As Lent gives way to Easter each year, something quietly significant is unfolding in Catholic communities around the world. Adults preparing for baptism are taking a public and deeply personal step in their journey of faith, saying “yes” to becoming part of the Church.

For many, this moment has been a long time coming. It is rarely sudden. More often, faith takes shape slowly, through years of reflection, questioning, life experience and a persistent sense that something deeper is calling. What we witness at Easter, then, is not the beginning of faith, but a decisive turning point within a much longer journey.

The Church understands this reality. Adult faith takes time, and so those preparing for baptism, known as catechumens, are welcomed into a structured and supportive process.

Catechumens are adults who have expressed a desire to become Catholic and are intentionally exploring faith, often for the first time or after many years away. Through prayer, learning, and participation in parish life, they are gradually introduced to the beliefs and practices of the Church, discern­ing how faith might take root in their own lives.

Within this journey, the Rite of Election marks a pivotal moment. Celebrated during Lent, it is when those preparing to become Catholic are formally chosen by the Church to receive the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) at Easter. This rite marks the Church’s recognition that catechumens, who have been learning and discerning, are ready to take the next step.

From this point, they are known as the elect, and the weeks leading up to Easter, they take on an even deeper spiritual focus.

This year, the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle welcomed 36 catechumens, continuing a steady and hopeful pattern of adults joining the Church each Easter.

From the Rite of Election onward, Lent becomes a time of intensified preparation. Through a series of sacred rites, the elect are invited into reflection, healing and a growing trust in God. It is often a profoundly personal period, marked by honesty, hope and transformation. For many, the experience is immersive – shaped by quiet prayer and the warmth of a community gathering in support.

The journey reaches its most powerful moment at the Easter Vigil, the Church’s most significant celebration of new life. During this liturgy, catechumens receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion, and are fully initiated into the Catholic Church.

Yet, the journey does not end. Following Easter, the newly initiated enter a period known as mystagogy, reflecting more deeply on the mysteries they have received and beginning to live out their faith in everyday life.

 

A noticeable trend upward

These individual journeys are part of a broader story unfolding across Australia and around the world. In recent years, there has been a clear and encouraging increase in the number of adults choosing baptism. At a time when religious participation is often assumed to be declining, this trend tells a different and more hopeful story.

This Easter, roughly 1,500 people will be baptised or confirmed as Catholics in New South Wales, an increase of about 33 per cent on the previous year, according to data collected by The Catholic Weekly. In the Australia’s capital cities alone, the number is around 2,700, up approximately 30 per cent (source).

This momentum is not limited to Australia. The Australian has also highlighted a worldwide trend, with Easter Vigil Masses marked by a 30 per cent surge in adults –  largely young people in their 20s, being baptised or confirmed. Together, these figures point to a renewed openness to faith, particularly among younger generations (source).

 

Lily's journey

Behind each statistic is a personal story, a journey of faith that is lived, wrestled with and ultimately embraced. One such story is Lily’s, whose decision to seek baptism reflects both this global movement and the deeply human side of faith.

What began as a decision made with her family in mind gradually became something far more personal.

“My fiancé had been leaning more deeply into his faith, and as the head of our family, I felt that pillar of faith was important for our children to see,” Lily explains. “That’s where it began for me, but it grew into something more while I was pregnant with my son Gabriel.”

That shift came during a period of vulnerability. Serious complications in her pregnancy placed Lily on bed rest and brought a profound sense of fear.

“It was scary. I spent many nights fearful I might lose my baby,” she says.

In that space of uncertainty, Lily found herself turning back to prayer for the first time since childhood.

 

“I prayed daily, promising to God that I would do everything in my power to baptise myself, my children, and renew my faith,” says Lily. “It has breathed such new life into me.”

Central to that renewal was the support she received along the way. Through months of meetings, conversations about Scripture and the steady presence of a welcoming parish community, Lily was accompanied at every stage.

“I honestly wouldn’t have been able to do it without the wonderful team supporting us,” she says.

Even in the early days of motherhood, her commitment did not falter.

“I showed up with my son at just eleven days old, along with my other children. It wasn’t easy to be there every week, but I made it.”

Step by step, Lily journeyed from catechumen to one of the elect, moving through Lent and its rites with perseverance and trust.

“It has been a process,” she reflects, “but it has been completely worth it.”

Looking ahead, Lily is already aware of the ways faith has begun to reshape her life.

“It has brought me comfort and community at a time when I yearned for it,” she says. “I’m looking forward to seeing how my faith continues to change my life for the better.”

Her hope for herself and her children is simple and deeply rooted.

“I hope they see that they can always find faith, no matter where they are in life’s journey, just like their mother. And I hope that God sees I have kept my promise and He continues to walk with me always.”

What adult baptisms reveal

Stories like Lily’s point to something deeper than statistics alone. They reveal a faith that is not simply inherited, but intentionally chosen, formed through relationships, trust and authentic witness.

They also challenge the assumption that faith is fading. Instead, there are clear signs of renewal on a global scale. Those who come forward at Easter are not acting out of habit or expectation but making deliberate and often countercultural choices.

Quietly and persistently, one life at a time, faith continues to take root.

A bigger question.

A prayer.

A step forward.

Faith is still alive, and people are still being drawn to it.