The Catholic Church in France has recorded more than 20,000 baptisms this Easter. According to a report published by the French Episcopal Conference, around 8,200 teenagers and 13,200 adults embraced the Catholic faith during the solemn Easter Liturgy celebrated on Sunday, April 5. This represents a 20% increase compared to last year.
The report noted that most converts are young adults between 18 and 25 years, closely followed by the 26-40 age group. The highest number of baptisms took place in Paris, Marseille, and Lyon.
Monsignor Olivier de Germay, Archbishop of Lyon and responsible for the catechumenate in the country, wrote that “the suddenness and magnitude of the thirst for God” was “striking.” He added that several new initiatives were being launched at the diocesan level to support the new converts.
In 2025, the Catholic Church in France welcomed more than 10,384 adult catechumens during Easter, the highest figure recorded in the last two decades. This year, the number almost doubled, confirming the upward trend and the young generation’s search for truth and the meaning of life.