Young adults, particularly from Generation Z, are filling pews at Catholic churches in New York City and beyond, drawn by community, faith, and shared values in what researchers describe as a measurable uptick in religious participation.
At St. Joseph’s Church in Greenwich Village, New York City, The Wall Street Journal reported a recent Sunday evening Mass that drew a standing-room-only crowd made up largely of people in their 20s, with attendees filling the foyer and balcony steps as the church reached capacity.
Before Mass, many of those young adults had gathered at a nearby pizza spot for “Pizza to Pews,” a casual meetup organized by two young Catholics that has grown from 100 attendees in its first week to 200 by the third, pulling participants from as far as Boston and Long Island, according to the Journal.
The trend aligns with broader data. As Zeale News reported, Gen Z Christians are attending church more frequently than older generations, averaging nearly two weekends a month in 2025 — the highest rate tracked by the Barna Group and up from about one weekend a month in 2020. A Gallup poll from April found 42% of young men in 2025 said religion was “very important” to them, a sharp rise from 28% in 2023.
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‘Holy Girl Walk’ draws crowds
One popular event for the young women in New York City is the “Holy Girl Walk,” a Catholic take on the “hot girl walk” social media trend.
Isabella Orlando, 23, a nutrition consultant who moved to New York two years ago, started the gatherings in Central Park where young women pray the Rosary together. The first event drew about 50 participants; the second has more than 150 sign-ups after a video went viral. Some passersby joined upon hearing the prayers the first time around.
“This is about meeting people rooted in the same values as you,” Orlando said. According to the Journal, many of the young women who participate have taken up veiling during Mass or praying the Rosary — practices new to them as adults.
Catholic participation surges among young adults in San Francisco
Across the country, pastors and parish leaders have reported similar trends among young adults. At St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in San Francisco, Fr. Michael Hurley, O.P., said an unusual number of about 100 people entered the Church at Easter this year, with much of the growth coming from adults under 40, especially men in their 20s and 30s.
“There’s a huge influx in younger people,” parishioner Brian Phelan told local station KGO-TV. Another attendee, Carson Schmidt, said he had noticed more friends becoming curious about faith and attending Mass.
The Archdiocese of San Francisco reported a nearly 8% increase in new Catholics compared with the previous year. Fr. Hurley said many young adults appear drawn to the Church by a search for peace, purpose, and community during a period of economic and social uncertainty. His parish has also built a strong social scene around its younger members, hosting monthly happy hours and meetups for Catholics in their 20s and 30s.