Youth of the diocese attend NCYC in Texas

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
November 27, 2003

Students from the Diocese of Sioux City traveled to the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Houston, Texas.

A total of 290 youth and chaperones from the Diocese of Sioux  City attended NCYC and there were about 23,000 people total at the conference. Students and adults from Alton, Carroll, Danbury, Denison, Emmetsburg, Estherville, Fort Dodge, Hawarden, Jefferson, Kingsley, Le Mars, Madrid, Manilla, Manning, Milford, Pocahontas, Royal, Sioux City, Spencer and Wall Lake went to the conference in Texas. Dr. Stephan Davis, director of youth and intergenerational ministry for the diocese, also attended the conference.

"I went to NCYC two years ago and was floored to see all of the young people that were there, so you would think that going to this one I wouldn't be as surprised, but it was just as amazing as last time," said Amalie Galm from Royal. "It was also amazing knowing that all were high school students from all over the United States that were all Catholic."

The majority of the people from the diocese that attended traveled in charter buses. For the most part the groups from different parishes rode with people from close by towns for example the Alton-Hospers group traveled with the Gehlen group. The group from Hawarden decided to fly.

"It was exciting to see that many Catholic youth come together and the unity they felt," said Carolyn Von Tersch, youth minister in Denison. "They were strangers, but there was a connection."

This year's overall theme for NCYC was "The River of Life" with daily themes that fell under the broad theme. The daily themes were "The River Wild" on Thursday, "Cleansing River" on Friday, "Fishers of All" on Saturday and "Unite the Tributaries" on Sunday.

The keynote speakers for the conference were Bud Welch and Craig Kielburger. Welch spoke about how is life changed when his daughter was killed in the bomb blast that destroyed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Kielburger is a spokesperson for children's rights and founded the organization (Kids Can) Free the Children.

"My favorite part of the conference would have to be the man who spoke about the Oklahoma bombing," said Melanie Nemmers, a student from St. Louis Church in Royal. "It was very moving how he talked about it with such confidence. I just wanted to cry when he spoke of his daughter dying."

Students and chaperones were given the opportunity to attend concurrent sessions offered at different times. The concurrent sessions were workshops, but on a larger scale. Capacity for the concurrent sessions ranged from approximately 6,000 people to as many as 15,000.

"NCYC is absolutely awesome," said Lois McCarty, youth minister at St. Louis Parish in Royal. "The Catholic faith is alive and well and our youth are well-prepared to carry on. This was my 4th trip and it gets more exciting each time."

Service was another component of NCYC. The host city, Houston, identified the areas where it wished NCYC participants to make their contributions. For 2003, the Diocese of Galveston-Houston decided to partner with a number of local organizations, so that the impact of Catholic youth could be felt throughout the community. Attendees are asked both to bring donation items with them and to participate in service projects while at the conference.

Youth from Sacred Heart Parish in Manning attended NCYC. Their leader was Charlotte Willenborg. On their return bus ride from the conference, they discussed what they liked, what they learned, what they want to tell their parish and what action they will take as a result of going to the conference.

"I liked the opportunity to be able to meet new people and see new places while going to NCYC," said Matt Luensmann a Manning student. "I learned there are many different things you can do to promote God to others."

The Sacred Heart students commented that they liked talking to people from all over the United States, making friends and listening to speakers and music groups. Another aspect that they liked was seeing so many people who believed so strongly in Christ and were proud of it.

The students also learned while they were at the conference. They noted that they learned that God loves everyone and belonging to the church isn't something that people only do on Sunday. The youth received information about different missionaries sponsored by the Catholic church and about poverty and social justice.

"It was nice to see so many people who believed so strongly in Christ," said Ashley Croghan another youth from Manning. "Just to see everyone there was breath-taking. This was an unforgettable trip. By seeing all the believers, it makes you believe in God more. I hope to act and show my faith, especially to the younger generation because it will help them. I learned to listen for God in my life and then incorporate what he says in my daily things."

Actions the students would like to take back at home include remembering those in poverty and trying to help them, remembering that God is there for everyone, sharing their faith with others and showing others that they are proud to be Catholic.

"Just going there makes you want to go out and make a difference in the world even if its just by volunteering," said Galm. "I am actually looking into going on a long-term volunteer program this summer through a program that one of the keynote speakers talked about."