According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), St. Joseph’s Cathedral in New York is bustling like a sold-out performance on a recent Sunday evening.
Seats, aisles and entrances were filled, and latecomers were forced to sit or stand in folding chairs and worship. Most of the attendees are young, and there is no time to step on the 90-minute mass.
The phenomenon is not just a one-off event. In recent months, a group of young people in their 20s have formed a group called “Pizza to Pews,” where they have meals together before Mass and then visit the cathedral as a group.
The number of participants has increased from 100 in the first week to 200 in three weeks, and some are even risking long-distance trips. “No one wants to go to Mass alone. It is better than spending hundreds of dollars at a bar,” a 22-year-old youth told the WSJ.
Statistics also confirm this change. According to the Barna Group, Catholicism of Generation Z is more likely to attend church than Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers. As of 2025, Generation Z attended mass nearly twice a month on average, the highest level since the related survey.
In particular, interest in religion has increased significantly among young men. According to the Gallup poll, 42 percent of young men said religion is very important in 2025, up from 28 percent in 2023.
Experts point to the desire for community, political and social unrest, and economic uncertainty that have grown since the COVID-19 pandemic as the background of this change. In fact, some young people are also interested in traditional ways of faith and are newly embracing the culture of rosary prayer and mass attire.
Similar trends are being observed in other cathedrals in New York. St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral also saw an increase in the number of young believers, which naturally led to exchange meetings and meal appointments after Mass.
Religious activities are spreading into new social and romantic cultures. Catholic dating platform SacredSpark said New York is one of the fastest growing regions.
More and more young people are sharing their personal experiences. A woman in her 20s who works in New York said she planned a “Holy Girl Walk” with rosary prayers at Central Park, and the number of participants surged from dozens to more than 150.
Another woman shares the daily life of spending Sundays on social media with friends for mass and brunch, saying, “My faith has grown significantly since I came to New York.”
The actual number of converts is also on the rise. In St. Joseph’s Cathedral, about 90 new Catholics were made this Easter, double the number of the previous year.
The cathedral sees this phenomenon as more than just loneliness. “People are looking for more than just jobs and spending,” a priest said. “They are looking for guidance on what it is to be an adult and the direction of life.”
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
