Reasons why adult baptisms have increased in LA — and beyond
At the Easter Vigil last month in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 66-year-old Michael Cardona was received into the Catholic Church after a spiritual journey that included two Protestant baptisms and 30 years as a Hindu guru.
“I was lost,” said Cardona, who identifies with the prodigal son. He had significant health problems and sensed the Holy Spirit urging him not to delay.
“I had to make sure that I at least got the Eucharist one time before I die,” he said.
He joined a surge of adults who entered the Church nationwide this Easter. Baptisms of adults, older children, and teens hit an all-time high in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles with 2,075 — an increase of 38% over the 2016 record. Cardona was among 1,521 candidates received after baptism in other Christian traditions, bringing the total to 3,696.