Catholicism sees major resurgence among Gen Z, led by men

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

A Harvard University study shows that Gen Zers who identified arsenic Catholic rose 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 he has witnessed himself.

“We coming our students pinch an acquisition of what it intends to beryllium a follower of Jesus Christ. We propose, we don’t impose, and they travel to us, and that seems to beryllium really resonant pinch them,” he shared pinch “Fox & Friends” connected Thursday. 

“For nan past respective years, we person besides had students beryllium received into nan church, either beryllium baptized arsenic Catholics for nan first clip aliases to person each of their sacraments, because nan acquisition that they person had here… of what it intends peculiarly to beryllium a man successful our society, what it needs to beryllium a believing man, a Catholic Christian man, really resonates pinch our students. And nan larger things that you publication astir successful our nine astir how… what it intends to beryllium man, is really a difficult mobility for a batch of young men to answer. I deliberation our schoolhouse and nan Catholic Church much broadly and the Catholic faith more broadly supply a compelling reply to that.”

Father Tidd said he sees students responding to that mobility successful a faith-based measurement “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 pinch what it intends to beryllium a Catholic Christian some successful nan theology schoolroom and while doing work retired successful nan world.

Father Tidd described nan school’s retreat experiences arsenic a “real game-changer” for students arsenic good arsenic nan “common worship” astatine wide and greeting dream that brings together each students.

The consciousness of organization is an reply to disturbing findings for illustration a recent Gallup Poll, which recovered that younger men successful nan U.S. were “among nan loneliest successful nan West.”

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

In a video reside past week to nan religious successful his hometown of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV sent a message of encouragement to young Americans. 

“So galore group who suffer from different experiences of slump aliases sadness — they tin observe that nan emotion of God is genuinely healing, that it brings hope,” nan recently elected pontiff said.

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

“That’s 1 of nan benefits of coming to a Catholic school, is that we person that building that if a student wishes to return advantage of – peculiarly not conscionable successful class, but connected diversion teams aliases extracurriculars – erstwhile you shape those tight bonds, past you tin statesman to inquire those heavy questions,” he added.