Five Years After COVID’s Darkest Easter, American Churches Overflow With Renewed Faith

Five years ago, Easter in America looked nothing like the bustling, joy-filled holiday we know. Instead, Christians across the country found themselves isolated, anxious, and locked out of their beloved churches—something that once seemed unimaginable in a nation founded on religious freedom. Church bells echoed through empty streets, ringing both comfort and a kind of cruel irony.

The pandemic’s arrival in early 2020 cast a long, strange Lent, with the "Chinese virus" (as the writer called it) marking a time of separation from both churches and loved ones. Many, myself included, remember the eerie quiet, the sense of loss, and the hope that somehow things would return to normal. But if you’d told me back then that those shut doors would someday lead to a surge in religious attendance, I probably would’ve raised an eyebrow—or two.

This year, however, churches are not just open—they’re packed. Reports from the National Catholic Register say Catholic parishes are seeing a whopping 30-70% increase in attendance, and it’s not just Catholics who are coming back. The New York Post even ran a headline declaring, "Young people are converting to Catholicism en masse — driven by pandemic, internet, ‘lax’ alternatives." It’s not every day you see Gen Z trading TikTok for the rosary.

The story feels almost biblical: after periods of suffering—banishment from Eden, the flood, the Exodus, Christ’s 40 days in the desert—comes a renewal of faith. During the pandemic, especially for young people, isolation felt like a modern wilderness. With playgrounds swapped for smartphones, the real world felt far away. But at church, the sense of community is as real as it’s ever been. There, you’re never truly alone, no matter what the outside world throws your way.

As spring brings warmth and life back to our neighborhoods, it’s hard not to reflect on those cold, lonely days and feel a sense of gratitude for what we have now—family gatherings, handshakes, hugs, and the freedom to worship as we choose, mask-free and in person. It’s the kind of "old normal" we once took for granted, but now savor like never before.

Personally, I was reminded of this just the other night, waiting (a little impatiently) to pick up my son from church class. Seeing him and his friends, laughing about faith instead of memes, I realized how lucky we are to have these moments back. The inconvenience melted away into gratitude.

So, is America on the verge of a full-blown religious revival? Maybe it’s too soon to call it, but the signs are definitely looking up. After all, if a pandemic can’t keep the faithful away for long, what can?