Thousands of Christians flooded the National Mall on Sunday to attend Rededicate 250, an opportunity to publicly pray and worship in Washington alongside their fellow Americans ahead of the nation’s Semiquincentennial.
Among them were 22-year-old Anthony Gross and 26-year-old Kate DePetro, who have seen firsthand the resurgence of faith in even the most secular cities, especially among America’s youth.
Gen Z has been regarded as the “anxious generation,” so it’s no wonder they are flocking to Christianity. Gross and DePetro have had a front row seat to this revival with their viral “Pizza to Pews” meetups in New York City, where young Catholics gather for a slice before attending mass in the middle of Manhattan.
“It happened very authentically,” DePetro told the Daily Caller. “Anthony and I, when he lived in New York, both went to the wonderful Church of St. Joseph’s, and I was at church alone. He walked in, asked to sit with me, and then our pew just started to grow.” (RELATED: Leader Of US Catholic Bishops Pleads With Trump To Back Down From Total Destruction Of Iran)
“We were thinking about how there must be other people within the church who are either sitting alone or maybe don’t go because they don’t want to sit alone, or maybe they are young people who want to get back into their faith but don’t know where to start,” DePetro added. “So we just threw a pizza party for our church and put it on social media, and the turnout has been incredible.”
The social gathering for young Catholics quickly became a phenomenon, garnering hundreds of regular attendees and creating countless new friendships. The community Gross and DePetro built spread like wildfire, making an impact on Christians and Catholics across the country.
Gross, who grew up in the Midwest, recounted memories of pulling into his church parking lot and rushing in right before the service. In the deep-blue metropolitan city of New York, you have to show up at least ten minutes early.
“I go to mass and I look around and I’m like, ‘Oh my God. I’ve never seen so many people in their 20s at mass,’” Gross told the Caller. “It is packed to the brim in New York City. It was just absurd to me.”
“You have a huge crowd of young people marching up Sixth Avenue walking to mass together, and there’s people on the street asking me ‘What kind of parade is this?’” DePetro added. “We responded with, ‘We’re all going to church.’ And to see that in downtown Manhattan is amazing.” (RELATED: Catholic Conversions Skyrocket During Easter As Numbers Rebound)
DePetro noted a “ripple effect” that has come from New York City while looking out at the thousands of Christians attending Rededicate 250. Walking through the crowds were people of all ages and walks of life, but you couldn’t help but notice all of the young faces, several of whom recognized Gross and DePetro.
With more and more young Americans finding their faith in Christ, it is notable that the Catholic Church in particular has seen a surge in Gen Z attendees and converts.
“We need to search for something,” Gross told the Caller. “Purpose, meaning, belonging. And the purest form of that is turning back to God. And I do think the structure and tradition of Catholicism is very appealing.”
“I think there’s real momentum right now in our generation, and turning back to God, it’s a beautiful thing,” DePetro said.