Latest
Catholic conversions rise as young adults ‘hungry for truth’ turn to faith and reject secularism, bishop says
Catholic leaders across the U.S. are reporting sharp increases in the number of adult converts, a trend that they say is driven primarily by young adults.
The Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., reported 1,701 individuals were preparing to join the Church, a 30% increase since 2025, according to The Catholic Standard. Other Archdioceses reporting similar rises including Cleveland, Ohio, Boston, Mass., Portland, Ore., according to the outlet.
“Last year, we broke the record for the number of adult converts, and then this year — so, we have what’s called the rite of election, that’s when all the people are entering into the church — we broke that record again. So, it’s a trend that’s visible all over the church and it’s certainly been true in my dioceses,” Bishop Robert Barron told Fox News Digital.
Catholic ministries on college campuses, including Texas A&M University, University of Notre Dame and Arizona State University are also reporting increasing converts, The Catholic Standard reported. Notre Dame saw its largest group of new Catholics in at least 25 years, with 125 receiving the sacraments last Easter, according to The Catholic Standard. The outlet noted that this year, Notre Dame expects there to be 163 candidates and catechumens, which are unbaptized individuals undergoing conversion.
CATHOLICVOTE LAUNCHES ‘ZEALE’ APP TARGETING GEN Z AMERICANS WITH FAITH AND NEWS CONTENT
Barron said that when speaking to new adult converts about their decision, many describe themselves as “hungry for truth.” He argued the trend is, in part, a reaction to the rise of atheism in the early 2000s, with younger generations having “inherited this bleakly secularized world” and now “leading the charge” back to religion.
The bishop pointed to St. Augustine, saying the theologian’s words still ring true today.
“St. Augustine said, ‘Lord, you’ve made us for yourself, and therefore our heart is restless till it rests in you,’ and that remains true,” Barron said. “There’s a longing in the heart that can’t be satisfied by anything in this world, and so religion speaks to that.”
The bishop also explained that many young adults are looking for something steady with strong roots as they navigate the modern world and its online distractions. In his view, Catholicism has been attracting new converts because of its 2,000-year-old traditions.
“Our culture today is very ephemeral, right? It’s evanescent… Catholicism speaks to something much deeper, and older, and more permanent,” he said. “I also think that people are attracted to the ritual expression of Catholicism. So, the beauty of our liturgy, we’re not just gathering in a bland room and singing pop songs, we’re entering into this ancient, beautiful ritual involving vestments and incense and candles and ancient prayers and ancient chants. And I do think that appeals to people’s souls, especially young people.”
Even as he spoke about the beauty of the Church, Barron touched on the scandals of sexual abuse that came to light especially in the early 2000s. He said that the scandals were important for the Church to acknowledge and deal with, but that for young adult converts, they were “more of a memory” and “less of a lived, immediate reality.”
SCORSESE CLOSES ‘THE SAINTS’ WITH THE STORY OF CARLO ACUTIS, THE FIRST MILLENNIAL SAINT
In 2025, Pew Research Center issued findings on Catholic converts in the U.S., saying that 1.5% of all adults in the country fit into the category. According to Pew’s 2025 report, 92% of U.S. Catholics were raised in the faith, while the remaining 8% had converted. The research center said that when asked why they converted to Catholicism, “the most common response offered by converts is because of a spouse, or to get married in the Church.” Meanwhile, others said Catholicism made sense to them or that it aligned with their values.
Now that the Church has attracted these new converts, it is tasked with retaining them. Barron said that first and foremost, the Church must listen to them.
“I think it needs to listen to them. You know, that’s something Pope Francis kept emphasizing, correctly, that first you listen and fin out what’s attracted them, find out maybe what kept them away for a long time, what made a difference,” Barron told Fox News Digital.
Barron emphasized that, ultimately, the Church exists for the purpose of bringing people into the faith.
“The Church is about the business of evangelization. That’s what we are. I mean, every Catholic institution exists for the purpose of evangelization, meaning bringing people to Christ. And so, the people who are coming back to the Church, that makes me the happiest. That’s why what the Catholic Church exists for, is to invite people back,” the bishop said.
UFC flyweight competitor Alexa Grasso delivered one of the most brutal knockouts of 2026 so far.
Grasso went up against Maycee Barber in the co-main event at UFC Seattle. The matchup was expected to be a slugfest as the two female fighters are a couple of the best in the division.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
With about 2:30 left in the fight, Grasso connected on a few punches. She avoided Barber’s strikes and hit a quick one-two, stunning Barber and knocking her down. Grasso quickly capitalized and put Barber in a rear-naked chokehold. She was credited with a knockout victory.
Barber was completely out of it, while Grasso celebrated her 17th victory and her first since March 2023 when she defeated Valentina Shevchenko via submission. The Barber fight was Grasso’s first since May 2025 when she lost to Natalia Silva via unanimous decision.
Barber was hospitalized after the fight, though she walked out of the Octagon under her own power.
TYRELL FORTUNE WINS UFC DEBUT AFTER SCORE ERROR REVERSAL, YEARS AFTER BEING PRONOUNCED DEAD
“Not our night… This is the fight game and sometimes things don’t go our way,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories. “No blame, no excuses … just lessons. We learn, we grow and we come back stronger. God is good all the time.”
UFC President Dana White praised Grasso’s performance.
“I think it is one of the greatest in sports history, let alone this year, tonight or whatever,” he said, via SB Nation. “It was incredible.”
It’s unclear whether Grasso will get a shot at the flyweight championship soon. Shevchenko is currently the title holder with Silva listed as the top contender for her.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., blasted travel chaos gripping airports nationwide as a direct result of Democrats’ “temper tantrum” over immigration policy, as the ongoing standoff snarls TSA operations and disrupts millions of passengers nationwide.
“The reason we’re at this impasse is that Democrats are using long TSA lines to throw a temper tantrum about deportations of violent criminal illegal aliens and funding of ICE and Border Patrol,” Cotton said on “Fox News Sunday.”
The Arkansas Republican argued the disruptions are not the result of funding shortfalls, but reiterated they stem from a deliberate political fight over immigration, accusing Democrats of shifting demands and prolonging the standoff as airport delays drag on nationwide.
DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END
He added that Democrats are pushing for reforms that would prevent ICE agents from wearing masks — a push most Republicans oppose.
“The reason why ICE officers wear masks is because radical left-wing Democrats will dox them and then their street militias will terrorize their wives and their kids at their houses,” Cotton said.
“That’s why the Democrats are inflicting long TSA lines on the American people.”
SEE IT: TRAVELERS SOUND OFF AS ICE AGENTS DEPLOYED TO AIRPORTS AS SHUTDOWN NEARS 40 DAYS
The partisan gridlock has prompted a lengthy partial government shutdown that has led to TSA agents calling in sick while missing paychecks, lapses in staffing and hours-long wait times at major airports across the U.S.
Travelers at major airports have voiced their disquiet to Fox News in recent days.
“Anyone who votes for a Democrat after this should be shipped out of the country,” one frustrated traveler at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport told Fox News Digital.
“It’s the division. Everyone should be unified and working together instead of just picking teams…” said another.
Heavyweight Tyrell Fortune rose through the professional MMA ranks roughly a decade ago. It took until Saturday for him to secure his first UFC victory, though it did not come without drama.
Fourteen years after being pronounced dead during a weight cut, Fortune now also adds a UFC win to his comeback.
Fortune initially beat Marcin Tybura by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night, receiving judges scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. However, cage announcer Bruce Buffer caused confusion by reading the scores incorrectly, announcing totals that favored Fortune’s opponent.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The error went unnoticed until Fortune had exited the octagon and headed toward the tunnel. Officials brought him back, where he was officially declared the winner.
“I was so upset with myself,” Fortune said as he evaluated his performance. “I felt I didn’t do enough. I was just upset. With two weeks’ notice, I feel like I did a good job, but I also need to come with a better performance next time.”
The former NCAA Division II wrestling champion’s path to Saturday’s victory includes a 2012 weight-cut incident that left him pronounced dead before he made a full recovery.
He recalled the experience, saying it still doesn’t feel real years later. “I tried to forget about it for so long … because it seemed so far-fetched. Like, “Man. I died. Everything was over for a second, and I came back to life,'” Fortune told ESPN.
“And it really changed my perspective of life in general and how I view just living life on a day-to-day basis. When you’re in a situation like that, you really start to look at your values as a person, and you see what’s important to you, because it was all self-inflicted.”
“It was just after my junior-college season, and I wasn’t a big heavyweight. I averaged around 220, 230 pounds. That’s in the middle of two weight categories. International weight classes are 211 and 265 pounds. I’m at 230. I’m like, ‘I can either give up this 30 to 40 pounds, or I can cut weight and be bigger than everybody at 211.’ So that’s what led to the decision to cut weight.”
Fortune stepped in to fight Tybura on Saturday on two weeks’ notice after an injury withdrawal.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Stephen A. Smith Tells Bill Maher What He Really Thinks About Biological Men Competing Against Women
Report: Pentagon Preps Weeks‑Long Ground Ops in Iran as U.S. Marines Arrive in Theater
Jonathan Karl Confronts Chris Van Hollen Over ‘Holding Up’ DHS Funding
Pentagon targets Iran-linked militias in Iraq as Hegseth vows ‘we will finish this’ for fallen US troops
9 Celebrities who have spoken out about being photoshopped
Inside Joe Kent’s abrupt fall as GOP backlash grows over antisemitism accusations, FBI probe
-
Politics1 week agoPentagon targets Iran-linked militias in Iraq as Hegseth vows ‘we will finish this’ for fallen US troops -
Entertainment9 years ago9 Celebrities who have spoken out about being photoshopped
-
News1 week agoInside Joe Kent’s abrupt fall as GOP backlash grows over antisemitism accusations, FBI probe
-
Latest1 week agoHouse Democrats vote against deporting immigrants who harm police dogs, horses
-
News3 days agoTop Democrat Arrested By Capitol Police – Dragged Out In Handcuffs
-
Latest5 days ago
Kentucky family says it turned down $26M from AI giant to keep farmland that ‘fed a nation’
-
Latest1 week agoPence urges Senate to ‘restore public confidence’ with nationwide voter ID law
-
News3 days agoALERT: Entire Election Just FLIPPED!