Blessed Sacrament youth join 21,000 at NCYC

Intermountain Catholic

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Blessed Sacrament Parish youth group and lay ministers John and Shelly Valdez join 21,000 youth from throughout the nation in Kansas City for the Nation Catholic Youth Conference 2009. "It was the best in the seven I have attended," said Shelly Valdez.

SANDY - "You are great," Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, told 21,000 youth at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) 2009, Nov. 19-21, at Kansas City's Sprint Center.

Bishop Soto knew how to get the attention of that many youth before he began his homily during the NCYC conference's closing Mass on Nov. 21. Bishop Soto pulled out his cell phone and pressed the keys for "U R GR8" and the message appeared on a gigantic high-definition screen, explained Shelly Valdez. Valdez and her husband, John Valdez, are the youth ministers at Blessed Sacrament Parish, which sent 27 to NCYC, including Msgr. Robert Servatius, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish.

Bishop Soto also typed in a Spanish message because the group was bilingual. Then he said he would send the oldest text message anywhere - "IHS."It is the text for the holy name of Jesus. "God's communication platform is the human person," Valdez said of Bishop Soto.

The Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas welcomed the youth of America to Kansas City to encounter Jesus Christ at NCYC 2009. The Most Rev. Bishop Robert Finn of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City and Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph Naumann hosted this celebration.

"It is just so powerful," said Valdez. "The conference builds and builds for three days and then culminates in the closing liturgy. We heard from keynote speakers, were entertained by various musical artists, and attended dozens of workshops on such issues as social justice, the Bible, prayer, spirituality and social networking. Mass was offered daily, as was the sacrament of reconciliation, Eucharistic adoration, recitation of the rosary and prayer through music. We also spent time at a conference theme park called the Reign Forest. It was an interactive venue with more than 150 exhibits. There the youth met many religious sisters and brothers and were introduced to various Catholic colleges.

"The youth group was always trading items we brought and meeting people. They brought Ray Ban sunglasses and Utah rocks to trade that were quite popular."

This was the first year the event was video-streamed on the Internet, so parents at home could watch the event live. Valdez had the parents write letters to the youth and they would discuss and process them each night.

Nick Brown, a sophomore at Judge Memorial Catholic High School, said when he was getting ready for NCYC, he didn't have any idea of what to expect. He was just doing what he could along with the rest of the group to raise money to get ready to go.

When they arrived the first night at the Sprint Center and he saw and all the people, "it was mind blowing," he said. "There were not words to describe it. It was unbelievable.

"I felt united with all the Catholics there. There have been so many times in my life that I have felt alone, especially in Utah and being Catholic and a minority," he said. "It was really great to see the 21,000 Catholic teens who were all feeling and doing the same things I was doing. I truly believe that everyone in our group got a positive feeling from NCYC that cannot be matched anywhere else."

Brown said on one occasion the crowd went from wild and crazy to absolutely silent and reverent so they could go inside themselves to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration.

"It was unique to see how the speakers could relate to what I am going through as a teen," said Brown. "The speakers shared their personal stories, and it was amazing to be able to feel close to them and make that connection with them. They came out not knowing any of us and opened up about how we should treat someone and how we should be living our lives. They were not talking from a parent's point of view or from a teacher's point of view, it was from a view to which we could relate."

Brown said the music was unbelievable. "It wasn't church music, it was young Christian rock music you could listen to and get into and receive a message from without thinking you were singing a church song."

Lauren Phelps, a junior at Juan Diego Catholic High School, was also amazed by the number of people at the event, and they were all praising Jesus and God. She especially loved the general sessions, which included concerts, skits and testimonies from various youth.

"The speakers talked about us using common sense, following God and letting God into our lives," said Phelps. "Before I would hear people say things like that, but when I heard teenage testimonies, it meant so much more because I realized they are going through the same things I am and they found a way to make it work. I would love to go back. It was a great experience."