Jesus' Call to Follow

04-19-2026Pastor's CornerFr. Bob Deehan

This year, the Archdiocese of Boston has seen a significant increase in the number of adults who were baptized Catholic at Easter. Out of the 680 people baptized this Easter (up from 438 last year), we had two people baptized here at Holy Family Parish: Ross Philbeck and Julie Mann. In addition, we had two Protestants who were received into full communion of the Catholic Church: Kat Mallea and Marcella Sullivan (not pictured).

We warmly welcome them and offer our prayerful support as they join our faith community around the table of the Lord.

There’s also evidence of a greater interest by young adults in returning to the practice of their Catholic faith. A lot of speculation has been offered as to why this phenomenon is occurring. Archbishop Henning has said that “this seems to be something that the Lord is doing - the Spirit of the Lord is always at work in the world and in the Church and we are happy to see such a response in people’s hearts to Jesus’ call to follow Him.”

Fr. Peter Schirripa at Gate of Heaven Parish and St. Brigid Parish says their Ash Wednesday 6 pm Mass in South Boston was packed with about 1,000 people filling the church. He explained, "I think that people are really yearning to rediscover the sacred." He finds a similar motivation among the approximately 200 young adults who gather with him every Wednesday night.

Fr. Eric Cadin, Archdiocesan Director of Vocations explains that “among college age young people, there is a profound openness to the big questions. This includes questions such as, where do I come from? What is my purpose? What does all this mean? More importantly, so many who are exposed to division and even cruelty, especially online, as well as in real life, are actively resisting and moving away from that and, it leads them to an openness to faith, especially one that promotes love your enemy. That is a radical truth that captivates young people especially in the world in which we live. They meet people in the church who engage their real questions with generosity and grace and mercy, and it is very attractive to them.”

One key component that seems to be at work at the parish level is in welcoming and accompanying families where adults and children seek to join communities of faith. We see evidence of that in our own parish Family Faith Formation program and in the greater participation of young families at our Sunday liturgies, especially at the 9 am Mass when we offer a special Children’s Liturgy of the Word. Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will work powerfully in the minds and hearts of many more people who long for meaning, purpose, joy and peace that they can obtain through an encounter with Jesus within our Catholic family of faith.

God bless you!