New Jersey sees surge in people converting to Catholicism ahead of Easter
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- It's the holiest week of the year for Catholics and there appears to be a surge in people converting to Catholicism all over the country.
That includes in New Jersey where the Archdiocese of Newark is seeing record-high attendance.
Wars, revolts, despairs, the cost of living climbing -- could any of this correlate with what the Catholic Church is calling a surge in the number of people joining and rejoining the faith?
"For some reason it seems that people's hearts are a whole lot more open to answering this call now than the past number of years," Father Armand Mantia said.
Mantia leads St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Elizabeth, part of the Archdiocese of Newark. The Archdiocese said before Easter week is done, it will have welcomed 17,001 new people into the fold.
Mantia said the surge is also happening in Europe and Australia.
"In some places, we've got bishops who are honestly saying we don't know what to do with them all, and that's a good thing," Mantia said. "The last report that I read in Ireland, there is 130% increase in the number of 20-somethings regularly attending mass now."
Pope Leo the 14th will soon complete his first year as head of the Roman Catholic Church. He's been very vocal about peace, acceptance, and humanity.
"Our world is very, 'Me, me, me, me,'" Mantia said. "I think the philosophy of the world today is do unto others before they do unto you, and they've come to realize that's not working...and maybe faith in God and church shows us the other side."
Holy Week leads up to Easter and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Diocese of Newark is hosting traditions like an Easter basket giveaway to kids in need.
Catholics like Janet Gonzalez said they are happy to see what appears to be a migration back to faith.
"I think the material things and experiences, that's good for a minute or an hour to make you feel good," Gonzalez said. "But your faith makes you, or makes me anyway, feel good all the time, and I think people are realizing that they need something long-lasting."
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