Long Island Catholic churches see record surge in Easter baptisms and parishioners
The number is nearly double what the diocese has seen at any point in the past seven years.
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Roman Catholic churches across Long Island are preparing for one of their busiest Easter weekends in years, as the Diocese of Rockville Centre reports a rise in the number of adults entering the church.
“We have 404 individuals being baptized at the Easter Vigil tomorrow night, the highest in our recorded history,” says Father Michael Duffy, pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral.
This number is nearly double what the diocese has seen at any point in the past seven years.
“We’re seeing mostly young men in their 20s and 30s coming back,” says Duffy.
Duffy says there are several reasons that could be driving people back to the church.
“Working your tail off and making as much money as you can, having as much fun as you can, all the worldly pleasures, that stuff’s temporary. It fades away,” he says.
“Places where we used to find community are now either nonexistent or they cost a lot of money and that is not what people want," says associate professor of theology and religious studies at Molloy University Katherine Schmidt.
Duffy says another factor could be social media.
"People are looking to belong to something bigger than themselves. I fall into to the idea of doom-scrolling and just getting stuck on your phone too," says Duffy.
