CHARLOTTE — About 1,000 youth and parent delegates from all over the United States, including 100 delegates from North Carolina and 45 from Charlotte, attended the 24th Couples for Christ Youth Conference June 30 to July 2 at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
CFC Youth is the youth ministry arm of Couples for Christ, a global Catholic/Christian organization of men and women aimed at the renewal and strengthening of Christian family life. It began in the Philippines in 1993 and was brought to the U.S. a year later. Youth ministry members of Couples for Christ range from 12 to 20 years old.
The conference theme for this year was “Rekindle the Gift: Fulfill Your Ministry, 2nd Timothy.” The conference’s opening Mass was celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. In addition to daily Mass, the three-day conference also featured Eucharistic Adoration and hourly intercessory prayers.
It also included activities such as volleyball and basketball contests; song, dance and slam poetry; as well as photography, video and banner contests. There were also workshops, teaching of songs, praise and worship.
“A major conference is a powerful expression of the mission of the community, and in the area the conference is being hosted,” said Lorena Ostrea, who with her husband John are CFC Couple Coordinators for CFC-Youth in Charlotte.
The event was a collaboration of service teams and volunteers from the Couples for Christ, CFC Youth and Singles for Christ ministries. CFC organizing committee heads in Charlotte and North Carolina included Jake and Marie Miranda, Joy and Manny Arrojado, Richard and Nenette Costes, Art Aquino, Oscar and Rina Goco, and Lindo and Betty Javelona.
— Susan Palmes-Dennis, Special to the Catholic News Herald