Life Teen NCYC 2021 Recap

A group of four teens and three adult chaperones from SWNBC Life Teen joined 400+ others from the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana for a pilgrimage to the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis, IN in November. While at NCYC, the group prayed, worshipped, and learned alongside 11,000 other Catholic teenagers from around the country. It was a tremendous experience for all who were able to attend, and the group is truly grateful for the Pastorate’s support.

Each teen that went with SWNBC Life Teen had a memorable experience. The opening speaker of the conference, Chika Anyanwu, had an impact on Lexie Richey, a junior from St. Patrick: “Chika’s speech inspired me to look into other options for what I want to do when I get out of high school. I feel like that was God’s way of telling me what I should do since I was struggling lately trying to figure that out.” The conference was able to bring in Catholic speakers and musicians from around the country, including Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae and Sister Miriam James Heidland, to inspire the young Church with general sessions in Lucas Oil Stadium. “NCYC gave me more time to spend time with Christ than I normally get. I believe I encountered the Holy Spirt by seeing all the people in Lucas Oil praising Christ,” commented senior Nolan Deckard from St. Patrick. Nolan was the only teen who had previously attended NCYC from the group. When asked about her experience, junior Cassie Burgett from Sacred Heart shared, “Throughout the weekend, NCYC reiterated the importance of prayer for me. With a busy schedule, it can be easy to leave Jesus out of your day, but I've been reminded just how important it is to make time to pray, even if it's only for a few minutes. The Holy Spirit was definitely present at Confession on Saturday when the priest spoke to me as though he could read my mind and told me exactly what I needed to hear. Mass with over 10,000 other young Catholics was also amazing and was somewhere that I definitely felt His presence.”

In addition to amazing sessions in Lucas Oil stadium, the teens were able to meet others from around the country during breakout sessions. Sophomore Lily Etter, a parishioner of St. Patrick loved meeting new people at the conference, and she summed her experience up well: “NCYC definitely strengthened my faith and friendship with God. I also loved seeing people my age truly connecting to God and knowing that there are other teens that have the same faith as me. Overall, it was a fun experience, and I can't wait to go back in 2023!”