PROSPECT HEIGHTS – Catholic leaders have long expressed their concern that young people are drifting further and further away from the faith, but the results of a recent study show a shift might be underway.
The study, published on Jan. 21 by the Springtide Research Institute, shows that Catholicism is the most popular denomination among young Christians ages 13-25 in the U.S., with 28% identifying as Catholic in 2024 and 42% expressing an “undoubting belief” in a higher power.
Father James Kuroly, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn, said he’s grateful but not surprised by the findings, and has noticed for a long time how strong the faith is among young people.
He credited the diocese’s robust offerings for young people as part of the reason why.
“I think one of the reasons why we’re seeing a number of young adults increasing their involvement is because the Church –– especially the local churches in the Diocese of Brooklyn –– is really focused and really trying to bring that invitation to our young adults,” Father Kuroly said. “When I was a young adult, it seemed to me that there was nothing offered. I think there is more being offered for our young adults so that they could have an encounter with Christ and his Church.”
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The diocese’s offerings to young adults include a monthly formation session on Zoom and periodic retreats hosted by individual parishes. The diocese has also organized a trip to Rome for young adult Catholics to participate in the upcoming Jubilee of Youth.
What the stats show, according to Father Kuroly, is a more profound need many young people feel to belong to communities that offer support and share a belief in something greater than themselves.
“I think young adults look at what the world offered the generation before them, and it leaves them very lonely, very isolated, and very sad,” Father Kuroly said.
“I think our young adults of this generation look at that and they don’t want that for themselves,” he added. “They recognize their need for Christ, their need for the Church, their need for community, and their need to express that love in that faith in an open and genuine way.”
Bishop Robert Brennan said the findings in the Springtide Research Institute study are encouraging, noting the positive trend is something seen across the diocese. He highlighted an increase in campus ministry and young adult groups and vocation retreats as positive signs, as well as an upcoming pilgrimage to Rome that hundreds of young people from the diocese will embark on.
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“Young people are looking for something meaningful to hold onto. They are attracted to movements with clear and authentic teaching of the Gospel,” Bishop Brennan said. “They are looking for credible witness and a sense of what I call “the joy of the Gospel and the splendor of truth.”
Locally, there’s also been a notable rise in participation in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), which aligns with national reports of a growing number of people converting to the faith. At St. John’s University, for example, inquiries for the 2026 program have already more than doubled compared to previous years, according to Andrea Pinnavaia, the Campus Ministry’s Director of Liturgy, Faith Formation and Mission Communication.
From 2012 to 2025, more than 225 students have been initiated into the Church, and the numbers have risen in recent years. In 2022, 10 students completed the university’s RCIA courses. In 2023, the number rose to 15, and in 2024, it jumped again to 19, a number that remained for 2025, according to data provided by Pinnavaia.
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For 2026, she said they have already received more than 50 inquiries.
Many of the students were raised in the Catholic faith, but didn’t get the chance to receive the sacraments, while others are converting from another religion.
“What we’re hearing from them is that there are these moments throughout their lives that they felt a push towards Catholicism, and hopefully we can just reach out at the right time in their lives, and that they’re ready to answer that call,” Pinnavaia said. “Not all students answer right away. Sometimes they will be a senior or on their way to grad school, but we want them to know that the door to initiation is always open.”