Indianapolis (United States of America). From 20 to 22 November 2025, approximately 16,000 young people aged 14 to 18 from Catholic youth movements across the Country attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The National Conference of Catholic Youth (NCYC) is an annual event organized by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) that brings together thousands of high school students from across the United States for three days of prayer, incisive interventions, games, and friendship.
The theme of the Conference was “I Am” and the participants were reminded that God always walks with them, especially meeting them in the Sacraments and in their relationships with others.
Together with the young people, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of the Provinces of St. Joseph (SEC) and Mary Immaculate (SUO), and the Salesians of Don Bosco of the respective Provinces were present at the conference. This year, the FMAs had an even more visible presence with Sister Elfie Del Rosario of the SEC Province, one of the two emcees of the main moments. Sister Guerline Joseph, from the same Province, was also a speaker in one of the thematic sessions in which she spoke about how the Virgin Mary can accompany young people on their journey of faith.
A unique and very significant moment was the one-hour live video linkwith Pope Leo XIV. Five young people were selected to ask questions of the Holy Father on behalf of all, including Ezequiel Ponce, an animator at St. Dominic Savio Salesian Parish in Bellflower, California. The questions concerned prayer, God’s mercy, mental health, and the healthy use of technology and AI. (cf InfoANS)
When asked what gives him hope, Pope Leo replied that he places great hope in young people and that they are not only the future of the Church, but also the present. He encouraged them to dream big, to help shape the future of the Church, and to deepen their friendship with Jesus. He also called on young people to discern their vocation well by telling them that, regardless of their call to marriage, the priesthood, or religious life, everyone is called to share Jesus’ Good News with the world.
After giving them the blessing, the participants joined in proclaiming the traditional chant used during White Sox baseball games with the words, “Leo, Leo, we love Leo!” It was a real grace to have such an intense and meaningful conversation with the Holy Father and the young people felt they were really seen and heard.
Although the general sessions were held in a professional football stadium, it was beautiful to see how it was transformed into a sacred space of prayer for Eucharistic Adoration on Friday evening and for the celebration of Holy Mass on Saturday evening. The young people fully entered these moments of prayer and their singing, along with times of respectful silence, was truly impressive.
Between the assembly and in-depth sessions, participants visited the exhibition hall where hundreds of religious orders, universities, and Catholic merchants had set up stands to promote their charism or sell products.
The four U.S. FMA and SDB Provinces had an interactive exhibition space that promoted the Oratory model. Participants were invited to pray with the relics of some Salesian Saints, to take a picture with a frame on which they wrote which patron saint they would like to become one day, to write down their prayer intentions, to write their name on a map indicating where they came from, and to try to immerse someone in a tub full of plastic balls. The stand area was always full of young people in a truly Salesian and joyful atmosphere!
“It was a blessing to have all the SEC aspirants and postulants with us, as well as the 2nd year novices of SUO and SEC. We gave a lively vocational testimony to the young Church not only at the stand, but throughout the Conference, testifying to the spirit of St. John Bosco and Mother Mazzarello on the main stage, in the in-depth sessions, and simply walking with the young people we met!”, are the words of the FMA participants.
