The 2016 study did not focus on ethnicity, but according to Mr. Villalobos, if you talk about youth ministry today, it must include the growing Latino population.

Many parishes have Catholic education programs for youth who do not attend Catholic schools. "My hope is to see how vibrant we can make youth ministry in this diocese," said Czerwinski in the release.

The Catholic faith has helped her and others she knows overcome that anxiety, she said. “We have a really strong youth ministry at my church, and we really connected with our youth minister.