Students and adult chaperones from eight parishes in
the Diocese of Scranton attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC)
in Indianapolis, Indiana November 18-22. The pilgrimage was a life-changing
experience as they attended workshops, masses, concerts, adoration and recreational
activities with Catholics from around the entire country.
The journey started with a retreat in the Diocesan
Pastoral Center on November 8. The retreat consisted of team building
activities and games, speakers, a blessing from Bishop Bambera, evening prayer,
and a meal. Father Don Williams, Diocesan Director of Vocations and Seminarians,
was one of the speakers. He spoke about the difference between a pilgrimage and
a vacation. NCYC was not a vacation; it was truly a pilgrimage for the students
and chaperones.
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| Father Don Williams talks to students at the retreat about the difference between a vacation and a pilgrimage. |
The conference featured keynote addresses by Father
Leo Patalinghug, Chris Padgett, Mark Hart, Matt Maher, Father Louis Merosne,
Carolyn Woo, and a closing liturgy with Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez
Maradiaga. In addition to the keynote addresses, students and chaperones were
able to attend breakout sessions focusing on everything from bullying in
schools to encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Throughout the pilgrimage, Father Don was able to
talk and spend time with students from our Diocese who are discerning the call
to priesthood. There were many workshops and sessions focusing on vocations.
One was titled “Encouraging Vocations in Youth and Young Adult Ministry.” The
workshop was by Paul Jarzembowski, coordinator for youth and young adult
ministries for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Father
Ralph O’Donell. In addition to the vocation workshops, the National Conference
of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) sponsored the Adoration Chapel. The
chapel was filled the entire conference with students from around the country
looking to spend some quiet time with the Lord.
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| "Encouraging Vocations in Youth and Young Adult Ministry" workshop |
Pilgrims from our Diocese commented on how good
it felt to see so many young Catholics. Many expressed that they are a minority
in their schools because most their age don’t go to church. They were able to
realize they are part of the larger church, and young people their age do go to
church and are involved in the lives of their parishes.
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| Pilgrims from the Diocese of Scranton at NCYC |
The next conference will be held in 2017. We hope to
see even more pilgrims from our Diocese participate and experience the presence
of God among 25,000 other members of the “young church.”