By Austin O’Brien
“God changed the world with 12 people; imagine what he could do with 22,000.” That statement by Steve Angrisano, co-host of last month’s National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), was one of the many inspirational and life-changing moments experienced at the conference held in Kansas City, Mo.
Attendance was so high (22,000 youths) that the conference was held in two areas with live footage streaming to each.
In all honesty, the numbers didn’t matter. What mattered most was the amount of love each and every individual showed for Christ. I believe I speak for everyone when I say that the number of captivating moments experienced at NCYC cannot be narrowed down to an individual event. Many ignited the flame for God through this experience, including Gen Decker, a junior from Davenport Assumption, who stated: “NCYC was an amazing experience, one of which I will never forget. I truly saw God in every person that I saw there.”
Gen, along with many individuals, made this pilgrimage with a group from St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport, led by Youth Minister Ray Knight.
NCYC “gave me hope that the future generation of the church is full of faith and very spiritual,” he said. “I hope those who experienced NCYC will continue to deepen in their faith and be the light of this world.”
NCYC is truly an experience that cannot be told about, it must be experienced. Those who experience NCYC never come out the same.
“NCYC made me look at my life and see what I needed to improve, and offered insight on how to do that,” said Max Holle, a Davenport diocesan member and NCYC attendee. “We (the youth) can’t let it end there. we have to take what we have experienced and use it.”
(Austin O’Brien is a junior at Assumption High School in Davenport.)
