NCYC 2025 was one for the books! The National Catholic Youth Conference alternates between Indianapolis, IN. and Long Beach, CA. bringing young people by the tens of thousands. It’s three days of Catholic hysteria, in the very best way. Crazy hats are traded amongst youth, Masses are celebrated in spaces ranging from tiny chapels all the way to Lucas Oil Stadium, and youth from California to New York have a life-changing experience with Jesus Christ and His Church; it’s America’s own mini World Youth Day. 

However, mini isn’t a word that comes to mind when experiencing NCYC. Around 16,000 youth converged from all over the United States into the Indiana Convention Center in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. They brought with them a small army of chaperones, over 240 priests, and 26 Bishops. Not only that, their gathering was powerful enough to attract the Holy Father, who first the first time ever joined them in a digital encounter. 

We at Our Lady Patroness of America Center couldn’t resist joining in the fun, especially so close to home. We had a small booth to help America’s youth learn about their patroness, Our Lady of America. There were over 150 other exhibitors who came to share their ministries, their colleges, their cool Catholic clothing lines, their jewelry and art, their vocational guidance, their service projects, and even their fun games; each one desiring one thing, to help youth live their faith out loud. We had great conversations with young people, their youth ministers, and their pastors. We met people from Hawaii, Kansas, Oklahoma, Montana, Florida, Iowa, California, and New York just to name a few. We sold out of chapel veils, and we had hundreds register to be part of our giveaway, with one lucky winner taking home a 14” statue of Our Lady of America. Many passing our booth remarked how beautiful she was, and were encouraged by her messages. 

We also had the great joy of being able to attend the digital encounter with Pope Leo XIV at Lucas Oil Stadium. It providentially coincided with the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Leo noted this feast, connecting the event which took place in Our Lady’s youth with an invitation to the youth gathered; “We remember how Mary, even from her youth, offered her whole life to God. She invites us to do the same: to entrust everything to Him.” 

A key component of the devotion to Our Lady of America is her emphasis on the youth being the leaders of renewal; Sr. Mary Ephrem’s diary entry from February 1958 reads, “Our Lady made known to me that she is particularly interested in the youth of our nation. It is they who are to be the leaders of this movement of renewal on the face of the earth. Their ranks will be swelled by the youths of other nations, whom Our Lady also calls to help in the accomplishment of this great renewal… This is what Our Lady is working for, because this is the great desire of her Divine Son, and it is to the youth of America that she is holding out this challenge.” It seems as though Our Lady and the Holy Father have been in close communication as Pope Leo’s message was the same. Echoing the words of his predecessors, he emphasized the youth as the Church’s now:  “You are not only the future of the Church. You are the present. Your voices, your voices, your ideas, your faith matter right now. And the Church needs you. The Church needs what you have been given to share with all of us. If you want to help the Church prepare for the future, start by being involved today.” He also challenged the youth to a humble and daily faithfulness, giving the example of two of the Church’s recently canonized youth Saints, Pier Giorgio and Carlo Acutis.

The digital encounter concluded with this recap from emcee, Katie McGrady: “Thank you so much for your wisdom and insight. I know that we all really appreciate it. Holy Father, I want to repeat those three questions you just challenged us to pray through. What can I offer the Church right now? How can I help others know Christ? And how can I build peace in the world?” Particularly, that last question is one that Our Lady offers as both a challenge and a promise to each of us. In November 1954 she said to Sister Mary Ephrem (and each of us), “I need your help to bring peace into the world. Do not disappoint me.” 

Despite what it may seem, the current trends among youth are looking quite promising; Bible sales are through the roof, OCIA classes are expanding, especially on college campuses, and youth and young adult conferences are seeing record-breaking attendance. The Church continues to emphasize “ordinary” holiness, canonizing young saints and families, mothers and fathers and children together. Our Lady too emphasizes in her messages to Sister Mary Ephrem her desire to bring peace through the transformation of young people and families. In her house, we are all her children, her youth, and each of us as a place at the table and a gift to share. May those gifts be shared generously, just like those NCYC funny hats. 

You can watch the livestream of Pope Leo’s conversation with the youth HERE.