Hundreds of archdiocesan youth take part in National Catholic Youth Conference

By Katie Berger
Special to The Criterion

ATLANTA—“The Winds of Change” swept 18,000 Catholic youth into Atlanta for the biennial National Catholic Youth Conference on Oct. 28-30.

More than 500 youth and chaperones from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis were among the participants. Prior to boarding the bus for an overnight trip to Atlanta, they gathered at Holy Family Parish in New Albany for an energetic welcome ceremony, which included skits, competitions and Mass.

Once in Atlanta, the youth had the opportunity to explore the city. Most parish groups took part in tours of the World of Coca Cola and the CNN Center.

When the conference began, participants were welcomed by Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory, who called them to be the “wind of change in the world.”

In the two days that followed, they had many activities to choose from each day.

Activities included keynote addresses from Tammy Evevard, who spoke about God’s “crazy” love for us; Bishop Gordon Bennett of Mandeville, Jamaica, who spoke about allowing the Holy Spirit; to work and musician Jesse Manibusan, who spoke, through his personal testimony, about praising God above all things.

The youth also were given dozens of choices for break-out sessions and workshops, which showcased many Catholic speakers and musicians. Among the favorites were Jason Evert, a nationally known chastity speaker and author of several books, and “XLT,” a eucharistic praise and worship session led by popular Catholic musician Matt Maher.

Many archdiocesan youth also enjoyed their time in Peachtree Corners Thematic Park, which featured booths from Catholic retailers, musicians, religious communities and Catholic colleges.

The park also gave participants the chance to use their physical and creative energy in many activities like a giant game of Twister and through craft projects, such as making prayer journals and rosaries.

Many youth ministry groups had been preparing for this trip for quite some time. Jean Melvin, youth minister at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Bedford, held several fundraisers to make this important event happen as she has seen the results in her youth at previous conferences.

“I do this because I know the Lord called me to do it,” Melvin said. “It’s neat to watch the Holy Spirit work; to give it to God and know he will take care of it.”

Like Melvin, Chris Smith, youth minister at St. Ambrose Parish in Seymour, felt that the Holy Spirit was working during this conference and was deeply moved by emcee Steve Angrisano, who told a story of a youth minister’s interaction with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Many youth had similar experiences of being touched by the words of individual speakers.

Madonna Fulford of Sacred Heart Parish in Terre Haute was inspired by musician Tony Melendez, who plays the guitar using his feet because he was born without arms.

Above all, Madonna and many archdiocesan youth were moved by the many young people. A gathering like this allows many youth to experience a much larger Church for the first time.

“All the people made such an impact on me,” Madonna said. “You can see 18,000 kids here just for God.”

“NCYC allows our young people to experience the universal Church through the celebration of Holy Mass, other forms of prayer, catechesis and lots of fellowship,” said Father Jonathan Meyer, associate director of the archdiocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

The three-day conference concluded with a large Mass. The young people listened intently to the words of Archbishop Gregory, worshipped actively through song and even knelt on concrete floors during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

“To see the reverence, the dignity and the lively faith that our young people have for the Mass was breathtaking,” Father Meyer said.

In his homily, Archbishop Gregory thanked the youth for their participation and told them that God knows what it is like to be a teenager.

“Jesus was exactly your age at one point in his earthly life,” he said.

Like many, Cory Fink, a member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Bedford and also a member of the Archdiocesan Youth Council, hopes what he learned and experienced will help motivate others when he returns home.

“I want to share my experiences, and hopefully God will touch them through me,” Cory said.

(Katie Berger is the youth minister at St. Barnabas Parish in Indianapolis.) †