23,000 Gather in Kansas City for NCYC

Christ Reigns! The National Catholic Youth Conference, the largest single gathering of Catholic young people in the United States, left both Kansas City and all of its participants reverberating with joy, hope, and enthusiasm! For three days we were catechized and evangelized in Christ reigning in us, among us and through us.

On Saturday Nov. 21, I was stunned as I was walking through the halls of the Kansas City Convention Center and noticed a line of 400 or so teens all waiting in line. I wondered why they were waiting. Then I noticed a sign that read Reconciliation room. Where does this happen? I mean most teens are terrified of Confession, but here they were all waiting patiently to have their turn with one of the hundreds of priests that volunteered their time to be with young people. I was was in awe in that moment. That wasn’t the only time in the great three-day conference that I was shaken.

On Thursday Nov. 19, 500 teens and adults from the Diocese of Des Moines loaded vans and buses to make the trek to Kansas City, Mo. for the bi-annual National Catholic Youth Conference. The conference, which hosted 23,000-plus people this year, was an event of great praise and inspiration to our faith as we celebrated the ways in which Christ Reigns. Students were treated to great speakers such as Jason and Christilina Evert, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and others. In concert, we were blown away by Catholic music superstar Matt Maher, who penned the great song, “Your Grace is Enough.” Much praise was given to God in those times.

There was so much to see and do at this amazing conference, but as I talked to the young people I was continually surprised by how the opportunities for young Catholics to meet their peers was so meaningful. The realization that there are thousands of other people who believe the same things as you is overwhelming to a lot of them. The energy and faith of the young people was overwhelming to me. So many are searching for a greater understanding of their relationship with God and the reckless abandon they strive for in that relationship is incredible.

One of the greatest moments of the conference, for me, was after one of the morning general sessions where everyone was gathered together. Twenty-three thousand people bowed their heads in reverence to the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. I am not sure if you can imagine what it is like to be in an arena of that size and hear nothing. Not a single sound. Silence filled the air. The reverence was life changing as these teens, some of which had never experienced adoration before, prayed and praised their King. After a great deal of silence the Blessed Sacrament was processed through the streets of Kansas City. It was amazing as 23,000 people filled the streets following Jesus.

One particularly touching moment for me in the procession was when we walked past a local restaurant, a patron and a worker both came out onto a balcony and knelt as the Eucharist past them. They didn’t know we were going to do this procession and yet they recognized the greatness of God and his presence in the Eucharist and joined us by kneeling on the cold concrete.

I could go on and on about my experiences with the conference but instead I would like to share the thoughts from some of the participants:

“I really felt like I was ONE with 23,000 people, which felt amazing.” -Danni Lockheart, St. John, Adel.

“I thought one of the big highlights for me was just realizing how many young Catholics are out there. It's hard not to feel kind of alone when you go to Mass with the family and like 90% of the church is over the age of 65. But going to KC, meeting and talking about the faith with teens from all over the country was eye opening and reassuring that the young church is alive and thriving.” - Ryan Francois, St. Mary of Nazareth

“Going to NCYC is like taking your faith and plugging it into an amp, then playing the most awesome song ever with 20,000 other people.” - Carrie Pieper, St. John, Adel.

“To see the future of our church in action was a wonderful thing.” - Ed Origer – Adult chaperone, St. John, Adel.

“It opened my eyes to how great God is in our lives and among us. We stray from him, but he never strays from us. He always welcomes us back with open arms.” - Kelsey Merschman, St. John’s Adel

“I felt the trip was amazing. It opened my eyes to all the other people out there who love and believe the same things I do. Spiritually, I was greatly moved by not only the experience itself but the strong speakers.” - Devon Hubner, Holy Rosary, Glenwood.

Keep their words in your heart and pray for them and for other young people in our diocese who in just two short years will have a chance to go to NCYC in Indianapolis, Nov. 17-20, 2011, titled, “RU Ready”. Start making plans for the spiritual pilgrimage today.