Youth of the diocese travel to Atlanta for the National Catholic Youth Conference

by Sr. Margaret McHugh, Director

Office of Youth Ministry

Bishop John C. Nienstedt along with 260 youth (ages 16-18) from the Diocese of New Ulm and their chaperones traveled to Atlanta, GA, Oct. 27-29, 2005, for the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC).

This biennial three-day experience included prayer, community, and empowerment for Catholic teens and their adult chaperones. The schedule of activities included general and concurrent sessions addressing a wide variety of topics including forgiveness, Catholic spirituality and prayer, global issues, sexuality, and leadership. There were also opportunities for liturgy and special activities such as a concert and exhibits. This year’s conference theme was “Winds of Change.”

Throngs of youth garbed in jeans and t-shirts, distinctive and fun hats on their heads, could be seen walking and talking peacefully, but yet with excitement and enthusiasm, through the Georgia World Congress Dome.

Members from the New Ulm diocese came to NCYC wearing

t-shirts carrying the Minnesota message: “Minnesota Moves with the Holy Spirit....Ya Sure Ya Betcha.”

Many NCYC youth and their chaperones had been preparing for over a year, and some had been fundraising for longer than that, to attend the largest national gathering of Catholic youth in the country.

Amazingly about 75 of the teens from the Archdiocese of New Orleans were among the estimated 18,000 in attendance. The Crescent city would normally send 200-300 teens to the conference, but the effects of Hurricane Katrina disrupted those plans. However, the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry appealed for help following Katrina and raised more than $60,000 to enable affected teens, adults, and youth ministers to attend the conference.

NCYC participant and member of the New Ulm diocese, Craig Wetter commented, “I especially liked the keynote speakers and how they related to the youth. The entertainment also was moving on a number of levels - spirituality, fun, excitement and even just a visual spectacle to see so many people in motion. Our group was a good group to work with and chaperone. It was neat to see some of them grow and change as the weekend went along. Hopefully they will remember the conference for many years to come.”