The Diocese of Saginaw is raising awareness for high school students that will be participating in the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.

The 2021 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) is taking place from Nov. 18 to 20. The theme for this year’s conference is “Ablaze,” in reference to chapter 2 of the Book of Acts, which tells of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Participants have the option to attend in-person in Indianapolis or virtually.

The NCYC is put on by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), which is an organization dedicated to supporting those who lead young people in the Church.

"Please pray for the 94 high school students and adults from 11 parishes of our Diocese who left this morning for the NCYC in Indianapolis," the Diocese of Saginaw wrote in a Nov. 18 Facebook post. "They will join thousands of youth from across the country for an exciting, three-day experience that offers an opportunity for young people to encounter Christ, experience Church, and be empowered for discipleship. NCYC provides teens and their leaders time for prayer, service, reconciliation, Eucharist and recreation. 

The conference will include breakout sessions such as “Called to Courageous Community,” “Faith, Science, and the Gift of Wonder” and “Heaven, Hell, and Hot Topics.” Featured speakers include Sister Miriam James Heidland, host of the “Abiding Together” podcast, and Brian Greenfield, a speaker for Hard as Nails Ministries. Grammy-award winning hip-hop artist Lecrae will perform.

"For teenage Catholics, a sense of community helps them draw closer to Christ," the Diocese added. "In a busy, noisy world, where high school students face pressure to excel in academics and extracurricular activities, fit in with peers, decide on college majors and more, large-scale gatherings like NCYC help young people to take a step back to reconnect with God and other young Catholics."