A new survey investigating recent converts to Catholicism has found that they generally skew urban and professional, with about half of participants already having been baptised before their reception into the Church.

The survey invited catechumens across England, Scotland and Wales who were to be received into the Church at Easter this year to take part, asking participants questions relating to their background, values, and liturgical preferences.

Prof Francis Davis, who presented his findings at WeBelieve, highlighted the significance of more than half of participants in the survey being previously baptised, stating that instead of a ‘quiet revival’ there was a ‘quiet transfer market’. It suggests that what appears to be a notable proportion of Generation Z coming to God may largely also reflect young Protestants coming to Catholicism.

Davis said: "At this point though our findings point not to a 'quiet revival' but to a flow of people between denominations – more 'denominational recycling' than some of the dramatic claims made by some. Most importantly it would seem that a good parish, a proactive parish priest and the kindness of acquaintances remain crucial to the journeys of those becoming Catholic or returning to the Church as adults."

Of the 53 per cent of catechumens who were baptised, a plurality of 49 per cent were Anglican, making up the largest proportion of converts from other denominations. In contrast, just 29 per cent were baptised Catholics returning to the Faith. Methodists and Presbyterians each account for six per cent.

Eighty per cent of the 700 catechumens surveyed said that the experience of attending Mass attracted them towards converting, with around 18 per cent listing a preference for Latin in the liturgy. Some 90 per cent of respondents cited a growing awareness of the presence of God as influencing their conversion.

The study, expected to be released this autumn, also found that a majority of converts came from professional backgrounds, and were more likely than the general population to have postgraduate qualifications.

Anecdotal evidence appears to corroborate the findings. This year, the chaplaincy at St Andrews University noted a dramatic increase in student conversions. Mgr Patrick Burke, the parish priest of St James Church and Catholic chaplain to the University of St Andrews, said that priests from across the world were also reporting a greater interest from people wishing to become Catholic.

“I’ve been a priest for 35 years. I’ve never experienced anything like this,” he said, noting that the parish now requires two RCIA groups to keep up with demand.

This Easter in the US, multiple dioceses reported the highest numbers of people being received into the Church in decades. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston had its most in 15 years and the Archdiocese of Detroit was the most in 21 years. The Archdiocese of Washington beat last year’s numbers, which itself had previously been the highest in 15 years.