It’s a great time to belong to the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church, complete with all seven sacraments, devotion to Mary, and consistent teachings supported by the writings of the early Church Fathers.

God has protected his Church against cultural storms and individual failings through the ages, so that it is here with us today. Reflecting on this spiritual fortress in our own time, there are blessings especially unique to the present moment.

 

1. The Catholic Church Is Surging

In recent years, young people have been joining in droves. Some projections for 2025 suggest this change could mark a turning point for American Catholicism. Globally, there is strong growth in Africa and Asia. It seems that, in many circles, Catholicism has even become cool.

 

2. Catholic Media Leads the Way 

Catholics are contributing in a big way across all media platforms. Catholic television, radio and podcasts are growing. There is also a rising number of Catholic influencers using platforms like Instagram and TikTok to share stories of conversion and inspiration that resonate with a younger audience.

 

3. An All-Male Priesthood

Seeing women identifying as Lutheran bishops and priests, paired with with a casual, sentimental approach to Jesus, has given me a deeper appreciation for the Catholic priesthood. The article “Why Christ Won’t Let His Church Ordain Women” explains that Jesus himself set the standard when he chose only men as apostles, and this teaching has not changed.

There were priestesses in pagan religions, so it’s not a matter of Jesus being constrained by social mores of his time. And regardless, Jesus was countercultural, so that argument is incoherent.

Pope St. John Paul II clarified that the door on this issue was closed in his 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis:

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Luke 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.

 

4. More Catholic Exorcists

As the need for exorcism and deliverance rises, so too has the number of priests training in this ministry. The Pope Leo XII Institute began in the U.S. in 2005 to train priests in exorcism and deliverance.

Remarkably, about half of those seeking this kind of help are non-Catholics — some even pastors of other denominations — who recognize the power of the Catholic priesthood acting in the person of Jesus Christ to drive out demons.

Although exorcists report seeing more demonic activity these days, Father Vincent Lampert, an exorcist with the Archdiocese of Indiana, noted in an interview on the occult and the power of Jesus: “I don’t think the devil has upped his game. I think people today are more apt to play his game.”

 

5. New Saints

Since 2000, around 1,000 saints have been canonized, adding to the examples and inspiration for those of us still here on Earth. In October, there were seven saints canonized, and in September, St. Pier Georgio Frassati was canonized, offering an example of embracing life, faith and service to the poor.

 

6. Eucharistic Revival

The U.S. bishops’ three-year Eucharistic Revival began in June 2022 to inspire a deeper love and understanding of Jesus in the Eucharist. Its goals to rekindle a living relationship with Christ, heal, convert and unify the faithful seem to be bearing fruit on many levels.

 

7. Growing Movement for Perpetual Adoration

This ancient devotion — exposing Jesus in the Eucharist in a monstrance to be adored and worshipped around the clock — is a growing movement within the Church. A recent Associated Press article highlighted this trend to bring souls to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

 

8. Women Religious Orders with Habits are Growing

While the Church has experienced an overall decline in new vocations for Catholic sisters and nuns, orders that wear traditional habits as an outward sign of an identity apart from the culture are growing in many areas. Groups like the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) in the U.S., whose members wear full habits, are experiencing growth in new vocations. Many young women are attracted to the clear sense of belonging and visual reminder of their consecration.

 

9. Male and Female He Created Them

Catholic teaching holds that gender is God-given and cannot be changed through medical procedures that undermine the dignity of the human body. The Church, however, teaches that everyone has an inherent dignity and should be treated with love. 

While there has been some confusion and controversy as to how this plays out, the teaching itself is clear — just as the Catholic sacrament of marriage can only be between one man and one woman.

 

10. Worship, Not Performance, at Mass

Keeping the Sabbath holy by attending Mass is about participating in a sacred and solemn ritual of worshiping God, re-presenting the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. At Mass, we are focused on communion with God and not on a stage performance or emotional spectacle. It is worship in community humbly expressing the faith and tradition of Catholic worship.

Throughout all 10 reasons above, there may be dissension, disagreement or lack of support among laity and even clergy, but the Church stands strong on her teachings, blessing us in every age, giving us the security that we need for the times in which we live.

God bless the Catholic Church!