‘Called’ at NCYC

INDIANAPOLIS  For today’s youths hearing the word “called” means receiving a message or phone call on their cell phone with the latest news and trends. But last week, for 20,000 youth, “Called” meant something different. It was the theme of the 2017 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) here Nov. 16-18. Youth from across the Diocese attended the three-day conference that featured dynamic Catholic youth speakers, and praise and worship music led by popular Christian artists. It also touched upon the spiritual with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the celebration of Mass with bishops and priests from around the nation.

The event was held at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium here and proved to be a transformative experience for the young people who attended.

The three-day pilgrimage of faith called together young people, their chaperones and the speakers, musicians and many priests and religious. One of the priests who attended with a group of young people from his parish was Father Michael Lee, pastor of St. Michael Parish in Netcong. It was his sixth time leading young people on the experience. “When young people experience something like this, they realize they are not alone in their faith,” said Father Lee. “They feel free to be themselves and practice openly their faith, which empowers them. NCYC is an experience that also provides the tools young people need to go out and evangelize. You can see being here that the Church as a whole is alive and growing.”

Alejandra Rodriguez, 17, from St. Anthony Parish in Passaic said, “The energy from the crowds and the presence of friends really was my favorite part, along with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and fighting the crazy Indiana winds when we walked outside. It was a gorgeous weekend and I hope other Catholic teens just like me are able to participate in such an event. I plan on bringing young people closer to God by emphasizing his presence in our everyday lives.”

The teen, who is a senior in high school, especially enjoyed the many workshops she attend that included becoming friends with the saints and convincing youth that going to church isn’t boring. Rodriguez said, “NCYC really brought me closer to God through the many workshops I attended. I will carry those workshops as an integral part of NCYC along with the featured speakers sharing their different stories.”

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was a highlight for many of the diocesan teens during the conference. One of the young people from St. Michael’s, Shane Suralik, said, “On the final night, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was held in Lucas Oil Stadium. This gave me and the other 20,000 youths in the stadium time to talk to God. During this time, God reminded me that he is always with me. Sometimes I forget that, but God helped me to remember. NCYC was one of the best experiences of my life. It brought me closer to God and changed me as a person.”

One of the keynote speakers was Chris Stefanick, who speaks at many conferences across the country to Catholic youth and blogs on his website reallifecatholic.com. He spoke to the youths about encountering God in daily life.

Laura Haftek, youth minister at Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Wayne, who led a group of young people to NCYC, felt especially proud to see Stefanick, who grew up in the Paterson Diocese. He was a member of the youth group program and was confirmed at St. Catherine Parish in Ringwood, where she previously served.

A popular tradition at NCYC is young people trading items with other teens from different states. Haftek said, “The teens loved trading their kings hats and playing interactive games in the Convention Center. They were quite amazed by the number of priests and bishops present for the closing Mass. They each have a message of hope to bring back to their peers and parishioners at OLC.”

NCYC is a biennial event hosted by the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry. The next NCYC will be held in 2019.

Molly Clawson, a young person from St. Michael’s, said “Going forward, I definitely would like to take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation more often. Also, I would like to try to take a little bit of the environment of NCYC back home. At the convention, every teenager I met was extremely loving and accepting of those around them. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by thousands of teenagers who shared the same beliefs and values. Although not everyone is a Catholic that I encounter, I would like to try to bring that loving and accepting mood to those that I encounter. Through acts of love and service to others, I can bring Christ to those around me.”