America’s renewal begins with the Eucharist
'At the foot of the Washington Monument, I will lift the Eucharist'
Gen Z is the least religious generation. It also goes to Church the most. While most Zoomers reject the ‘outdated superstitions’ of their parents, a devout minority remains highly engaged. Young Americans are not lukewarm. They’re either all-out or all-in.
In 2024, the Pew Research Center found historic lows in religiosity among 18–29-year-olds. However, a new Gallup study reports that the share of 18–29-year-old men attending monthly religious services is the highest since 2012-2013, matching female religious attendance, which has remained consistent.
Sociologists can debate the causes and consequences of this paradox, but from my perspective as a Catholic priest, young people are flocking to the pews. A spiritual awakening is taking place, rooted in something deeper than mere enthusiasm. For many, the search for meaning amid the emptiness of modern life leads to an unexpected realization: that God is truly present under the appearance of a small piece of bread. That is, the Eucharist.
Mainstream media headlines like “Why Catholicism is drawing in Gen Z men,” “New York’s Hottest Club Is the Catholic Church,” and “Young New Yorkers Have a New Hot Spot: Sunday Mass,” capture the religious resurgence among young Americans. Viral videos depicting hundreds of young adults gathering for pizza socials then walking to Mass reflect what I see firsthand: young people crave God, and the Eucharist satisfies that hunger.
This past year saw a historic wave of Catholic converts at parishes across America. Dioceses on average saw a nearly 40% increase in converts, according to Hallow. From increases of 60% in Philadelphia and 100% in Omaha to 115% in Tulsa and 139% in Los Angeles, American Catholicism is booming.
Catholic conversions coincide with increased Eucharistic devotion.
In 2019, a Pew Research Center study found that only 3 in 10 Catholics believed in the Catholic teaching on the True Presence. In response to the Pew study, American bishops launched the National Eucharistic Revival to improve Eucharistic catechesis and worship.
The 2024 Eucharistic Congress, a national event celebrating Jesus in the Eucharist, attracted more than 60,000 attendees. Dioceses opened 24-hour adoration chapels to make Eucharistic holy hours (when Catholics spend an hour in prayer before the Eucharist) more accessible to parishioners.
Last year, this Revival reached a pinnacle when Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, led a Eucharistic procession through the streets of Rome to celebrate Corpus Christi Sunday, the Catholic feast day honoring the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. This weekend, Pope Leo will again lead a Corpus Christi Eucharistic procession, but in Madrid, Spain.
Last week, a multi-state Eucharistic pilgrimage began in St. Augustine, Florida, where one of the first Catholic Masses on American soil was celebrated in 1565. The pilgrimage route ends on July Fourth in Philadelphia, home to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Eucharistic Revival’s fruits are still unfolding. New studies show that 7 out of 10 practicing Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. Not only that, lay Catholics report an increase in “helping those in need or volunteering for charity” since the Revival began. To put it simply, the Eucharist not only draws souls to church but also transforms society.
I’ve seen this transformation firsthand at the Catholic Information Center (CIC) in Washington, D.C. Tomorrow, in solidarity with Pope Leo, over 1,000 Catholics (mostly young adults, families, and children) will join in song and prayer during our Eucharistic procession through the streets of the nation’s capital. Just weeks before America’s 250th birthday, our procession takes on special significance as we reflect on the most powerful line in the Pledge of Allegiance: one nation under God.
Tonight, I will offer a special blessing for America in the heart of our nation’s capital. At the foot of the Washington Monument, I will lift the Eucharist, enthroned in a magnificent golden monstrance, and consecrate our country to the True Presence of the Body of Christ.
The United States must depend on God. The young people flocking to churches and Sunday Mass are searching for something deeper than community or comfort. They are searching for transcendence, and many find it in the Body of Christ.
If America wishes to remain “one nation under God” for the next 250 years, then we must devote ourselves to the Eucharist.
Fr. Charles Trullols is the director of the Catholic Information Center.