Catholic churches in New York City have seen a spike this year in both Mass attendance and the number of people — especially young people — in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), several priests in the city have said, according to a Nov. 16 report from the New York Post.
“We’re out of space and exploring adding more masses,” Father Daniel Ray, pastor of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, told the outlet.
St. Patrick’s has around 90 people in OCIA this year, twice that of last year’s group. This shift seems to be impacting churches across the city. In Greenwich Village, St. Joseph’s Church has around 130 people in OCIA, triple last year’s number. The number in OCIA at St. Vincent Ferrer on the Upper East Side has doubled this year to almost 90 people.
People exploring Catholicism in the Big Apple had various reasons for being attracted to joining the ancient Church. Several indicated that Charlie Kirk’s murder has been a factor, and the Post reports that some are “high achievers unfulfilled by success.” Many indicate that secular culture feels almost doomed.
“My generation is watching things fall apart,” said Kiegan Lenihan, a young woman in OCIA at St. Joseph’s, according to the Post. “When things all seem to be going wrong in greater society, maybe organized religion isn’t that bad.”
Others told the outlet about difficult turning points in their lives that drew them closer to the faith. One woman named Cindy Zhao was raised without any religion and found God after her cousin died after a brief battle with cancer. Ben Cook, an entrepreneur who grew up politically progressive, fell to his knees in prayer when his wife experienced complications when delivering their daughter. His wife and daughter are both healthy today, but the experience stuck with him.
“I had this realization that everything that was important to me was completely out of my control,” Cook told the outlet.
Some stories show God’s sense of humor. Liz Flynn was drawn to God in a Cracker Barrel gift shop.
Flynn was suffering from anxiety and depression and had tried yoga, “pseudo spiritualism,” and self-help resources, but found no relief, according to the outlet. But she stopped at the restaurant while on a trip to Florida with her boyfriend. She happened to see the book 15 Minutes Alone with God by Emilie Barns and opened to a section about God’s unconditional love and nearly broke down.
“I didn’t want to make a scene in the Cracker Barrel,” she said, laughing, according to the Post.
Flynn soon started praying the Rosary and then began learning more about Catholicism.
“I’m happier and calmer than I’ve ever been,” she said. “Prayer has made an enormous impact on my life.”
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