There are some signs of Springtime. In England there are now more Catholics than Anglicans, young people especially are attracted: https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe...st-time-since-henry-viii-20250410-p5lqme.html Also at Easter this year there is a 50% increase in converts. I wonder if this is because England has touched bottom? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/13/extraordinary-comeback-catholicism/ The extraordinary resurgence of the Catholic faith in Britain As younger generations look for more clarity in their lives, many are turning to faith to find answers There’s something very unexpected when you meet Harry Clark. It’s not just that this affable 24-year-old won the second series of BBC1’s hit show, The Traitors, by proving to be the most devious game player of that group. It’s also that the tattoos of this former soldier are all about his Catholic faith. He proudly shows me one on his hand, complete with a cross, saying: “Be who God meant you to be and you’ll set the world on fire” and the other on his arm: “What God has put together let no one put apart” – based on a marriage vow. For Clark, The Traitors, with all its duplicity, is just a game. But faith is the real deal, as he explains to his fellow pilgrims on the series Pilgrimage, which starts on Easter Sunday on BBC2, and sees him and six other celebrities take an emotional and spiritual journey though the Alps. “You can be so lost but then you are found”, he tells me over Zoom. “God is the only one who knows everything about me. It’s like a vase that shatters and God is the one that can put together the shards.” That commitment, that sense that the Catholic faith shapes your life, is shared by growing numbers of young people across the country. According to a study from the Bible Society, The Quiet Revival, published this week, Anglicans have been overtaken and are now outnumbered by Catholics by more than two to one among Generation Z and younger millennial churchgoers in Britain. Some of this can be put down to Catholic families sending their children to Catholic schools, which put a strong emphasis on religious education and faith formation. But something else is happening too: conversions. This Easter, thousands of people are going to be received into the Catholic Church, and substantial numbers of them are under the age of 35. Some are already Christian, moving to the Catholic Church from other denominations, including the Church of England. But many will be baptised, having previously had either only a vague belief in God or none at all. In the biggest Catholic diocese, Westminster, at least 500 people will become Roman Catholics this Easter, with half being baptised, while around 450 will do so in the Diocese of Southwark. According to the bishops and priests preparing people to take this momentous step, there is a common theme emerging: these new entrants know what the Roman Catholic Church stands for. “When you meet them and hear their stories, they say they are looking for clarity and stability,” says Archbishop Mark O’Toole of Cardiff. “They are attracted to the Catholic Church’s strong sense of identity and clarity around the teaching of Jesus”. The Bible Society’s research and the experience on the ground of Catholic parishes suggest that the Catholic Church is becoming the dominant Christian denomination in this country.
I wonder if this Springtime of the Faith may be because England has touched total bottom? That it is, more nor less a failed State?
It's not a phenomena localized to England. The faith is being renewed all around the world, especially with the youth. It is happening primarily online, bypassing traditional hierarchical structures for the dissemination of information. If you watch when Sam Shamoun takes questions in his videos you will see what I mean. You are also witnessing a huge surge of adults abandoning islam often turning towards Christianity. This is also due to information spreading online. Essentially huge portions of mankind worldwide are disgusted with the status quo, are seeking answers and are finding them online.
It may be because of the Blood of the Martyrs? They say far, far more Catholics are dying for the Faith at the present moment than ever before in the history of the World. In Africa alone the figures are mind blowing. I was reading a lovely story from Fulton Sheen the other night. He had been talking to a Bishop from Pakistan who had been arrested and it looked like he would never get out again. He was visited by a young girl who told him he would be released in the next two weeks because who had offered up her life for this. So it was. When he got out he visited her family and discovered she had died a couple of days previously. https://cruxnow.com/church-in-afric...more-christian-martyrs-than-anywhere-on-earth Expert says Nigeria has more Christian martyrs than anywhere else on earth YAOUNDÈ, Cameroon – When “Mary Olowe,” a pseudonym adopted for security purposes, converted from Islam to Christianity, her father and brothers threatened to kill her. Fearful for her daughter’s life, Mary’s mother smuggled her to a Christian community and the two sought and fortunately obtained a restraining order from a high court in northern Nigeria. The court order restrained Mary’s father and brothers from “threats and attempts on the life of the applicant following her decision to change from the practice of Islam to Christianity and also not to breach her fundamental rights as to the choice of her religion or thoughts.” That isolated victory offered some relief to Mary and her mother, and to all those defending Christianity from assault. “We’re thankful when courts and communities are able to provide some protection for converts,” said Megan Meador, Communications Officer for the faith-based legal advocacy organization, Alliance Defending Freedom International. “But the trend in many places is not good,” she added, a recognition of the difficulty of living out Christianity in Africa’s most populous nation. “Religious minorities in Nigeria, including Christians like Maryam who have converted from Islam, are often denied the ability to freely live out their faith because of targeted threats and attacks against them,” Meador told Crux. “It’s especially difficult for Christian converts, particularly in the northern part of the country, because it’s often their own friends and family, or even whole communities, that reject them.” She said the past twenty years have been marked by a increasing trend of religious intolerance in Nigeria, particularly in the North. And the country has gained notoriety as the world’s worst persecutor of Christians. Of the 5,500 Christians who were killed last year because of their faith, 90 percent were Nigerian. According to an April report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), an NGO headquartered in Eastern Nigeria, at least 52,250 people have been killed over the last 14 years in Nigeria for being Christian. “There are more Christian martyrs in Nigeria than anywhere else on earth. Ninety percent of Christians who have been killed for their faith over the last year have been murdered in Nigeria,” Meador told Crux. “The persecution comes from terrorists, from machete-wielding militias, from mob violence and laws that implicitly encourage them, and from authorities who are indifferent to the mayhem and shrug off these atrocities, allowing perpetrators to go free while punishing victims.” Nigeria’s Constitution explicitly forbids the federal and state governments from establishing a state religion, forbids religious prejudice, and guarantees people’s right to freely choose, practice, spread, or modify their faith. Meador admits that the Constitution at face value “provides strong protection for religious freedom, equal to that provided under international law. But when states implement criminal Sharia law, it clearly goes beyond the constitution and leads to tragic results.” “We’ve had cases where Christians have been hauled in front of Sharia courts, without jurisdiction, and accused of crimes like apostasy, which is not supposed to be a crime in Nigeria,” she said. “We are right now supporting a Sufi Muslim young singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who was sentenced to death on blasphemy accusations for posting lyrics to social media, and is now challenging that law at the Supreme Court. Nigeria needs to fully practice what is protected under its Constitution,” Meador said. Meador said her organization has been supporting religious freedom cases in Nigeria for years – Christians facing attacks, false accusations, and discrimination, and religious minorities wishing to express their beliefs freely without fear of blasphemy laws and accusations. “The allied lawyers we work with are incredible, dedicated, and tireless defenders of the fundamental right to religious freedom, and we have been supporting the growth of more lawyers to protect more individuals. We also have been working at the highest levels of governments and international institutions so that they are aware of the depth of the persecution and to encourage them to take greater action.” “We want every victim to have recourse to justice, and want to see broader changes in laws and policies to stop the further victimization of Christians in Nigeria,” she said. As the situation gets worse, Meador believes it’s time there should be outcry “from every corner of the globe over what’s happening to Christians in Nigeria, but there too often isn’t.”
https://www.ncregister.com/cna/2025-record-number-of-adult-baptisms-in-france Record Number of Adult Baptisms in France Shows Surge Among Youth France’s Catholic Church will welcome more than 10,384 adult catechumens at Easter this year, marking a 45% increase from 2024 figures, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference. France’s Catholic Church will welcome more than 10,384 adult catechumens at Easter this year, marking a 45% increase from 2024 figures, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference. The French report reveals the highest numbers ever recorded since the survey began over twenty years ago. Even more striking is the demographic shift — young adults now constitute the largest segment of converts. “The great challenge that presents itself to us now is to make disciples,” wrote Archbishop Olivier de Germay of Lyon in his assessment of the findings. “We must not simply imagine some procedures for ‘after’ baptism, but our entire parish communities must become aware of their collective mission.” The 18-25 age group, composed of students and young professionals, now represents 42% of adult catechumens, surpassing the 26-40 demographic that had historically dominated conversion statistics. This youth-driven spiritual awakening represents a significant shift in the Church’s evangelization landscape. Additionally, adolescent baptisms have surged, with more than 7,400 teenagers between 11 and 17 years old preparing to receive the sacrament. Dioceses across France report a 33% increase in adolescent catechumens compared to last year. The French Bishops’ Conference intentionally connected this year’s data to the Jubilee of Young People in Rome, describing the event as “a meeting place for young catechumens from around the world.” The trend mirrors similar developments seen elsewhere in Europe. The National Catholic Register, CNA's sister publication, recently reported unprecedented attendance at Ash Wednesday Masses across France this year, with churches experiencing standing-room-only congregations and an influx of young people. “We shattered attendance records,” Father Benoist de Sinety, parish priest of St. Eubert Church in Lille, told the Catholic weekly Famille Chrétienne. “Nearly a thousand faithful gathered at Saint-Maurice Church in the evening — many of them young people attending for the first time.” An investigation to be published by CNA this coming Monday, April 14, explores a similar trend in the United Kingdom. This European revival comes as new figures show that a 20-year decline in Christian identification appears to be “leveling off” in the United States. Pew Research Center data shows 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christian, a figure that has remained “relatively stable” since 2019. Women continue to outnumber men among catechumens, accounting for 63% of those seeking baptism. The survey also noted an increasing urban trend, reversing the previous two years’ growth in rural conversions. Particularly notable is the ten-year trajectory: France has witnessed adult baptisms more than doubling since 2015, when only 3,900 adults received the sacrament, compared to this year’s 10,391 — representing a 160% growth over the decade. The comprehensive report also examined the religious background of catechumens, noting that while most come from Christian families, an increasing number declare themselves as having no religious tradition or coming from non-Christian backgrounds. A 2021 study revealed that approximately 17% of adult catechumens in France had previous spiritual experiences outside Christianity, including Buddhism, esotericism, or animism. “Let us not think too quickly that all this happened without us,” Archbishop de Germay concluded in his reflection. “The letters from catechumens clearly show the diversity of ways through which the Lord has passed.”
This is a very interesting and highly likely possibility IMO. I also wonder if the people dying from the vaccinations also count as martyrs in God's eyes. I have no doubt that a large part of the reasoning behind it is to wipe out Christianity as a whole. It also explains why Muslims in the west are currently being given carte blanche. I know our Lady in Hrushiv said that Ukraine said this "Forgive your enemies. Through you and the blood of martyrs will come the conversion of Russia. Repent and love one another." https://www.michaeljournal.org/articles/roman-catholic-church/item/apparitions-in-hrushiv-ukraine I also think all the heavy crosses everyone is carrying contribute as well.
I don't really think dying of the vac would count as dying for the Faith.Although someone who died of it might be counted as an innocent whose blood cries out to God for vengeance. It's strange what appears to be happening. I see in the USA there is a huge swath of conversions from Protestantism to the Faith. Also they say from Islam. https://www.ncregister.com/news/muslim-conversion-boom Boom in Muslim Conversions to Christianity in France: How Is the Church Responding? This little-documented phenomenon is forcing dioceses to deploy new pastoral services to better welcome these converts, who often have difficulty integrating into their new Catholic communities. There is exponential growth in conversions of Muslims to Christianity in France. (photo: Unsplash) Solène Tadié World March 29, 2024 At a time when concern is growing about the rise of Islam, which is threatening to become the primary religion in historically Catholic countries such as France, a phenomenon of fundamental importance cannot be ignored: the exponential growth in conversions of Muslims to Christianity. Marie-Anne and Nicolas are two such converts from Islam who will be baptized this year on Easter. Like many other catechumens who have apostatized from their Muslim faith, their journey is as challenging as it is edifying to others. It was while accompanying her dying husband from Algeria to a hospital in Belgium in 2015 that Marie-Anne (her baptismal name; her civil name will remain anonymous for security reasons) was overwhelmed by the humanity and compassion shown to her by a Catholic nurse — to the point of wanting to “know more” about the figure of Jesus, as she explained in an interview with the Register. This thirst for Christ, which became unquenchable over the years, aroused the suspicions of her family back in Algeria. Once widowed and promised to a man who would “reeducate” her in the Muslim faith, she abandoned a prestigious position and her material comforts to flee to France with her two children, where she completed her catechumenate. It was this same attraction to Christianity’s distinct relationship to charity and the undifferentiated love of neighbor that led Nicolas, a Frenchman who converted to Islam in 2008 at the age of 26, then immigrated to Indonesia, to embrace the Catholic faith and return to his homeland. His conversion, which began to blossom in 2017 — and culminated in a spiritual experience at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris, praying there beside a statue of St. Thérèse of Lisieux — resulted in a divorce from his Muslim wife and an estrangement from his two children, who remained in Indonesia. He says that he is far from an isolated case in Indonesia, where he has met many former Muslims who have converted to Christianity without being able to formalize their new religion, as apostasy is prohibited in Islam. “I have been able to observe that the civil war in Syria and the rise of ISIS in particular have provoked a wave of apostasy, often in favor of Christianity,” he told the Register. This ties in with the major study by missionary David Garrison, featured in his 2014 book A Wind in the House of Islam. He estimates that between 2 and 7 million Muslims have converted to Christianity worldwide over the past two decades, calling this movement “the greatest turning of Muslims to Christ in history.” Welcoming the New Converts In the same way as local Churches in Europe are beginning to recognize the need to respond appropriately to young people’s return to Catholicism through traditionalist and charismatic communities, they are also beginning to consider how to welcome the numerous conversions from Islam. The Archdiocese of Paris in 2020 set up a pastoral service, Ananie, designed to direct new converts from Islam to parishes suited to their needs and to train priests and the faithful to welcome them as best they can. Father Ramzi Saadé, who leads the Ananie service in Paris, estimates from 10 to 20% of those who will be baptized at Easter in the capital’s archdiocese are converts from Islam. He points out that while the absence of official figures prevents a precise assessment, it is definitely an exponential phenomenon that he is witnessing on the ground. “Some 50 people who have passed through Ananie will be baptized between this year and next year in the Paris Archdiocese, but I’ve heard of many other catechumens from Islam with whom I’m not in contact,” he told the Register. This upsurge in baptisms of converts from Islam is part of a general trend of a sharp rise in baptisms of young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 in France, with an increase of the number of new catechumens for 2024 exceeding 30%, while it was 28% in 2023. Amid the turmoil of their unforeseen conversion, Marie-Anne and Nicolas also faced the challenge of integrating into their new Catholic communities. The Ananie network played a crucial role in this process, offering these new converts a valuable anchor thanks to the weekly Wednesday Mass, followed by a time of study and friendly dialogue between former Muslims. “I had felt a kind of aloofness in my new parish because of my past,” Nicolas remembered. “Although I’m French by birth, it took a long time for me to feel integrated; I felt very isolated, and meeting the Ananie network did me a lot of good.”
That is a better and more accurate way of putting it. Makes sense from my point of view, so while they are being killed for their faith those dying are not doing so knowingly/directly. So we have many layers of martyrdom, innocent death, and suffering progressively adding up to what is seemingly going to eventuate in a critical mass.
Yes. Thanks be to God. Is this maybe the beginning of the Reign of the Immaculate Heart? I sure hope so.
I wonder does anyone recall a message from an authentic Catholic site forecasting this? I must think. I don't myself. It is kinda counter intuitive. You might have supposed with all the confusion that is going on the reverse might be the case.
I think they all point to this. The authentic Marian apparitions all speak of chastisements as being conditional: "IF men don't convert, then...." And Mary begs for prayer, fasting, conversion of heart. In Medjugorje, Mary said constantly to pray for our priests, because they will be the bridge to her Triumph. And we see this! The more young holy priests show up, the more families flock to follow them and the Faith grows in leaps and bounds. It makes more sense this way, that Mary's Triumph is happening gently, quietly, behind the scenes, in people's hearts. It's her way. Her motherly love has been coaxing and pleading and recruiting victim souls for decades, and it has turned the tide.
..and the people on the forum give me great hope. There must be millions and millions..tens and tens of millions of good Catholics..maybe hundreds and hundreds of millions of them all over the World. It's so easy to forget this and become cranky and crotchety about everything. It is especially heart warming that it is the young ones mostly. It reminds me of the Prophecy of St Louis Gringnion De Montfort. https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/n225_RM1.htm ‘God Will Raise up the Greatest Saints in the Latter Times’ In the 17th century, the world saw a great prophet of Our Lady and her coming Reign, which would be in the Latter Days of the history of the world. In his monumental work True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort talks about the slaves of Mary to come, who “will surpass in holiness most other saints as much the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs.” He proclaims that he brings an authentic message from God about the greater honor and wider knowledge and more prominent love that God has reserved for Our Lady in the Latter Times, the last era of the Church before the End Times, so that Christ might reign in society in her, through her and with her. To Jesus through Mary. St. Louis Grignion de Montfort All the rich among the people, to use an expression of the Holy Spirit as explained by St. Bernard, all the rich among the people will look pleadingly upon the countenance of Our Lady throughout all ages, and particularly as the world draws to its end. This means that the greatest saints, those richest in grace and virtue, will be the most assiduous in praying to the most Blessed Virgin, looking up to her as the perfect model to imitate and as a powerful helper to assist them. I said that this will happen especially towards the end of the world, and indeed soon, because Almighty God and His Holy Mother are to raise up great saints who will surpass in holiness most other saints as much as the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs. … These great souls filled with grace and zeal will be chosen to oppose the enemies of God who are raging on all sides. They will be exceptionally devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Illumined by her light, strengthened by her food, guided by her spirit, supported by her arm, sheltered under her protection, they will fight with one hand and build with the other. With one hand they will give battle, overthrowing and crushing heretics and their heresies, schismatics and their schisms, idolaters and their idolatries, sinners and their wickedness. With the other hand they will build the temple of the true Solomon and the mystical City of God, namely, the Blessed Virgin, who is called by the Fathers of the Church the Temple of Solomon and the City of God. By word and example they will draw all men to a true devotion to her and although this will make many enemies, it will also bring about many victories and much glory to God alone. This is what God revealed to St. Vincent Ferrer (1350-1419), that outstanding Apostle of his day, as he has amply shown in one of his works. This seems to have been foretold by the Holy Spirit in Psalm 58: "The Lord will reign in Jacob and all the ends of the earth. They will be converted towards evening and they will be as hungry as dogs and they will go around the city to find something to eat." This city around which men will roam at the end of the world seeking conversion and the appeasement of the hunger they have for justice is the most Blessed Virgin, who is called by the Holy Spirit the City of God.
And Bl. Carlo Acutis will be canonized in less than 2 weeks. My family will be at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe with Cardinal Burke for it, after driving across America praying at churches and shrines as a lead-up to it. I believe it is a very important turning-point for the youngest generations, and will unleash a flood of graces on our children. The time of great saints is arriving! In the words of Eddie in the movie Secretariat: " You're 'bout to see something you ain't never even seen before! So get ready! Get ready."
I am so happy for you. I will pray for safe journeys and graces falling down on all of you. Fr Blount quotes Blessed Carlo's mother's saying he was canonized something would happen but I don't remember what. Doesanyone remember?
