Packed into 510 square miles of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, are 3.2 million people living in communities that range from urban centers with median incomes of $50,000 to some of the nation’s wealthiest suburbs, where incomes are 10 times higher.
Because of historic waves of Irish and Italian immigrants and a more recent influx of Hispanics, the archdiocese estimates there are 1.2 million Catholics, one of the highest percentages in the country.
For much of the last century, the archdiocese enjoyed robust Mass attendance and full enrollment in its schools, before declines over the past 25 years forced parish mergers and school closures.
But this Easter season, 1,701 catechumens received the Sacraments of Initiation in the 211 parishes of the Archdiocese of Newark — up from 1,305 in 2025 — continuing a “hockey stick” trend that has seen a 72% increase since 2023.
“People are looking for something our modern world isn’t offering,” said Father Armand Mantia, who heads the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults for the archdiocese. “They realize something in their lives is not working. They want to be grounded in something of meaning and value. Our faith offers them something the world does not.”
