WASHINGTON D.C. — Pope Leo XIV will meet the youth of the United States through a real-time digital encounter at the National Catholic Youth Conference general session at 10:15 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21.
The Holy Father is expected to address the up to 15,000 registered young people ages 14-18 from Catholic youth movements across the United States and engage directly with them during a 45-minute live dialogue. This historic moment will mark a powerful opportunity for young people to witness the Universal Church’s care and concern for their voices, experiences and hopes.
“We are humbled and thrilled to welcome the Holy Father to NCYC,” said Christina Lamas, executive director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. “His presence is a profound reminder that young people are at the heart of the Church and that their voices matter.”
As the Most Rev. Nelson J. Pérez, who serves as Archbishop of Philadelphia as well as episcopal advisor and board member for NFCYM, noted, “Even in a globalized world, the Church can seem far away for young people. The Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American youth in this way is an expression of his closeness to Catholic youth, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who called the youth the ‘now of God.’”
A select number of young people will be chosen to directly converse with Pope Leo during the session.
Youth who register at https://tinyurl.com/24yuh7ax will have access to a pre-event gathering on Nov. 11 featuring special guests, behind-the-scenes content and giveaways.
— Catholic News Herald