Diocesan support smooths planning for NCYC

March 1, 2023

Long before teenagers and chaperones climb aboard buses for the biennial trek to Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference in November, Justin White and Jessica Hernandez are working behind the scenes to make the trip a seamless event.
For the 400-plus participants from more than 25 parishes who are already signed up to go from the Des Moines Diocese, White and Hernandez are in charge of logistics. White is the diocesan director of Youth Ministry and Young Adult Ministry,, and Hernandez is the coordinator of Hispanic Youth Ministry.

They’re arranging transportation, hotel accommodations, tickets and more.

Contributions to the Annual Diocesan Appeal support their work so local parish youth ministers can focus on laying the catechetical foundation for the teens.

“Preparing for NCYC is about bringing all the parishes together for a common goal, which is providing the youth with an opportunity to encounter Christ,” Hernandez said. “No matter what parish your group is from, down there we are all one from the Diocese.”

Gathering with 20,000 other teens is a unique experience.

“I think the primary benefit for the teens is seeing first-hand what the larger Church looks like,” White said. “It’s a unique setting to see tens of thousands of their peers in adoration, going to reconciliation, and celebrating Mass. It’s an experience they won’t see anywhere else. NCYC offers teens support and encouragement when the secular world tells them no one believes what they believe.” 

Putting in the hard work now for a successful trip also benefits youth and parishes in the long run.

“The participants aren’t just going there and leaving. They prepared so that they can continue that discipleship for their community when they get back home,” White said. “For many, it sparks a journey afterward and that’s key.”
Parishes are helping youth fundraise now to help families defray the cost. 

“We make sure that there are no limitations, especially financial, to youth being able to have a pilgrimage experience,” Hernandez said. 

By supporting the work of White and Hernandez through contributions to the ADA, parishioners free up parish youth leadership to focus on formation and growth of the teenagers in their care. 

Going to NCYC is a valuable experience for youth.

White said: “There are many different faces in the Church. It opens up horizons for our teens. They experience the Church in new ways while being reminded at the same time it’s the same as the church in their hometown.”