Catholic groups and content creators aim to reach Gen Z – Catholic World Report

Studies have shown a growth in Gen Z’s interest in the Catholic faith. Mindful of this growing trend, Catholic organizations and well-known influencers are working to reach this demographic.

For a generation raised on algorithms and social media trends, Gen Z’s growing curiosity about the Catholic faith might seem unexpected — but it’s happening all the same.

Across campuses, social media, and parish pews, young people in the age range of approximately 14 to 28 years old are quietly pushing back against cultural “noise” and rediscovering the rich traditions of Catholicism.

EWTN News has previously found that several college campuses across the country have witnessed a notable rise in baptisms and confirmations among students in 2025.

The Cardinal Newman Society also found using National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) data that there has been a 75% increase in students attending Catholic colleges. In 1970, the data showed there were 411,111 students enrolled in Catholic colleges; in 2022 there were 717,197.

Mindful of this growing trend, Catholic organizations and well-known influencers are working to reach this demographic.

The newest initiative being launched to reach Gen Z Catholics is Zeale, a digital platform launched by CatholicVote that aims to provide high-quality Catholic content, community, and prayer for this generation.

“Zeale empowers the faithful to find God through news and other high-quality programming, while building community in a way that forms a healthy worldview, deepens conviction, and inspires action,” said Kelsey Reinhardt, president and CEO of CatholicVote, in a press release.

The platform will be available on mobile devices and on desktop. It will also host a wide range of podcasts, documentaries, and programs — some created in-house and others created by independent contributors — ranging from food and fashion, sports and travel, and prayer and spirituality.

Zeale users can also access daily Mass readings, pray with and for others, submit prayer intentions, and join the community in moments when urgent news calls for collective prayer.

“Zeale is the hub for Catholics who want to stay informed and respond together thoughtfully, collectively, and prayerfully when crises arise,” Reinhardt said.

Annual SEEK conference inspires young Catholics

Another Catholic organization aiming to connect with Gen Z is FOCUS, which is known for its missionary work on college campuses. Each year FOCUS organizes the SEEK conference in different cities across the country, bringing tens of thousands of college students together for a five-day conference to encounter Christ through inspiring talks, prayer, adoration, and the sacraments.

This year, SEEK took place in Denver, Dallas, and Columbus, Ohio, and drew more than 26,000 attendees. According to the organizers, that was an attendance record and marked a 24% increase from the previous year.

Bishop Earl Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus played a key role in bringing SEEK to Ohio. He told EWTN News that the conference offers a visible sign of vitality in the Church — particularly among young adults in his diocese and beyond.

“Sometimes the narrative is that the Church is old and that pews are empty,” he said. “In our diocese, the Catholic population has doubled in the past three and a half years, and it’s getting younger. We have many young adults who are on fire with the faith, and there’s a lot happening.”

He added: “My hope is that, both here and around the country, young people are strengthened by seeing others who are enthusiastic about their faith, who have had a personal encounter with the Lord, and who are beginning to think about their vocation.”

Catholic influencers are reaching Gen Z

Catholic content creators and influencers also play a major role in reaching Gen Z, especially since many of these individuals are of that generation themselves.

This past summer the Vatican hosted the Jubilee for Digital Missionaries from July 28–29, 2025, which saw roughly 1,000 content creators gather together to discuss the importance of digital evangelization in the Church today.

One of these content creators was Eliza Monts, known as elizawritesthings to her over 78,000 followers on Instagram. She told EWTN News that it was “an astounding honor” to be invited and felt “very seen and appreciated by the Vatican for my mission of sharing Christ’s love and the beauty of our Church on social media.”

Monts explained that her content “reflects our call as laypersons to ‘live in this world, but not of this world’ — enjoying the lovely things our world can offer us in ordinary, everyday lives, like making fun memories with friends, enjoying morning coffees, getting dressed up for work and Mass, having date nights with my husband — while reflecting the reality that we are children of God loved by him just because we exist, and this truth colors how we interact with the world around us.”

“Decades of research in the social sciences tell us that human beings like to see themselves reflected in the media they consume — we tend to lean towards TV shows, movies, and influencers who look, act, and live similarly to us in their ages and lifestyles,” she added. “To this end, I know that reaching my own generation is effective when I merely share my regular lifestyle as a Gen Z Catholic.”

Mackenzie Hunter, known as acaffeinatedcatholic on Instagram, told EWTN News that she always thinks of “authenticity first” when it comes to creating content with Gen Z in mind.

“This generation has a strong radar for anything that feels forced, overly polished, or purely performative,” she added. “I try to create content that feels honest and rooted in real experience rather than ‘talking at’ people. That means sharing faith as it’s actually lived in everyday life, not as a brand or aesthetic.”

When speaking as to why she believes Gen Z is being drawn toward Catholicism, Hunter said: “I think it’s a response to fragmentation and exhaustion. We’ve grown up in a world of constant noise and shifting truths, and Catholicism offers structure and truth that isn’t reinvented every few years. There’s a deep hunger for rootedness. The Church provides a moral framework that doesn’t depend on trends or feelings. For a generation that’s been told to create its own meaning and is tired of doing so, Catholicism feels grounding.”

Monts added that she hopes it’s “from a profound delight in the fullness of love Jesus offers us — the perfect antidote to the often-performative, sensationalist culture handed to us by the digital world. Where social media can send the message that we’re ‘too much’ or ‘not enough,’ the love of Christ disarms us and provides us with a soft place to land, knowing that we are loved by him not for any performance, but just because we exist.”