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute and the host of the Word on Fire Show . Thank you for joining us. A wave of fresh converts has entered the Catholic Church in the United States, Australia, and parts of Europe. The evidence for this surge is far from anecdotal; even secular media outlets that are historically inclined to downplay positive stories about Catholicism widely reported packed sanctuaries this past Easter, the day those who have been preparing to enter the Catholic Church typically receive their first sacraments. This is welcome news for a Church that has grown accustomed to a half-century narrative of religious disaffiliation and cultural decline. So what's behind this uptick in conversions? What factors are leading young people—and young men in particular—to buck the trend of secularization and become Catholic? What is happening both in the world and within the Church that is making the faith become so attractive? Perhaps most importantly, what can and should Catholics, clergy and laity alike, do to both continue the momentum and help new converts to stick with faith? Here to offer his insights…

People in this episode

Host: Matthew Petrusek

Guest: Bishop Robert Barron

Topics covered

• new conversions
• Catholic Church
• cultural factors
• faith attraction
• secularization
• proclaiming Christ

Keywords

• conversions
• Catholicism
• cultural decline
• young people
• faith
• secularization
• Bishop Barron

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Word on Fire Institute

Places: United States, Australia, Europe

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