How Pope Leo XIV is inspiring a new generation of young Catholics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Alex Wied grew up in a non-denominational Christian household. He said he found himself, “trying to find the answers to really important questions and I didn’t want to get those wrong in my life.”
He later stated, “I got older I started to feel as though something was missing. I have always been some sort of Christian, but it just felt like I was missing something.”
According to polls in Pew Research and the 2024 U.S Census Bureau Report, the Catholic population was in decline in the U.S. Today, the Catholic Church is now going through a resurgence, thanks in part to the election of Pope Leo XIV.
There is much excitement about what some young Catholics are calling, “the right person at the right time.”
Paul C. Fisher is a rising senior at Newberry College. Paul has a passion for storytelling and intends to cover policy. He wants to distill complex legislation into easy to digest information for his audience. Reach him at pcfisher16 [at] gmail [dot] com.
Well done, Paul! Also, congrats on the first story of the 2025 Latino Reporter.