Months after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was killed at a rally in Utah, Gerald Murray says he sees a real shift happening. The pastor of St Joseph’s Church in New York said more young adults are coming back to church, and it has been encouraging to witness.

Speaking in an interview, Murray said he believes Kirk played a role in pushing young people to think seriously about faith and purpose. He said this renewed interest lines up with a new Barna study showing Generation Z and millennials now attend church more regularly than older generations.

Murray said, “It’s the grace of God, of course, because he moves hearts and souls, but then he has these instruments on earth, such as Charlie Kirk.” He explained that Kirk’s death caused many people to pause and reflect on spiritual values they had been ignoring.

He said Kirk’s murder shocked people into thinking about how they should live and what really matters. Murray said Kirk often focused young audiences on eternal truths and spoke openly about the United States being founded on Christian principles and respect for God’s law.

Murray added, “And he very clearly was teaching that this is a country founded on Christian principles, in which we respect other people and we, you know, follow the law of God.” He said seeing people return to church has been motivating for him as a priest.

He said true peace comes from faith, and everything else leads people the wrong way. Murray said society often chases false paths, while faith offers something deeper and lasting for the soul.

Others also honored Kirk at AmericaFest 2025, including Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump. Vance spoke about Kirk’s influence and said honoring him means continuing the work he cared about.

Vance said: “Let me just say the best way to honor Charlie is that none of us here should be doing something after Charlie’s death that he himself refused to do in life. He invited all of us here.” He shared that he missed Kirk’s optimism, energy, and advice.

He said: “I miss his optimism. I miss his energy. I miss the phone calls where we’d strategize about how to get this or that GOP congressman to get off their ass and do something. But most of all, I miss Charlie’s wisdom. I miss his reminder that politics is not a dress rehearsal or a game.”

A tribute video also played at the event, honoring Kirk as a co-founder of Turning Point USA. In the video, President Trump called Kirk an “incredible patriot” and a “warrior for God and country,” and said his administration would continue fighting for the values Kirk believed in.