DCYC delivers the Gospel to 500 teens
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ABOVE: Hundreds of youth from across the diocese attended DCYC recently at Sacred Heart Church in Cicero.
By Emily E. Long, contributing writer
More than 500 teenagers from every corner of the diocese came together Nov. 23 for a day of prayer, fun and renewal at the Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference, simply known as DCYC. Held at Sacred Heart Church in Cicero, the conference had just one goal: to lead these teens to the Lord.
In an age full of smartphones and flashy worship services, it might be assumed that in 2024, organizers would have to pull out all the stops to bring young people to Christ. Instead, they went back to the basics to underscore the simple message of Jesus’s love through authentic community.
“Today is all about experiencing the goodness of the Lord,” Bishop Douglas J. Lucia said, referring to Psalm 34 which he read at Mass, during his homily. “The goodness that is found in His holy word, the goodness of the Lord that is found in the holy Eucharist, the goodness of the Lord that is found in His Church, the goodness of the Lord who is found in the Sacrament of Penance where we meet our generous and merciful God.”
Longtime missionary, author and leader Ennie Hickman was the keynote speaker. The Houston, Texas native led the first of two sessions. Hickman delivered the straightforward message of the Gospel, that “no matter what, you are great in God’s eyes and He loves you.”
“I think a lot of teenagers today think about their past and their regrets,” he told the Sun. “They’ve screwed up or done something bad and they are depressed about it and the future and the anxiety that exists: ‘Where am I going from here, what is my life going to look like, am I going to be good enough?’ The Gospel speaks to the here and now that even now, we can return to the Lord and He is present to us. He was always there, and He will always be there, but He lives in the present and we live in the present.”
Once the session ended, teens could choose to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The line down the center aisle of the church spilled out of the sanctuary and into the lobby. One of the teens, Meghan Stedman, a parishioner of St. Mary’s in Cortland, said with a big smile, “Confession was really good. I had a good experience and I felt so freed after.”
Many students seemed noticeably lighter as they bounded downstairs for lunch and had time to expend energy on six massive inflatable games and bounce houses. An extremely popular attraction was an obstacle course where they could compete with a friend.
During break, some participants reported to already be feeling refreshed in their faith. When asked why they decided to come, a common theme was the need for a break.
“I think I needed to refresh my faith because I needed to be more centered,” said Alaina DiViase, a parishioner of Holy Cross Church in DeWitt. “I’ve been very go-go-go all the time with school, and having this time to just sit and reflect with Jesus and being around people that I love is going to be really good for me.”
“I came here because I enjoy being with my community … it’s a vacation from school. I’m around good people doing good things and I really enjoy it,” said Sophia Rheaume, also a member of Holy Cross.
The latter part of the conference featured a second session with Hickman, Eucharistic Adoration, and prayer and reflection guided by worship music with country artist and worship leader John Paul Von Arx.
Lastly, the teenagers shared an ‘altaring’ moment when they were invited forward if they felt in their hearts a renewed commitment to the Lord or even a first-time acceptance of Him. More than 100 young people approached the altar to declare a new chapter in their lives with the Lord. Through authentic worship, time spent in prayer, talks that spoke to their hearts and true community, the message of the Gospel was delivered.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8 (NIV)
