Is the Catholic Church... Growing?

The Catholic Church is having a moment right now. In what seems to be a complete  reversal of where we were 20 years ago,   the Church is actually growing in the United  States. Parishes and campus ministries are   reporting record number of people entering  the Church, vocations are up across the board,   and conferences like SEEK and NCYC  are beginning to outgrow major venues.

Most surprising of all is that these increased  numbers are not from older generations,   but younger ones. Recent reporting has  suggested that Gen Z, those aged 13 to 28,   are actually the most consistent  Church goers across all denominations. What the what?

I was on this channel not three  years ago talking about how we needed to take   seriously our evangelization efforts lest  we fade to obscurity, that people would not   just show up on our doorsteps looking to join  the Church… and then they all just showed up? Now, I don’t think our problems are magically  fixed and we can just quit our efforts—even   with recent increases most people are still  not living as disciples of Jesus and the   largest generation of priests and religious  are already starting to retire or pass away,   so we still have a lot of work to  do—but there are signs of hope. The Catholic Church is absolutely  having a moment right now.

But why? What is fundamentally different about  the Church and world today than, say,   10 years ago when we were still in free fall and  millennials were leaving the Church in droves?   Why is Gen Z different?

I think there are three  reasons, each with its own hope and challenge,   and I’ll admit, the last one is  a bit of a controversial one. 1. Cynicism and anxiety about the world.

Among the most defining features of Gen Z is their  cynicism and anxiety about the world around us. This is not to say y’all don’t have  wonderful qualities. Your humor is   unmatched.

You’re incredibly creative.  You are transforming the workplace and   discussions around mental health  in ways my generation only hoped   to. You do a lot of things really well…  But you are soooo cynical and anxious.

Whereas my generation grew up in a  largely peaceful, globally thriving world,   leading us to believe that the world  was generally good and could make us   ultimately happy, this was never the case for you. You grew up in a post-9/11 world.  You’ve seen multiple recessions,   a global pandemic, the dismantling  of the American political system and   destabilization of the civil world order,  and the worst era of Star Wars movies.

To add gasoline to the flames, social  media has amplified fringe voices,   forced us to stay constantly  connected while leaving us isolated,   bombarded us with negativity, and made  people afraid of becoming the next meme. As you would say, we’re cooked. For better or for worse, Gen Z just  isn’t buying the hopeful story anymore.  

There is no trust in organizations, no  motivation to be a part of the rat race,   no hope that the world will work itself out.  That ship has sailed. If we’re going to be   happy, it’s not going to come from  something as broken as this world.

And that’s the key right there. While I would  still like to challenge you all to be a little   more hopeful and to see that there are a  lot of good things and people in the world,   the cynicism and anxiety that you possess  has caused you to break free of the shallow   promises that the world has been feeding us for  millennia, and to look for meaning elsewhere. In something that has been proven to  last.

In something that has stood up   to criticism and still moves forward. In something   not of human making but from beyond.  Yes, in Jesus Christ and his Church.

But not just the Church in general,  in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches,   institutions with history, with foundations, with  transcendent liturgies and ancient practices,   traditions so old we’ve often  forgotten where they came from. This is not just a TikTok trend that will  captivate the world and be gone tomorrow,   this is something that matters, that  gives our lives stability and purpose,   and challenges us to deeper holiness. The Church is a steady ship  guiding us where we need to be,   a strong levy against the crashing waves,  a peaceful shelter from the chaotic world.

It is in Jesus Christ that this generation  has finally found someone to trust,   and so for the first time, they can relax. Why are so many people joining the  Church today? Well, at least in part,   because the world has proven itself incapable  of providing lasting happiness and people are   looking for something deeper, stronger, and  more reliable.

But there is another reason. 2. Access to information and community.

When I was growing up, if you wanted  to learn about the Catholic Church,   you had to go to a Catholic  Church. Sure, there were books,   but we didn’t like reading back then either and  there was no way to stumble into good materials. Today, social media rules our attention and  the algorithm is king.

More than in any time   in history, you can access millions of hours  of good, inspiring, helpful content about our   faith from anywhere in the world. For better or  for worse, you can find yourself introduced to   Christian content and sucked down a rabbit hole,  even if that’s not what you were looking for. On this channel alone, I have nearly 700  videos.

At the time of making this video,   there are 146 Catholicism in Focus videos,  explaining some part of our faith in simple   language. I also have an Instagram and TikTok  account that produce different types of videos,   showing insights into my life and  offering hopeful images of the Church. Of course, my channel isn’t the only or even  most significant one.

You’ve got the OG,   Bishop Barron, who has over 1700 videos,  Ascension presents over 1800. Fr. Mike’s   podcast is one of the most listened to in the US. 

Katie McGrady is killing it with her radio show. Just the fact that there is a Catholic  celebrity culture is wild to me now,   that there are national and international figures  besides the pope that kids can look up to,   that normalize the church, present it as  cool, and make it accessible to anyone. This has allowed conferences like  SEEK and NCYC to be not just small   informational sessions teens are forced  to go to by their DREs, but exciting,   faith-filled encounters that attract thousands  of people each year.

Things like this just didn’t   exist a generation ago, at least not to  this scale, not to this level of excitement. If you’ve ever been to a conference like this,   heard inspiring talks with thousands of people  around you, you know that it can change you. The internet and Catholic conferences have  attracted new audiences, connected people to   the Church, and enlivened us like never before. 

It has made the Church visible and accessible   in a way that it just wasn’t before, making  it attractive in a way it just wasn’t before. Why are many people joining the  Church today? Because for many,   they’re seeing what it can be, in  all its splendor, for the first time.

Then again, not everyone is attracted to  it for the same, or even good, reasons,   which is why we need to be wary of the  third reason the Church is growing. 3. The Church can be a Political hideout As much as I want to believe that the first  two reasons are driving our growth, and that   people are coming to us because they  want to be disciples of Jesus Christ,   there is at least some evidence to suggest that  politics plays a part.

Particularly among men,   the Catholic Church offers conservative  friendly cover in the culture wars. Data suggest that Gen Z, especially  Gen Z men, are more conservative than   Millennials were at the same age. And for  some of them, what initially attracts them   to the Church isn’t its teachings on  mercy, solidarity, or social justice,   but its clarity around sexuality, gender,  authority, and traditional family life.

Which, don’t get me wrong, are not bad things.  These are legitimate teachings of the Church.   The Church should be a moral voice that  challenges a confused and often incoherent   culture.

If people are drawn in by the truth  the Church speaks, that’s a good thing. As long as that attraction ultimately  leads to conversion in Jesus Christ,   and doesn’t merely provide political  cover for positions they already hold. What concerns me—and what I think we need  to be honest about—is when people take the   name Catholic…but do not convert their hearts. 

When someone comes into the Church because of   political agreement on certain issues, but seems  interested only in using the Church to bolster   their position in the culture wars, rather than  being shaped by the fullness of Catholic teaching. In those cases, politics doesn’t get converted  by faith—faith gets subordinated to politics. You see it when Catholicism is embraced  enthusiastically right up until the Church   challenges them.

When the conversation  turns to immigration, economic justice,   racism, care for the poor, or the  radical demands of the Beatitudes,   suddenly the Church is “confused,”  “compromised,” or “too political. ” This is a not a straw man or rare hypothetical.  I have experienced this more than a few times,   and it is something worth being aware of. 

Some people are more interested in the   political capital the Church possesses  than they are in a life with Jesus. Why are so many people joining the Church today.  At least in part, it’s because of politics.

And so what do we do with this information?  How do we seize the moment that we’re in? We   must build upon what already attracts them to  us to provide a full picture of the Church.

For those running from a chaotic  world and looking for stability,   maybe that means leaning into traditional  liturgical styles, devotional practices,   and clarity in teaching, offering a  reliable place to get their footing… And then we offer the challenge to see  that there are parts of the world that   are actually good and given reason for hope,  and that faith can grow through innovation   not just tradition. Meet them where they  are, and challenge them to go further. For those enamored with Catholic  celebrity culture and online resources,   let’s continue to bolster our media  efforts and grow our conferences so   that more people than ever can  encounter inspirational figures… And then we offer the challenge to move from  fans of celebrities to followers of Jesus,   from consumers of content to committing  to an embodied lifestyle.

We meet them   where they are, an challenge them to go further. For those seeking moral clarity in culture wars,   we must not back down from difficult conversations  or hide from our stances on conservative issues.   Maybe this is the moment where we even  emphasize them more than other things… And then we offer the challenge  to see the whole picture, to not   just baptize our politics but to actually  transform us to want and love all that God   does, and to go beyond the desire to win  a culture war to a desire to win hearts.

No matter what initially attracts someone to a  life in Jesus, conversion is always necessary.   It’s exciting that so many people are showing  up to our doors, but we’re not just looking for   warm bodies with bank accounts and influence,  we’re looking to form missionary disciples,   people who put Jesus above all and begin  to think like God does, not the world. None of us shows up perfectly ready to live  this life.

No one is a saint from the moment   of their baptism. That’s fine. The fact that  people are showing up incomplete is not only   to be expected but welcomed.

Trust that God will  continue to move within their hearts and work,   yourself, to be an example of  the fullness of God’s teachings.