A few years ago, I was facilitating a diocesan planning effort and gathered together the bishop and his senior clergy and lay leaders. As we discussed preliminary plans for a commission that could direct the effort, I suggested that the diocese might be wise to ensure that at least two-thirds of the commission be made up of the millennial generation. “That’s a nice idea, Dan,” said one monsignor. “But we will need some adults around the table.” I had to remind the priest that at 41 years of age, I myself was a millennial and that several members of my generation were running small countries.
For the first time, the Church in the United States is ministering to eight living generations. At Catholic Leadership Institute, our decades-long research effort at understanding parish vibrancy was conclusive on multiple fronts. One point in particular is that the majority of parish life is revolving around those over 50. This isn’t intentional, and in large part, the lack of intentionality is the problem. We have not wrestled with the generational shifts or challenged the assumptions that have defined not only parish life over the last half century but society as a whole. With the average age of a diocesan priest at 61 and the average age of lay ecclesial professionals not far behind, we are often more comfortable running a parish playbook that might resemble a 55-and-over community for Catholics rather than a missionary community seeking to “go out and make disciples of all nations.”
Catholic Leadership Institute’s whitepaper on “Reaching, Engaging, and Inspiring the Next Generation” distilled conversations hosted around the country with Catholics in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who represent the entire spectrum of faith practice—from those who are highly invested in faith to those largely disaffiliated. What was most striking about the research was that regardless of which end of the spectrum a millennial or Gen Z Catholic fell, both asked the same question: “Why would I ever register in an average parish?” This response, while difficult to hear, should be a wake-up call for every parish to ensure that as communities of faith we are responsive to three very important ingredients to cultivating a vibrant parish for every generation.
1. Relevance
“The Church keeps answering questions we aren’t asking. Answer the questions we are asking.”
This quote from a Millennial Catholic encapsulates one thing that helps all people connect to the Church, especially younger generations. Why does this matter? In our research, millennial and Gen Z Catholics are not entrenched in their parish of origin and not overly concerned with maintaining institutions for the sake of legacy or continuity. These generations have a general distrust of most institutions. Organizations and communities that they deem worthy need to be authentic in their mission and present a clearer value proposition, engage in conflict directly, and answer questions in an accessible and straightforward manner.
While on its surface this desire for relevance can be perceived as consumeristic, in the dialogues we facilitated, it was more about connecting the deepest truths that the Church teaches to the hurts, wounds, anxieties, and expectations of the day. Blind obedience will not fly, but an authentic invitation to a higher bar or to live a more meaningful life is what these generations are waiting for and desire.
Image: A diagram of generation names by birth year. From left to right: Greatest Generation (1901–1927), Silent Generation (1928–1949), Baby Boomers (1950–1964), Generation X (1965–1979), Millennials (1980–1994), Generation Z (1995–2009), Generation Alpha (2010–2024), Generation Beta (2025–...)
2. Space for Relationship
“The parish is open during the hours that work for retired people. Between 9am and 3pm, I’m working.”
For those younger adult Catholics who self-identified as more “devout,” they often admitted to having to meet for Bible studies in their homes and apartments, not necessarily because they wanted to, but because the neighborhood parish was uninterested or unable to provide space for them to gather. The sacramental schedules were also challenging for young professionals or those just starting their families. Likewise, those with little connection to the Church and their parish were frequently telling tales of a poor welcome or how logistically challenging it was to access things they needed from the parish. Registration and other “paperwork” were often experienced as a way to filter people out in moments that seem like natural opportunities for welcome. Often, millennials and Gen Z seek “third spaces” where they can gather and build community with people who share their interests and values. Rather than have Catholics find third spaces to gather, how can the average parish become a third space?
3. The Virtual Leading to the Incarnational
“Social media is the island on which Gen Z lives; communication is radically different for us.”
We need to make a distinction between that which might constitute a “phase-of-life” difference versus a “generational” difference. An example of a phase of life difference might be physical challenges one experiences in their 60s versus how they felt in their 40s. A generational difference, on the other hand, is that which defines an entire generation’s worldview or experience based on the environment or circumstances in which they were raised. There is no greater generational difference for millennial and Gen Z Catholics than the role technology, especially the digital landscape, plays in their worldview. Even within these generations, we see major shifts in their acceptance and immersion in a digital experience. Throughout the various conversations, there was a healthy tension on the role of the Church and what the average parish needs to live in this environment. On the one hand, social media platforms have all but replaced these generations’ use of email and even text messaging for basic communication. On the other hand, older millennials who are now raising young children and/or have had their own negative experiences with social media addiction are craving a reprieve.
As she has through multiple evolutions and generational inflection points, the Church is poised to actually move from a laggard to a pioneer in navigating a healthy use of technology for the sake of human flourishing and connection. In so many ways, these generations are seeking a model of how to navigate the blessings and curses of a digital lifestyle. Parishes need to be poised to meet younger adults in a virtual reality and pull them into the grace of an incarnational existence.
Among all the challenges and seeming contradictions that often define the Church leadership’s perspective on younger generations, the greatest insight from our conversations was the opportunity. These women and men find themselves at a pivotal time in their lives—choosing career paths and discerning vocations. They have grown up in a world full of virtual friends, artificial intelligence, and instant gratification and have found it wanting. Regardless of their positions on faith, they seek authenticity, relationship, and impact for their lives. At her core, these are the hallmarks of the Catholic Church—marks that are definitional to a life as a disciple—and these will be the characteristics of a parish that thrives in the now and next generations.
Daniel Cellucci is CEO of Catholic Leadership Institute, an apostolate providing leadership training and consulting to religious and lay leaders in more than 120 dioceses.
Access resources for this article at www.catholicleaders.org/whitepapers.
