It’s about 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 20, and youths from around the country are starting to arrive at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC).

Seventeen-year-old Isabelle Bedel jumped to her feet and shouted with joy, joining in the thunderous roar that resounded through Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Nov. 21 when Pope Leo XIV appeared on a huge screen from the Vatican, sharing a smile and words of encouragement, advice and love for the 16,000 youths at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC).

I grew up in a large family. It was Mom and Dad and 10 of us kids. When I was little, it seemed like every other year or so, my siblings and I would get new bikes for Christmas. Perhaps, in and of itself, that was not so unusual. What was unusual (and inspiring) is what I learned about how it happened after I was an adult.

If your 2025 Advent calendar only has three pieces of chocolate remaining and December has only just begun, you should probably read this. Are you serious about getting closer to Jesus? No matter how we answer this question, this Advent season could be the “personal call from God” that we are all waiting for.

“Find keys” was a common phrase of my brother Gary, who has an intellectual and developmental disability. Growing up in a large family, there always seemed to be someone looking for their keys. He was eager to help them find their keys because that might mean going on a car ride, which he loved.

“[We need to take up] seeing and feeling with God.” What a startling sentence—to see and feel with God! I heard this a couple of weeks ago at a symposium titled “Deepening Communion in a Polarized World.” Hundreds of folks—clergy, lay and seminarians—were invited to ponder it.

“You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins” (Lk 1:76-77).

Every Catholic church, regardless of its size or location, should be a place of beauty, reverence and vibrant spirituality. This doesn’t mean that every church must be excessive in terms of its cost or its furnishings. But it does mean that everything that is done should be of good quality and excellent taste.

While the interactive exhibit hall in the Indiana Convention Center has become a destination for National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) participants to buy merchandise, visit booths for information on vocations and to take time and have fun doing things like playing cornhole or singing, there is usually an opportunity for young people to serve their brothers and sisters in need.

In an exhibit hall of the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, a teen knots strips at the bottom of an old T-shirt to make a reusable bag. Another makes a rosary. A group of teens test their knowledge of the faith in a trivia game.

One of the most impactful experiences of the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) held every other year in Indianapolis is the gathering of all participants in Lucas Oil Stadium for eucharistic adoration, which took place this year on Nov. 21. “This evening is about healing,” said Gian Gamboa, one of this year’s NCYC emcees. “You can’t give until you are healed from within.”

Youthful exuberance was already on full display in the hallways of the Indiana Convention Center on Nov. 20, the first day of the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Indianapolis. Silly hats were traded. Clothespins with messages were clandestinely clipped on backpacks, and beach balls were bounced and volleyed.

There were readings in Spanish and English. And prayers of the faithful offered in English, Igbo, Spanish, Tagolog, Haitian Creole and Swahili. The voices represented the different cultures of worshippers at the annual St. Martin de Porres Mass held this year on Nov. 3 at Holy Angels Church in Indianapolis, which was sponsored by the archdiocesan Black Catholic Ministry.

ArchIndy Vox, the official Spotify channel of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, invites listeners this Advent on a spiritual journey through the season’s four central themes—hope, peace, joy and love—with its new podcast series, “Preparing the Way.” Each episode offers practical insights, heartfelt reflections and resources to help you slow down, pray and prepare for Christ’s coming

Fourth in an occasional series For Father John Meyer, the pilgrimage on the Camino this summer was partly a gift to himself for his 70th birthday. By the end of his 500-mile walking journey from France to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Greensburg knew that this pilgrimage was a gift from God.

While the interactive exhibit hall in the Indiana Convention Center has become a destination for National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) participants to buy merchandise, visit booths for information on vocations and to take time and have fun doing things like playing cornhole or singing, there is usually an opportunity for young people to serve their brothers and sisters in need.

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has made a name for itself in the Church in the U.S. It hosts more large national Catholic events than any other diocese in the country.

Like a growing number of teenagers, Felicity Britt and Mary Cing struggle with anxiety and a fear of failure.