The Archdiocese of Baltimore is preparing to welcome 808 new Catholics at Masses this Easter weekend. That number is up more than 25% from last year, which saw 607 new Catholics enter the Church at Easter. Among those entering is a 14-year-old girl who found her Catholic faith while battling cancer. Her godparents and neighbors set up a prayer group and invited her to their parish. This Easter she will be welcomed into the sacraments along with her mother and two siblings.
During Saturday’s Easter Vigil Masses, the catechumens (the un-baptized) will receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist and the candidates (already baptized in another Christian church) will be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
Last year, 106,485 joined the Catholic Church in the United States. There are 69.5 million Catholics in the United States, making it the largest religious body in the Nation, comprising 22% of the U.S. population. There are and nearly 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.
Archbishop William E. Lori will welcome many of those entering into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in North Baltimore Saturday, March 26 at 8 p.m.
For more information, including the complete Holy Week schedule for the Cathedral and Basilica, visit www.archbalt.org.