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Generation Z is abandoning the “spiritual but not religious” label of the Roman Catholic Church, fueling a shift that experts say is driven by a desire for moral order, ancient tradition, and a rejection of modern religion.
What was once dismissed as a post-pandemic outbreak has turned into a measurable cultural shift. According to recent data from the Barna Group, a firm that tracks US religion, Gen Z Christians now attend church more often than Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
In 2025, the average Gen Z churchgoer attended services nearly two weekends a month—the highest rate since tracking began and a 100% increase from 2020 levels.
CATHOLIC CONFERENCE SETS RECORDS AS 26,000 YOUNG PEOPLE ATTEND FAITH MEETING
Young people, especially young men in urban areas like New York City are promoting both conversion and attendance at church services and social gatherings. (Stock)
The shift is most pronounced among young men, a demographic that has become a growing and competitive voting platform in recent election cycles.
A Gallup poll released in April 2025 revealed a dramatic increase in the importance of religion among young men. About 42% of young men now report that religion is “very important” to them, up from 28% in 2023. For the first time in recent history, young men have surpassed young women in religious commitment—a reversal of a decades-long trend in American sociology.
The pinnacle of this renaissance is surprisingly located in the blue-green urban areas. In New York City, parish communities are struggling to find enough floor space to accommodate the influx of new parishioners.
At St Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village it is reported that the church has blown balloons four times its normal size. The latest 6pm mass on Sunday was described by spectators as a “sold-out event.”
“Every seat was filled, mostly by seniors,” said a recent Wall Street Journal report on the scene. “Late arrivals crammed into folding plastic chairs or stood shoulder to shoulder on the stage… Others crouched on balcony steps for the 90-minute service.”
The “social” aspect of faith is also developing. In St. Joseph’s, a pre-Mass “Pizza to Pews” gathering at a nearby restaurant saw attendance jump from 100 to more than 200 in just three weeks, with some young adults traveling from as far away as Boston to attend.
POLL FINDS STRONGER GROWTH IN PEOPLE WHO CALL RELIGION ‘VERY IMPORTANT’
The young women also used social media to encourage other young women to seek fellowship and guidance in Catholicism by attending church-related events and community groups. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
This trend can also be seen in “Trad” (traditional) lifestyles on social media. Isabella Orlando, 23, a nutritionist, launched the “Holy Girl Walk” in Central Park—a Catholic spin on the viral “hot girl walk”.
What started as a small meeting of 50 women grew to more than 150 participants after a video of the group praying the Rosary went viral.
Pastor Boniface Endorf, pastor at St. Joseph’s, he believes this reaction is a direct response to the emptiness of modern digital life.
“People want more than work and utility,” Endorf said. “What does it mean to grow up? They want guidance.”
This movement comes as many young Catholics express a preference for the “Traditional Latin Mass” and formal liturgies, seeking a “cultural” experience that differs greatly from the progressive values prevalent in modern academia and corporate culture.
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People participate in the Easter Parade and the annual Bonnet Festival outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on April 17, 2022.
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