For decades, many in the Catholic Church across England and Wales have quietly feared that the mission was over. That we were merely tending the embers of a once-bright fire. And yet, the fire has not gone out.
Even beneath a largely secular sky, new life is pushing through. A generation once written off as post-Christian is quietly rediscovering prayer, ritual, and belief in God. Not in mass movements or emotional rallies, but in steady, unmistakable signs.
So I ask you, sisters and brothers: Do we still believe God is at work here in our parish? Because He is. And He’s inviting us to join Him.
The Mission That Must Begin Again
Let’s be honest. Most parishes in Britain today don’t run on mission; they run on maintenance. The call of Christ was never “Maintain the institution.” It was “Go and make disciples.”
That means followers who deliberately or ‘intentionally’ choose Jesus, walk with Him, and help others do the same.
Yet many Catholics (even weekly Mass-goers) have never been invited to make that choice personally. They may know about Jesus, but have they encountered Him? Have they surrendered to Him? Have we? Have I?!
From Christendom to Mission Territory
For centuries in this country, we lived under what could be called Christendom — not merely a set of beliefs, but a shared Christian culture that shaped every part of daily life. The week itself revolved around Sunday; shops were shut, football paused, and the day belonged, largely, to God. The church stood at the centre of every town and village, marking life’s milestones from baptism to burial. Our moral instincts, our calendar, even the rhythm of school and public life were quietly ordered by the Gospel.
But that world has faded. Sunday trading laws changed, collective worship in schools became optional, and the language of faith slipped from public conversation. In the 2021 census, only 46.2% of people in England and Wales identified as Christian—the first time that number has fallen below half. The culture that once carried people gently towards the Church now drifts in the opposite direction.
For earlier generations, the parish could rely on the atmosphere of society itself to sustain belief. Today, it cannot. Our parishes cannot simply preserve the habits of Christendom—they must become places of encounter with Christ, conversion, and discipleship. The work that once happened almost unconsciously in people’s lives must now happen through choice, by intention: heart by heart, home by home.
We need not despair at this, but we must be honest and clear: We are no longer chaplains to a broadly Christian culture; we are missionaries in a non-Christian one. And that, perhaps, is closer to how the Church first began.
And yet, look closer.
Signs of Renewal
Amid this secular backdrop, a quiet spiritual awakening is beginning and, interestingly, this is especially among the young.
The Numbers You Haven’t Heard on the News
- Monthly churchgoing among 18–24s quadrupled from 4% in 2018 to 16% in 2024 (Church Times).
- Across all age groups, monthly attendance rose from 8% to 12% in the same period (Religion Media Centre).
- Among young churchgoers, Catholics now outnumber Anglicans two to one: 41% versus 20% (The Times).
- Belief in God among 18–24s has surged from 16% in 2021 to between 37% and 45% in 2025 (YouGov tracker).
These aren’t just statistics. They are real people whose lives are being touched, whose hearts are being stirred.
In Westminster diocese, more than 500 adults prepared to enter the Church last Easter. In Southwark diocese, about 450 adults entered; the highest in a decade. In France, over 10,000 adult baptisms took place this year, with the largest group aged 18–25. Something is happening.
Even the digital world bears witness to this hunger.
The Hallow prayer app reached number one on Apple’s App Store on Ash Wednesday 2024 (ahead of TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify) with over 23 million downloads. Ascension’s “Rosary in a Year” podcast debuted at number one in early 2025.
So perhaps what we’re really seeing is not the end of the Church in Britain, but the beginning of something new?
What’s Missing?
Ok, so if there is hunger, interest, and even growth, why aren’t more people becoming lifelong followers of Jesus?
Well really, because we have not formed disciples: people who have the deliberate intention of following Christ.
Many people still treat faith as an inherited identity rather than a personal, life-changing relationship with Jesus: ‘I’m a Catholic’ without the ‘I follow Christ.’ (Seen most profoundly when at Christmas and Easter our churches are extraordinarily full!)
We celebrate the sacraments but forget that they’re meant to nourish disciples, not create them.
So I suppose, that, dear sisters and brothers, is where we come in!
Becoming a Parish That Forms Disciples
What if our parish became a place where people were invited, welcomed, challenged, accompanied, and equipped — not just to belong to a community (as important as that is), but for a life changing relationship with Jesus? A relationship that empowers and enlivens those who accept the invitation to follow Him?
This isn’t a dream. It’s already happening in various places across the country and indeed the wider Western Church. But it takes more than just the just clergy or the youth to say yes, it takes all of us.
What Discipleship Looks Like
When you start to walk this path, you’ll often hear the phrase ‘intentional disciple’. It’s something of an Americanism, but all we mean is being deliberate about our faith. Not just turning up or going through the motions, but choosing, purposefully, to follow Jesus and let Him shape our lives. It’s faith with its eyes wide open.
An intentional disciple is someone who:
- Has had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ
- Has made a conscious decision to follow Him
- Is trying, day by day, to grow in holiness and mission
They’re not perfect. They’re not experts. They’re simply awake – or at the least, trying to be!
You don’t need a theology degree or special training. You just need a willingness to walk alongside another person and gently point them towards Christ.
How to Begin (Even If You Don’t Feel Qualified)
Start talking about God. Bring faith into everyday life naturally. Ask someone something along the lines of ‘Where have you seen God at work recently?’ in whatever words come naturally to you.
Accompany someone. Walk with a person who’s curious about faith. Listen to their story, share yours, pray for them, and keep the door open.
Pray for awakening. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew our parish – and to start with you.
It’s Not About Programmes or Courses. It’s About People.
Dare I say: we don’t need clever marketing or more events (though these sometimes help ‘glue’ things together!) What perhaps we need is a mindset/culture shift – one in which encountering Christ is normal, and following Him is expected.
Jesus never said, “Run more things.” He said, “Come, follow me.” He is still saying the same to us now!
The Time Is Now
Look again at the data. Look again at our parish. Look again at your heart.
The world hasn’t rejected God. It sadly has simply not met Him yet – or not in a way that felt real, personal, and compelling.
But when people do meet Him, they change. They hear the call. They are sent.
It begins with us.
Hope Has a Name
The Catholic Church in this country isn’t dying. She’s re-awakening. But green shoots are fragile. They need nurturing, patience, and faith.
If we cooperate with what God is already growing with prayer, courage, and love, we will not merely preserve the Church. We will see her reborn.
The future of the Church is not in maintenance. It is in mission.
And mission begins when each of us says ‘yes’ to Jesus again (and helps someone else to do the same.)
Epilogue
Perhaps this is what God is allowing in our time: the end of cultural Christianity, so that faith may become truly faith again. We are being stripped back to the essentials—and discovering that the essentials were never buildings, numbers or cultural support, but living faith, burning love, and the courage to begin again from Christ. Christendom may have faded, but perhaps the age of universal discipleship — and consequently of universal holiness — is only just beginning?