Catholicism sees major resurgence among Gen Z, with young men leading the revival

Young men are driving a increasing surge successful Catholicism among Gen Z, arsenic they crook to religion arsenic an reply to loneliness, taste drift and a hunt for purpose.

A Harvard University survey shows that Gen Zers who identified arsenic Catholic roseate by 6% betwixt 2022 and 2023, a displacement that Father Michael Tidd — headmaster of Delbarton School, a Benedictine Catholic schoolhouse for young men successful grades 7-12 successful Morristown, New Jersey — says helium has witnessed himself.

"We contiguous our students with an acquisition of what it means to beryllium a follower of Jesus Christ. We propose, we don't impose, and they travel to us, and that seems to beryllium truly resonant with them," helium shared with "Fox & Friends" connected Thursday. 

PRIEST SAYS US CATHOLIC COMMUNITY 'BUSY, IN A GOOD WAY' AS STATS SHOW MASSIVE WAVE OF YOUNG ADULTS CONVERTING

With a transverse of ash connected his forehead, a antheral prays pursuing an Ash Wednesday Mass astatine the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle connected February 22, 2023 successful Washington, DC.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"For the past respective years, we person besides had students beryllium received into the church, either beryllium baptized arsenic Catholics for the archetypal clip oregon to person each of their sacraments, due to the fact that the acquisition that they person had here… of what it means peculiarly to beryllium a antheral successful our society, what it needs to beryllium a believing man, a Catholic Christian man, truly resonates with our students. And the larger things that you work astir successful our nine astir how… what it means to beryllium man, is truly a hard question for a batch of young men to answer. I deliberation our schoolhouse and the Catholic Church much broadly and the Catholic faith much broadly supply a compelling reply to that."

Father Tidd said helium sees students responding to that question successful a faith-based mode "every day."

Students astatine Delbarton travel from a assortment of backgrounds – immoderate from practicing Catholic families, others from non-Catholic families – but each are presented with what it means to beryllium a Catholic Christian some successful the theology schoolroom and portion doing work retired successful the world.

AMERICA IS REDISCOVERING ITS SOUL AND REVIVING THE SACRED

Harvard University canvass shows 6% summation successful Gen Zers identifying arsenic Catholic betwixt 2022 and 2023. (Fox & Friends/Screengrab)

Father Tidd described the school's retreat experiences arsenic a "real game-changer" for students arsenic good arsenic the "common worship" astatine wide and greeting supplication that brings unneurotic each students.

The consciousness of assemblage is an reply to disturbing findings similar a caller Gallup Poll, which recovered that younger men successful the U.S. were "among the loneliest successful the West."

More specifically, 1 successful 4 men nether the property of 35 reported feeling lonely the anterior day, the information revealed.

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Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States appears connected the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, astatine the Vatican, May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane (REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane)

In a video code past week to the faithful successful his hometown of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV sent a connection of encouragement to young Americans. 

"So galore radical who endure from antithetic experiences of slump oregon sadness — they tin observe that the emotion of God is genuinely healing, that it brings hope," the recently elected pontiff said.

Father Tidd suggested that young men affected by loneliness instrumentality inaugural and find others who stock communal experiences, dreams, ambitions and, together, enactment to find answers to questions astir meaning and purpose.

"That's 1 of the benefits of coming to a Catholic school, is that we person that operation that if a pupil wishes to instrumentality vantage of – peculiarly not conscionable successful class, but connected diversion teams oregon extracurriculars – erstwhile you signifier those choky bonds, past you tin statesman to inquire those heavy questions," helium added.