Gen Z Flocks to Catholic Church, Outpacing Older Generations in Attendance

Generation Z is abandoning the 'spiritual but not religious' label for Roman Catholic churches, spurring a wave of conversions that experts link to a search for moral order, ancient traditions and a turn away from modern secularism.

What started as a possible post-pandemic anomaly has become a clear cultural change. Barna Group data on U.S. faith patterns shows Gen Z Christians now go to church more regularly than Millennials, Gen X or Baby Boomers.

In 2025, the average Gen Z churchgoer attended services almost two weekends a month, the highest rate since records began and double the 2020 figure.

A Catholic conference drew record crowds of 26,000 young people. The trend stands out among young men, who have emerged as a key voting group in recent elections.

A Gallup poll from April 2025 found 42 percent of young men now say religion is 'very important' to them, up from 28 percent in 2023. Young men have surpassed young women in religious commitment for the first time in decades.

The revival centers in liberal cities. New York City parishes lack space for new converts.

At St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village, the congregation has grown to four times its normal size. Witnesses called a recent 6 p.m. Sunday Mass a 'sold-out event.'

"Every inch of pew space was filled, mostly with young adults," a Wall Street Journal report said. "Latecomers squeezed into makeshift rows of plastic folding chairs or stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the foyer... Others squatted on balcony steps for the 90-minute service."

Social elements are growing too. St. Joseph’s 'Pizza to Pews' gathering at a nearby restaurant drew over 200 people, up from 100 in three weeks. Some came from as far as Boston.

The trend appears in social media's 'Trad' movement. Isabella Orlando, 23, a nutrition consultant, started the 'Holy Girl Walk' in Central Park, a Catholic take on the 'hot girl walk.' A video of the group praying the Rosary helped attendance grow from 50 to over 150 women.

Rev. Boniface Endorf, St. Joseph’s pastor, sees the rise as a reaction to modern digital life. "People are looking for more than career and consumption," Endorf said. "What does it mean to grow up? They’re looking for guidance."

Young Catholics favor Traditional Latin Mass and formal rites for a countercultural feel that contrasts with progressive norms in academia and corporations.