At the time of Lent, we find ourselves watching the front rows at mass: how many of them are wearing the purple scarf, a sign that they will be baptized at Easter? On the parish side, we are preparing differently: will the newcomers be more numerous than expected?
In Tours (Indre-et-Loire), this year, there is no question of being surprised for the Ashes Mass: “My church welcomed more than 700 people, the cathedral was full, like all the churches in the city: it’s amazing!,exclaims François Coüasnon, priest of the Saint-Étienne-Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc parish and head of the diocese’s youth center. We experienced it dumbfounded in 2025. This time, we have planned a prospectus for newcomers and we hope that they go beyond the pretty photo for social networks. »
Some dioceses come to push the walls for the celebrations of Easter and Pentecost, high times during which catechumens generally receive baptism, confirmation and first communion. In Toulouse, an XXL Pentecost mass was held in 2025 with more than 15,000 faithful in the exhibition center, the Meett.
Rebuilding the diocesan centers
According to the annual survey of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), there are 13,234 adults and 8,152 adolescents to be baptized at Easter in 2026, or 20% more than last year (see below). Catherine Chevalier, head of the Announcement and support of Christian life division of the CEF, emphasizes that “All parishes in France are today affected by this phenomenon. A third of dioceses are experiencing an increase of more than 40%, a third between 15 and 40%, and a third is stable.”
