By CatholicPhilly Staff Report • Posted September 11, 2025

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez and EWTN News President and Chief Operating Officer, Montse Alvarado, met privately with Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 6 during a visit to Rome. The meeting took place one day before the canonization Mass of Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, held Sept. 7 in St. Peter’s Square.

During their audience with Pope Leo, Archbishop Pérez and Alvarado discussed the Holy Father’s upcoming virtual dialogue with American Catholic youth, a historic digital encounter set for Nov. 21 at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis.

“Together, we expressed our deep and prayerful gratitude for the Pope’s desire to take part in a real-time digital encounter during the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) this year and for the time he will share with the youth of the United States and all of its people,” said Archbishop Pérez.

The archbishop described the meeting as “a joyful occasion,” noting that Pope Leo greeted them “with incredible warmth and affection” and expressed enthusiasm for the Church’s work with young people.

“I am deeply grateful to Pope Leo for granting this audience and for the wonderful fruits that will come from his engagement with NCYC later this year,” he added. “EWTN will serve as the exclusive broadcast partner for this historic event, and I’m thankful to all who are working to bring it to the world.”

Alvarado echoed the archbishop’s sentiments, noting the significance of the moment for Catholic media and youth ministry.

“It was a privilege to discuss EWTN’s partnership with NCYC with the Holy Father. His participation will be a great blessing for the young people around the world,” she said.

The NCYC event will bring together approximately 15,000 youth from across the United States. Pope Leo XIV will address attendees live from Rome and engage in a virtual question-and-answer session marking the first time a Pontiff has participated in a digital dialogue of this scale with American youth.

The presence of Pope Leo “will elevate this annual gathering, which reverberates with the power of the Holy Spirit,” said Archbishop Pérez. “It’s made possible thanks to the dedication and hard work of Christina Lamas, executive director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), and her team. I’m honored to work alongside her as an episcopal advisor.”

The initiative builds on recent Church efforts to engage young people, including the Jubilee for Digital Missionaries and Influencers held July 28–29 in Rome, where Pope Leo spoke to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Archbishop Pérez, who serves as episcopal advisor and board member for theNFCYM, has long supported youth ministry both in Philadelphia and nationally.

“Even in a globalized world, the Church can seem far away for young people,” Archbishop Pérez said in an Aug. 15 statement. “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.’”

The archbishop’s Sept. 6 meeting followed an earlier visit to the Vatican on July 30, when he joined pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, part of the Jubilee of Young People. During that gathering, he briefly greeted Pope Leo XIV and presented him with a Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl hat.

The NCYC encounter will be broadcast exclusively by EWTN across its platforms, with Alvarado and her team helping to bring the pope’s message to a global audience. Centered on the theme “I Am / Yo Soy,” the conference invites young Catholics to reflect on God’s presence and love through the sacraments and the Church.

See a photo gallery from the private audience below. (Photos: Vatican Media)