'Today' Hosts Applaud Gen Z's Return to Church: 'It's Never Too Late'
New data showing Gen Z returning to church sparked a lively discussion among NBC's Today hosts – several of whom said they were pleased that young people are embracing faith as they speculated that Gen Zers are searching for hope amid a confusing world.
The exchange followed a segment in which host Carson Daly spotlighted Pizza to Pews, a Gen Z-led movement in New York City that has brought hundreds of young adults back to the Catholic Church. The initiative is led by two young Catholics, Kate DePetro and Anthony Gross.
"Young adults are re-engaging in the faith," Archbishop Ronald Hicks of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York told Today.
The segment cited a recent Gallup survey that found that 42 percent of U.S. men ages 18 to 29 now say religion is "very important" in their lives, up sharply from 28 percent in 2022-2023. Meanwhile, data from Barna and Lifeway Research has found that younger Christians are attending church more frequently than older generations.
"Many of them feel that the world around them is somewhat broken," Hicks said, suggesting that young people are searching for truth, community and "something to ground them."
After the segment aired, Daly joined three of his co-hosts in discussing the trend.
"We're in this time … of division and people looking for unity – and this happened back in the late '60s and early '70s," host Al Roker said. "Growing up Catholic, you know, [the Catholic Church] … started having folk masses, hootenanny masses, as they would call them, to try to bring young people back in, and it worked."
Such "hootenanny masses" incorporated contemporary folk music into the Catholic liturgy in an effort to appeal to younger people.
Daly said young people are "seeking for something higher than the immediacy that technology is putting in front of their faces."
"That just feels good for us older folks – to feel like, you know, maybe this is a great direction."
Host Craig Melvin echoed that sentiment.
"It was also refreshing to hear a number of those young people say something that struck me – because we all have introduced our children to faith at an early age – even if you go off to college and you veer off the path [and] you leave the church for a while, you come back because the seed has been planted."
Daly said the door is always open to faith, no matter the age.
"It's never too late," Daly said.
Melvin capped the discussion by applauding Daly, who attended Loyola Marymount University, a Catholic school, and has said he considered becoming a priest.
"That's a great story," Melvin said. "I see why you almost went into the seminary."
Photo Credit: ©Instagram.com/TodayShow
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published July 13, 2026.
