Megyn Kelly

Did he say forced breeding programs?

Congressman Tim Burchett, Republican of Tennessee, one of the leading voices in Congress pushing for transparency on what the government now calls

UAPs or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena on Newsmax Wednesday, not exactly denying the claim.

And if that doesn't make you say a little prayer, this next story might.

This Easter weekend, thousands of Americans across the country preparing to formally enter the Catholic Church.

A new analysis from the National Catholic Register surveying 71 diocese or districts nationwide, finding all but five are expecting increases in converts this year, many of them big ones.

The growth not limited to regions experiencing a resurgence in recent years, but more secular regions as well, like New England.

The Archdiocese of Boston reporting a 55% increase in converts compared to just last year.

In Oklahoma City, the Archdiocese expecting a 57% jump in unbaptized adults entering the church, rising from 635 in 2025 to nearly 1,000 this year.

In Mobile, Alabama, 603 new members set to join, the highest total since at least 2014.

and in Detroit, more than 1,400 people preparing to convert, the highest number in more than two decades, according to the New York Times.

The culmination of that journey coming Saturday night at the Easter Vigil Mass, when converts receive the sacraments of initiation, baptism, Holy Communion, and confirmation, formally entering the church.

The surge coming after a pandemic-era dip in participation, but in many dioceses, this year's numbers are not just a recovery,

they're surpassing pre-COVID levels, according to The Times.

And while long-term trends still show decline, the Pew Research Center finding the broader Christian population in the U.S.

now stabilizing.

As for what's driving the increase, church leaders point to a mix of factors.

Some cite a growing desire for community and structure, others pointing to marriage and family ties, and some say younger Americans in particular are searching for meaning amid uncertainty.

And increasingly, that search for deeper meaning begins online.

Hear Bishop Robert Barron on the Word on Fire podcast.