The National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) is the largest biennial gathering of Catholic teenagers in the United States. The three days are an opportunity for 20,000 young people and their adult chaperones to engage in inspirational presentations, vibrant worship, and energetic activities. These are days of celebration, learning, and formation. Indianapolis will host the 2011 NCYC: Called to Glory.
NCYC is designed for high school students, typically 14 to 18 years old, from all education settings: public, private, parochial, diocesan, and home school. They will travel in diocesan, parish, and school delegations from thousands of communities across the nation. They will come by airplane, train, bus, and automobile. Some will have spent twelve months or more fundraising to cover the trip's expenses. For many, participating in the NCYC is a pivotal moment in their adolescent faith formation.
These faith-filled young people are accompanied by several thousand adult chaperones including parents, priests, deacons, women and men religious, church and school personnel, and professional and volunteer youth ministers. Many Catholic bishops regularly participate in this gathering as well. The average ratio of adult to youth participants is one (1) to six (6).
To learn more about the 2011 NCYC, including the full conference schedule and overview of themes, visit their website.