1,200+ New Catholics Join the Church in the Brooklyn Diocese at the Easter Vigil

In a night of solemn beauty and tradition, Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes Queens, marked the celebration of Easter, the holiest day on the Christian calendar, with an Easter Vigil Mass Saturday evening, April 4, 2026, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.  Adding to the joy at Easter vigils across Brooklyn and Queens, 1,288 new Catholics joined the Roman Catholic Church.

At the Co-Cathedral, Bishop Brennan baptized eight new Catholics, and confirmed and gave Holy Communion to seven others. In his homily, Bishop Brennan spoke directly to those being received into the Church. “Your faith inspires us one and all … Thank you for your decision, for your faith, for your fidelity.”

Of the 1,288 newly initiated Catholics, 683 were catechumens — men and women who received all three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist — while 605 candidates, who had previously been baptized in other Christian traditions, received the Sacraments of Confirmation and Communion.

The figures represent an increase from 2025, when the combined total of catechumens and candidates was 966. The growth among catechumens is particularly notable: in 2021, 298 catechumens were received into the Church. This year’s total of 683 represents a significant increase in just five years.

Bishop Brennan concluded with an urgent call to mission — an echo of Christ’s own words to the women at the tomb: “Don’t be afraid but go and tell my brothers. Tell your family. Tell those in need of hope. Tell those longing for meaning in life. Let’s go and tell Jesus’ brothers and sisters.”

Easter celebrates Jesus Christ’s Resurrection from death. Saturday night’s celebration unfolded in the ancient tradition of the Easter Vigil, which begins in the dark outside the Church. That is where the Paschal candle is lit and that light is shared with all the worshippers inside the church. The dramatic lighting of the church symbolizes the Risen Lord.

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