by Brett Manero
In recent years, we American Catholics have heard many horror stories of just how secular Europe has become. It’s been said that there are still many Catholic churches in Europe, but they are empty. Mass attendance and faith overall has diminished significantly on the old Christian Continent. While the light of Catholicism is rising in places like Africa and Asia, Europe is quickly falling away.
But this is not the picture I saw while in France this past August of 2025. For nine days, I traveled throughout the “Church’s eldest daughter,” visiting Paris, Lourdes, Bayeux and the surrounding areas of Normandy, and Lisieux. It is true that many places in Europe have gone secular and the Catholic faith has dwindled. Recent developments in the German church have been rather alarming. But France remains something different: just as the French nation was the first to be built up by the Church in Western Europe, perhaps it is leading the way in a great resurgence of faith on the Old Continent.
I began my trip in Paris, flying from Denver to Paris via Reykjavik, Iceland, traveling on Iceland Air. This airline is excellent: offering unbeatable summer discounts to Paris from Denver, this airline is a fine option for those who willing to forgo certain airline comforts (such as hundreds of movie options and a provided meal) for cheaper prices. It is also an excellent option for someone (myself included) who utterly detests flying across the ocean: Iceland Air trips from North America to Europe typically will stop in Iceland first, removing a vast amount of flight time across the water. Stopping over in Reykjavik, one gets a decent view of the ruggedness of Iceland, even if one doesn’t have enough time to leave the airport to explore.
From there, I hopped on the second flight to Paris, arriving at the City of Light’s massive Charles de Gualle Airport, from where I took the fairly-easy metro to the closest stop to Notre Dame Cathedral, staying at a hotel near the monumental cathedral. After sleeping off the dreadfulness of jet lag, I explored the city, and what a city Paris really is. I found an evening Mass about a twenty-minute walk from where I stayed, and I was amazed not only at the enduring beauty of the old church, but also by how many people were in attendance. It was a Wednesday evening, and because of it being a daily Mass and because I had heard that very few attend Mass regularly in France, I did not expect a high turnout. I was soon humbled, however, when I saw a solid crowd for a daily Mass show up: young and old, black and white, many attended this Mass. This filled me with a great deal of hope for a resurgence of the ancient faith not only within the Church’s Eldest Daughter, but throughout the universal Church.
From Paris, I drove a solid nine hours to Lourdes (more coming on the overall trip to France) where I made a quick pilgrimage for a day and a half. I arrived late on August 14th, and was therefore present there for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary the following day. Lourdes is truly a magnificent jewel in the sea of Marian apparitions (more coming on my trip to Lourdes). The sheer number of pilgrims – young and old, black and white, from all around the world – was staggering. I was especially impressed by the number of young people there – university-aged students, spending their summers volunteering with this sacred place.
From Lourdes, I made my way north to Normandy, where I stayed in a monastery in Bayeux. Nearby is the old Cathedral of Bayeux, where Sunday Mass was packed. Even the small chapel in the old monastery was also packed on a Sunday. Staying at the monastery for five days, I had breakfast daily with fellow travelers. Several of them happened to be young adults from Paris who were taking a break from the big city to enjoy the prayer time at the monastery. It reminded me of the immensely strong young adult communities in the United States, and the countless Catholic young adults that one finds in places like Denver and Washington, DC. There were only a few of them at the monastery, but I thought of it as a microcosm of a greater resurgence of the Catholic faith that must be taking place in the French nation.
Upon returning to Denver, a colleague of mine claimed that France had the “most baptisms” in 2025 – I assume he meant the most baptisms of any country throughout the world. I need to confirm this but, if it is true, that is immensely encouraging.
The Catholic faith can never die out. It may diminish and the Church may grow smaller at particular times in its history, but the faith will always rise again.
