National Catholic Youth Conference 2023
Archdiocesan youths experience ‘a deeper connection with God’ at NCYC
Teenagers and chaperones from St. Gabriel Parish in Connersville and St. Bridget of Ireland Parish in Liberty pose in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on Nov. 17 with their pastor, Father Dustin Boehm. (Photo by Mike Krokos)
By Mike Krokos
Sophomore Lilly Hertel was eager to experience the National Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis for the first time.
Junior Joseph Waterman was looking forward to taking part in an NCYC gathering post-COVID.
When he attended in 2021, some of the pandemic’s restrictions—including wearing masks—were still being observed at the conference, and getting to know other participants was challenging.
The teenagers approached the Nov. 16-18 gathering of 12,000 youths with open minds and hearts.
A member of St. Gabriel Parish in Connersville, Joseph was looking for a spiritual recharge.
Lilly said she was hoping the youth gathering would be “an emotional experience.” But that changed after she attended a session that opened her eyes about her Creator.
“I learned that God isn’t an emotion, and that we can’t always expect big emotional things from God,” said Lilly, a member of St. Bridget of Ireland Parish in Liberty, “that we just have to trust and believe that God is always with us.”
‘A really eye-opening experience’
As they were leaving Lucas Oil Stadium after NCYC’s closing Mass on Nov. 18, both were energized by the two-hour liturgy and happy to talk about their time at NCYC.
“It’s been a really eye-opening experience, … to see so many different things with so many people,” Lilly said.
“Adoration—that was really cool for me,” she continued. “I actually cried through that because I really felt God in my heart, that he loved me. I really felt God’s presence.”
Joseph called his second NCYC experience “awesome,” adding, “I felt fully alive” taking part in this pilgrimage of faith.
“It has helped me get out of the lukewarmness I had with my faith,” he said. “The whole experience was fantastic.”
Lilly, who plans to attend NCYC in Indianapolis in 2025, encouraged future participants to “keep an open mind. The experience is different for everyone. … Whatever God wants to happen to you during this time will [happen].”
‘A deeper connection with God’
Freshman Bella Hubert and junior Margeaux Stewart were both first-time NCYC participants who viewed the conference as a way to build their relationship with God.
As she prepared to take part in the closing Mass, Bella, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Corydon, said she was leaving NCYC with “a deeper connection with God and my faith, remembering the beauty around me and the knowledge [shared].”
“I will walk away with the relationships that we’ve built,” noted Margeaux, a member of St. Mary Parish in Lanesville, “and knowing that NCYC doesn’t stop here, that we have to take it home with us and share [our faith] with others.”
Following his older brother’s advice, senior Nick Eve jumped at the chance to attend NCYC this year.
As he reflected on his experience, Nick, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Corydon, said he could sense a palpable joy among the participants.
He especially felt that connection during eucharistic adoration with all 12,000 NCYC participants on Nov. 17 in Lucas Oil Stadium. “Everyone was there to praise the Lord. ... It was an amazing experience.”
Sophomore Hays Ferriell, also a member of St. Joseph, heard about the biennual gathering through a friend. He repeated a phrase first shared by Archbishop Charles C. Thompson during the opening night on Nov. 16 and repeated several times during the weekend: “You’re not a problem to be solved, you are a mystery to be encountered.”
Reflecting on those words, “That was definitely a high point for me,” Hays noted.
‘Getting a front seat for what God is doing’
Katie Warren, the youth minister for both St. Joseph and St. Mary parishes, came to the conference with no expectations. But like so many others who attend NCYC, the three-day pilgrimage of faith “blew that lack of expectations out of the water.”
“Part of the beauty of my experience is getting to see [our teens’] experiences, … seeing them experience the Lord in a new way.”
Becoming emotional, she added, “That’s been my favorite part of this [conference], getting to accompany them, and watch. Working in youth ministry, the best part of the job is getting a front seat for what God is doing in their lives.”
As she looks beyond NCYC, Warren hopes to help the teenagers nurture the seeds of faith planted.
“How can we cultivate that culture back at home, where God is first and important always?” she asked, where “we can have the same Jesus, here and there?” †
