May 23, 2026

Diocese part of worldwide trend, seeing increase in new Catholics

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

SPRINGFIELD – As Catholics celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the celebration of the  Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles and the birthday of the Church, they do so in larger numbers this year. Dioceses all over the world are reporting an uptick in new Catholics , including the Diocese of Springfield. Two-hundred and seventy-nine people entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil in their home parishes across the diocese on April 4. This is a marked increase of at least 20 percent, although an exact percentage is difficult to calculate because of the new way numbers are being tracked.

“I think it’s the Lord himself. It is the prophecy the Lord gave. He said ‘where I am raised up, I will draw many men and women to myself.’ And I think what the church has continued to do over the years is to raise the Lord, Jesus in the Eucharist, raise him in the crucifix to raise him in the liturgy,” said Father Valentine Nworah, the pastor of St. Brigid Parish in Amherst and the director of the Newman Catholic Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Twenty young people from both the Newman Center and St. Brigid Parish entered the church at St. Brigid’s at the Easter Vigil.

“People have seen the value, seen the importance of having Jesus be at the center of their lives. It is the Lord himself drawing people back to himself,” he said.

St. Jerome Parish in Holyoke welcomed 36 people new Catholics at the Easter Vigil. Arelis Gonzalez was one of them.

“It felt amazing. I cried,” she said.

Gonzalez received the sacrament of Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. She had been away from the church for a number of reasons including dealing with the devastating loss of her brother several years ago in a tragic accident, and then the loss of her daughter’s father from cancer.

But she said her mother’s prayers led her back.

“My mom has been on me for years to do it. I came to sign up my daughter actually and then right on the spot I said you know what? I’ll sign up for myself,” Gonzalez said.

Her daughter was confirmed at St. Jerome Parish a week later.

According to Hallow, dioceses in the United States reported a 38 percent increase in new Catholics.

At St. Cecilia’s Parish in Wilbraham, five people entered the church at the Easter Vigil, including husband and wife Kristin and Tom Hervieux.

“We heard the calling. The way things are in this world, God is everywhere and we want him back in our lives,” Tom Hervieux said.

Both Kristin and Tom were brought up Protestant. Kristin, whose father was Catholic, said she has always been drawn to the Blessed Mother.

“Once I understood what was happening in the Catholic Church, it is so amazing to me that you are sitting at Mass and you know everyone else across the globe is following the same order and we are all so united in that. That drew me,” she said.

Louisa Mentekidis leads OCIA, or the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, for St. Cecilia Parish.

“Not only were they an addition to the class but to see two people so in love with the church, they brought so much not just to myself but my teaching team who are

Father James Nolte is the pastor of St. Cecilia Parish.

“I think there’s something about the grounding of 2000 years of faith and worship and knowledge, wisdom, love in the church that draws people. It’s not like someone just came up with this in an afternoon and thought that’s a good idea. But it was something founded 2000 years ago by our Lord,” Father Nolte said.

And the stories are full of the same hope and joy across the diocese.

Blessed Trinity Parish in Greenfield welcomed 10 new Catholics at the Easter Vigil this year, up from 6 last year. St. Michael’s Cathedral Parish in Springfield went from one new Catholic in 2025 to 14 at the Easter Vigil this year. A couple and their three children were among the 7 who entered the church at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Springfield.

“I’ve always said God’s not done with Western Mass and I believe that in the depths of my heart,” said Bishop William D. Byrne.

In the last several years there has been momentum building in the diocese with an active youth, college and young adult ministry. The Steubenville East Conference has been held in Springfield, drawing in young people. When the bishop arrived in Springfield there weren’t any seminarians. There are now five. His presence on social media has also reached the masses with messages of joy and encouragement.

He said Catholics need to continue to be joyful messengers for Christ and let Christ take it from there.

“We have to acknowledge that it is the Spirit, the Holy Spirit working in our midst and we need to get out of its way and be part of that because he is not done with Western Mass,” the bishop said.

A video version of this story will be featured on Saturday’s edition of “Real to Reel,” which airs at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22NEWS.