By Andres Prias, Special to the Florida Catholic
A group of 30 young parishioners from Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto represented the Diocese of Venice at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) 2025, held in Indianapolis from Nov. 20–22, 2025. Filled with joy and excitement, the young people from the Diocese of Venice joined more than 16,000 Catholic teenagers from across the United States.
Throughout the weekend, the young people had the opportunity to encounter their faith in profound and moving ways. It was especially inspiring to witness thousands of teenagers spending time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation in long, continuous lines, and participating in the celebration of the Eucharist with deep devotion and reverence.
One of the participants, Evelyn Guadalupe, expressed what many felt during the conference: “Being here with other Catholic youth who share the same faith and face the same struggles is just beautiful. Hearing people who truly understand what we go through is so moving and inspiring. Talking about God brings us peace, and knowing that He loves us and is always there for us, that’s the most important part.”
A highlight of the trip came when the youth had the opportunity to participate in a live video conference with Pope Leo XIV, who engaged directly with young people from around the world. For many, this moment offered clarity, reassurance, and encouragement.
Participant Luisa shared her reflection on the experience: “I thought this experience with Pope Leo was really great! It was wonderful to see teens like me asking questions, because we have a lot of questions about our faith, and I loved the way they asked things that we overthink. Pope Leo helped bring us peace. I loved it. It was pretty great.”
As part of the video conference from Pope Leo, students from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers and St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples were able to participate in the digital experience from their own classrooms.
At Bishop Verot, theology students listened in on Pope Leo. Many noted how impactful it was to hear the Holy Father speak naturally in their own language – a simple but powerful reminder of the Church’s reach and connection to every culture, and especially how exciting it is to be witness to the Church’s first American Pope.
Experiences like NCYC strengthen the young Church in meaningful ways. For many of the teens, encountering thousands of others their age, joyful, prayerful, and confident in their Catholic identity, deepened their sense of belonging to the Church. The group from Holy Cross Parish returned home inspired, renewed in their faith, and are encouraged to live their discipleship with greater conviction.
Andres Prias is the Diocese of Venice Youth and Young Adult Outreach Director.
