Catholic churches in Southern California are reporting a rise in young adults joining Christianity.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles says 8,598 people were preparing to be baptised or formally enter the Catholic Church in April, a 54% increase on 2025 and the highest number reported by a US archdiocese.

Church leaders say the increase is particularly noticeable among younger people.

At St Mark’s University Parish near the University of California, Santa Barbara, 56 people joined its latest initiation class, its largest yet.

Father Ryan Thornton told The Guardian the rise could no longer be explained by the effects of the Covid pandemic.

“That clearly can’t be about the pandemic because the difference is too far,” Thornton said. “So, then the question is, ‘Well, what’s happening now?’”

Some young converts say global instability and loneliness have contributed to their search for faith.

“I feel like it’s a dark time for a lot of people in the world,” 20-year-old Kathryn Glavin said. “And I think that naturally is going to get people who reach for the light.”

But researchers caution that it is too early to describe the rise as a national religious revival. One strong year, they say, cannot reverse decades of decline.

Sociologist Michele Dillon told the outlet the local increases should nevertheless be taken seriously.

“It’s real,” Dillon said. “It’s a real observable shift in those individual parishes and dioceses.”

For some younger Catholics, the church's traditions and community offer an alternative to life dominated by social media.

Father Thornton said: “In some ways, the superficiality of our society – the Instagrammable life – has been tried and found wanting.”