(ZENIT News – OMPress / Singapore, 03.12. 2026) – The Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore will receive the largest number of new Catholics in recent years this coming Easter. The Rite of Election, celebrated in various parishes, was attended by 1,089 catechumens, along with 158 candidates from various Christian denominations.
On the weekend of February 21 and 22, some 978 catechumens and 155 candidates participated in the Rite of Election and Call to Ongoing Conversion in English, at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Highland Road and the Church of Christ the King in Ang Mo Kio. On March 1, the ceremony took place in Chinese for 111 catechumens and six candidates, according to the same Archdiocese.
Father Terence Kesavan, Director of the Singapore Office for Catechesis, explained that the increase in conversions may have been influenced by the intensification of active evangelization of young people and the positive impression Catholicism made on Singaporeans during Pope Francis’s visit in 2024, which gave lay people the opportunity to share their faith with friends and acquaintances. «It is thanks to the evangelization efforts of the Catholic community that people feel moved and inspired to want to follow Christ,» he explained.
The three ceremonies of the Rite of Election for catechumens, and of the Call to Ongoing Conversion for candidates already baptized in another Christian tradition, were presided over by Cardinal William Goh and priests representing parishes throughout the Archdiocese. After the singing of the Litany of the Saints, the catechumens approached the altar to write their names in the «Book of the Elect» as a promise of fidelity. As Father Kesavan pointed out to them before beginning: «You have made the decision to draw closer to the Church and learn more about God and the faith, but today we are celebrating God’s election: God is choosing you.»
During the registration of names, some of the chosen candidates had the opportunity to share their faith stories with Cardinal Goh. Among them was Dr. Susanna Bay, 55, Academic Director of the National Institute of Early Childhood Development. She explained that, although Protestant, she felt drawn to Catholic churches and her Catholic friends. While preparing for marriage about 20 years ago, her Pastor encouraged her to attend the Catholic Marriage Preparation Course. This “disconnect,” as Dr. Bay described it, between her Protestant roots and her affinity for the Catholic faith ultimately prompted her to join the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program at St. Alphonsus Church with her mother last year.
Another chosen one was Mr. Wang Xi Heng, 22. He came from China to study in Singapore seven years ago. He had difficulty coping with the cultural differences and sought spiritual guidance from his Catholic landlady. She took him to Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and introduced him to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program. “At first, Mass seemed chaotic,” Mr. Wang recalled. “I didn’t know why I had to stand up and sit down, or whether I should receive Communion.” “But after attending several times, it began to be a pleasure,” he said. “Weekly Mass helps me build strength for the following week.”
