Something extraordinary is happening all around the world.
Faith is on the rise.
Young people are rejecting secularism and embracing tradition. They’re tired of the shallow superficiality of social media. They’re craving real connections and meaningful lives.
After decades of declining religious practice, the drop has leveled off thanks to Gen Z, who now are quite likely to be religious:
For the first time in decades, younger adults—Gen Z and Millennials—are now the most regular churchgoers, outpacing older generations, who once formed the backbone of church attendance.
Confessions are up among college students
But we don’t need a survey to see how faith is growing. Just talk to campus ministers and priests who work with college students.
This headline from the National Catholic Register says it all: ‘Golden Age of Ministry’: College Newman Centers Report ‘Staggering’ Surge in Conversions.
Even on secular campuses, Newman Centers are almost overwhelmed with the joyful reality of many new converts.
Aleteia reached out to Fr. Peter Grodi, pastor of St. Thomas More University Parish, which ministers to students at Bowling Green State University.
He described a remarkable rise in the number of people going to Confession:
In the past, we hadn’t had great numbers of people coming to confession. But in recent years, just the last five or six years, it's really begun to expand dramatically.
The parish and Newman Center work closely with the Catholic Falcon student organization to host many events, which are popular and well attended. Fr. Grodi said:
Every Sunday, we have a free meal for any students who want to come after the 5 o'clock Mass. We have a lot of volunteers who help with that.
At the beginning of each year we have a big party that the students really get involved with, trying to spread the word far and wide. It’s our big push to make sure everybody knows that “We're here for you,” to let them know they can be a part of the community here.
Besides these, there are a number of smaller daily and weekly events. The campus has FOCUS missionaries, who organize about 25 Bible studies, plus a number of pilgrimages and social gatherings — and of course, daily Mass, Adoration, and Confession.
Candlelight on the quad
One event this fall was especially memorable. In honor of All Souls Day, about 100 students gathered at Oak Grove Cemetery on campus:
The university actually has a cemetery right in the middle of it, and so we held a candlelight procession there on All Souls Day. We had about 100 students with us this last year, which was beautiful to see.
What’s happening at Bowling Green is happening around the U.S.
No one quite knows why, but young people and college students are turning toward faith. They’re going to Confession. They're going to Mass.
They're seeking Jesus.
It’s incredible to witness this happening in real time. We are living through something remarkable and awe-inspiring.
What a gift to live in such a time as this.
