A week before Thanksgiving, seven sophomores from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington went to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, hosted by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry Nov. 20-22.
The group, accompanied by chaplain Father Daniel Reuwer and campus ministry staff, gathered at school before dawn Nov. 20 to celebrate Mass together before embarking on the 10-hour drive across six states to Indiana. This was the first time O’Connell participated in NCYC, made possible by support from the diocesan Office of Youth, Campus and Young Adult Ministries.
The theme of the annual conference, “I AM,” came from the book of Exodus, Chapter 3, when God draws near to man and reveals his name to Moses from the burning bush. The weekend consisted of a series of talks and events, each providing a point of catechesis for the teens based on the seven sacraments that reveal our identity in our relationship with God. Nearly 16,000 young people from across the country were in attendance this year.
The high point of the weekend was a live “digital encounter” with Pope Leo XIV. Facilitated by EWTN, the Holy Father joined the Friday morning session and answered pre-selected questions from teens, plus a few off-the-cuff questions (his Wordle starting word changes daily). The pontiff’s answers and advice were among some of the favorite moments of the conference. Mac Roque was struck by Pope Leo’s comment bolstering young Catholics when he said teens are “not only the future of the church but also the present of the church.” Roque said he will look for ways “to get involved more in the church now and not wait until later” to become an active participant.
Pope Leo also offered advice on finding true friends and the importance of surrounding oneself with a good and faithful community. This inspired Ava Halataei, who is currently participating in sacramental preparation at O’Connell. Other speakers echoed the theme of good and holy friends throughout the weekend, reminding listeners that good friends work together to get to heaven. This advice touched several others and the group left NCYC brainstorming ways to bring the experience back to school and share it with others.
Other highlights from the weekend include the dozens of breakout sessions and the evening of eucharistic adoration in Lucas Oil Stadium, with Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, for the Military Services USA, presiding. During adoration, hundreds of priests heard confessions while the stadium was filled with praise and worship music led by the house band. Walking out of adoration, Camila Soruco Franco said that it was her “favorite adoration (that she has) been to because it was so peaceful.” Declan Fitzpatrick agreed, noting the reverence of his peers throughout the stadium was impressive. When the band stopped playing for a few moments, the silence throughout the stadium was a powerful testimony.
As a youth ministry event, the conference also provided fun activities. The exhibit hall, which held hundreds of booths for vendors, colleges, religious orders and more, hosted a scavenger hunt with trivia. Participants could find a QR code hidden at booths, scan it in the NCYC app and complete the catechetical trivia to earn points. Players who found all 20 codes could present the completed list at the Tiny Saints booth to win a complimentary St. Bartolo Longo charm and learn about one of the newest canonized saints of the church. Several O’Connell students were determined to complete the scavenger hunt, which they did, and along the way, they discovered a second scavenger hunt to win free Girl Scout cookies. Fitzpatrick was the first to earn the cookies and the group shared the Thin Mints during lunch.
NCYC has become known for its hats and trading. Teens arrive at the conference with different hats, ranging from camouflage baseball caps to LED-lit cowboy hats, from tall, floppy squids to inflatable, wiggling cow ears. And from there, students were able to barter throughout the weekend to make the best deal.
Following the closing Mass on Saturday, five O’Connell students were interviewed on EWTN’s live coverage of NCYC. The students reflected on their experience with the pope, at breakout sessions, and during times of prayer. On the 10-hour ride home, the group was already talking about how they want to return to NCYC next year, with the hope of bringing more students. Next November, the conference will head to Long Beach, Calif.
