Pope Leo XIV will address attendees and engage in a virtual question-and-answer session with American Catholic teenagers during a nationwide gathering of youth and young adults Nov. 21 in Indianapolis, Ind.
The historic digital encounter with Pope Leo at the National Catholic Youth Conference was announced Aug. 15 in Rome. It is the first of its kind on this scale to involve a Pontiff.
Approximately 15,000 young people ages 14 to 18, along with youth ministry leaders, will attend the conference, which has been sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) since 1991.
“We are humbled and thrilled to welcome the Holy Father to NCYC,” said NFCYM Executive Director Christina Lamas. “His presence is a profound reminder that young people are at the heart of the Church and that their voices matter.”
The event follows recent Church outreach efforts with young people including the first Jubilee for Digital Missionaries and Influencers July 28-29, which was part of the Jubilee for Youth last month in Rome.
Pope Leo spoke to the young jubilee pilgrims July 29 in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, episcopal advisor and board member for NFCYM, has made ministry with youth and young adults a priority in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It has also been a hallmark of his ministry as a priest and bishop throughout the years.
“Even in a globalized world, the Church can seem far away for young people,” Archbishop Pérez said. “The Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American youth in this way is an expression of his closeness to Catholic youth, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope Francis who called the youth the ‘now of God.’”
Pope Leo’s participation “will add a deeply personal and spiritual dimension to an already powerful opportunity for young people to witness the Universal Church’s care and concern for their voices, experiences, and hopes,” the Archbishop said.
During the conference running Nov. 20-22 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Pope Leo will spend 45 minutes speaking directly with attendees live from Rome. Representative young people will offer remarks and others will engage with the pope in a live dialogue session.
Global Catholic broadcasting network EWTN will present the encounter on all its broadcast and livestreaming platforms and applications as the exclusive broadcast partner for this initiative.
“The Jubilee of Digital Influencers and the Jubilee of Youth in Rome showed Pope Leo XIV’s tenderness and desire to reach young people where they are,” said Montse Alvarado of EWTN News.
“This is another sign of his desire to dream and hope with those he called his ‘young pilgrims of hope’ to create a better world. The EWTN News team stands ready to share this message with all those who long to hear it.”
Archbishop Pérez expressed gratitude for the support of Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, “to make the vision of the Holy Father’s involvement a reality,” he said.
The Archbishop also praised the work of Alvarado and the EWTN News team, as well as NFCYM’s Lamas.
“Pope Leo’s participation (in the conference) was Christina’s dream and now it is a reality,” the Archbishop said. “Our Church is blessed by her creativity and missionary zeal.”
The National Catholic Youth Conference gathers teenagers of high-school age and their chaperones for a three-day encounter with Christ through prayer, community, evangelization, catechesis, and service.
The theme of this year’s conference is “I Am / Yo Soy.” It will reflect on how God appeared to Moses through the burning bush and explore how the Catholic sacraments are the living story of God’s love, uniting us with him through Jesus and the Church.
Learn more and purchase conference passes at the website NCYC.us.
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