Teens feel ‘fully alive’ after attending youth conference

Indianapolis saw a crowd of young Catholics being true to the theme of “Fully Alive.” Over 12,000 young people joined together at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium for the National Catholic Youth Conference, a three-day experience of prayer, community, evangelization, catechesis, service and empowerment for Catholic teenagers and their adult chaperones held Nov. 16-18.

Keynote speakers Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN; Steve Angrisano; Father John Kartje; Brian Butler; Sister Jude Andrew Link, OP; and ValLimar Jansen; joined musicians Thomas Muglia; Karla Carrillo; Dana Catherine; Benjamin Cortez; and For King and Country.

Denise York, youth minister for Immaculate Conception Parish in East Aurora, partnered with five parishes to take a group of 30 from the Diocese of Buffalo to the event. She said it was one of the best national conferences she has been to, and she’s been to nine.

“Every keynote was amazing,” she said.

ValLimar Jansen, actor, playwrite, singer and songwriter, presented the keynote on Saturday morning that caught York’s attention.

“She did a really great job of getting young people to understand what full and conscious participation in the liturgy is all about. She really got them to sing and to be engaged in worship. Mass on Sunday night was incredible.”

York also was impressed with the reactions from the teens that attended.

“The kids we took were very engaged to what happened,” she said.

They shared their thoughts and reflections on the bus coming home. One young man said he had a void in himself that he felt filled with God during adoration.

“Mission accomplished. That’s what you want it to do. There’s nothing like the experience of the larger church,” York said.

Charles Kolasny from the Wyoming County Association for Catholic Youth attended for the first time. He was blown away by the sheer immensity of the conference.

“What stood out most to me in the stadium sessions was when there would be thousands of people joining in prayer aloud at the same time. That’s something I have no words for. It’s just so breathtaking. Any time that everyone prayed together, it was just great,” he recalled.

Prayer took place at the start and end of the general sessions.

On Friday night, musician Gian Gamboa spoke in a breakout session on three rules for Christian friendship – find your people, embrace the struggle, and talk to Jesus.

“I thoroughly enjoyed how each of these speakers were relatable,” Klostany said. “They understood the struggles that Catholic youth face today, and they helped guide us through some of that. Especially embracing the struggle. That’s one of the things that a lot of people don’t consider. Yeah, there’s times when it’s going to be tough, but it’s important to hang on to God. It was one of the paramount messages throughout all of NCYC.”

His favorite line, “You are not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be contemplated,” delivered by Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis, originated by Pope Francis

“I thought that really applied to nowadays; how like, so many people let shame infiltrate their lives and they think lowly of themselves, but they’re not a problem to be solved. Like I said, they are a mystery to be contemplated. That really brought a lot of hope to this world that can seem dark at times,” Klostany said.

Kaitlyn LaGraff of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Orchard Park, hoped to center herself at the conference.

“I honestly wasn’t feeling like myself. I was so caught up in getting schoolwork done and extracurricular activities, I felt I needed a reset,” she explained. “Going to NCYC and having that whole period of time to focus on experiencing my faith at such a high level, it gave me the opportunity to be fully alive like the theme that they had, and just be in the moment without worrying about getting all my other to do list done.”

She found the closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat, auxiliary of New York, to be “overpowering.”

“The homily delivered was so relatable to my generation that it broke down that barrier. He was able to deliver the message across to us.”

A few weeks back at home, LaGraff still feels the resonant reverence of the conference. At a breakout session, she learned to keep a running list of blessings. Whenever she notices God’s presence, she types it into her phone.

“On those dark days you can look back on it and see God is working in my life even if I don’t feel it now. I’ve been doing that and it’s been helpful,” she said.