Florida Catholic | Women of Faith

Youths call national ministry conference life-changing

CHRIS STRUCK | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 12.14.07

Stephanie Bell of the Catholic chapel at Hurlburt Field Air Force Base joins in the prayer and song at the National Catholic Youth Conference.

Stephanie Bell of the Catholic chapel at Hurlburt Field Air Force Base joins in prayer and song at the National Catholic Youth Conference.
CHRIS STRUCK | FC

COLUMBUS, OHIO | While many youths may spend their three-day weekends catching up on sleep, going out with friends, or playing some hand-held, electronic device, a handful of youths from the Pensacola-Tallahassee Diocese spent their Veterans Day weekend at the National Catholic Youth Conference here.

The biennial event, organized by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and hosted by the Diocese of Columbus, brought together 20,000 young people and adults for a weekend of praise and worship, education, faith-empowerment and overall unity. In total, 55 youths, adult chaperones and youth ministers from five parishes attended the conference from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.

The conference offers an opportunity to young people and their adult chaperones who wish to rekindle their faith and feel as though they aren’t alone. Over the course of this year’s conference with the theme “Discover the Way,” youths and adults attended Mass, reconciliation, concerts by Catholic musicians, workshops, keynote sessions and visited an indoor interactive thematic park and gift shop. Emmy Russell, a high school sophomore from Our Lady of Victory Parish in Crestview, described the whole thing as a life-changing experience. “The speakers were inspiring and brought tears to my eyes with their stories. This was my first NCYC experience and I never would’ve expected that it would change me the way that it did,” she said.

“There was truly something for everyone, even the adults,” said Maryellen Hammock, an adult chaperone with St. Peter Parish in Mary Esther. “If there is any doubt about our youth today, you would have no doubts after attending NCYC. I feel privileged to have prayed, sang and shared our faith with such wonderful teens.”

The singing, which was incorporated into every aspect of the conference, seemed to have a touching affect on everyone. “At Mass on the last day, every person was swaying and quietly singing, ‘God is there, God is always there,’” said Dani Adams, a youth from Resurrection Parish in Miramar Beach. “It (the song) was meaningful and the emotions of the weekend really came out in every person during that intense, spiritual moment.”

In a conference of that magnitude, it is not easy to stay organized or be without a few struggles. Many youths complained of skipped meals, sore feet and constant “buddy checks,” but every youth who spoke of these issues said they ultimately brought the group together and were part of the experience. As Natalie Rodriguez of Resurrection Parish’s youth group stated, “You know the Holy Spirit was with NCYC when we could still dance, sing, and praise God, even with the lack of sleep and skipped meals.”

Every night, respective parishes from the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee gathered for group discussion led by their youth ministers. Some groups took this time to reflect on the day and play “Thorns and Petals,” a sharing process in which group members in the room tell of one pleasant and one not-so-pleasant event of their day, something they can remember and take home with them.

Tragedy struck the conference when during the early morning hours of the first day of the event 16-year-old Veronica Gantt from the Archdiocese of Las Vegas was struck and killed by a hit-and-run motorist. She was on her way back from breakfast with other youths and adults from her parish. Every conference attendee seemed affected by Veronia’s death, which was incorporated several times into keynote speaker discussions and the closing liturgy. “This weekend, I learned not to take life for granted,” said Stephanie Bell of Hurlburt Field Air Force Base Chapel. “Veronica Gantt died and we learned of many people who had overcome obstacles to be where they are today.”

The next National Catholic Youth Conference, with the theme “Christ Reigns,” will be in Kansas City in November 2009. For more information, contact your parish youth minister or the Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry at 850-435-3553.

Chris Struck is a member of the diocesan Youth Council and a member of St. Mary Parish in Fort Walton Beach.

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Youths call national ministry conference life-changing

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