Call it a complete experience for participants of the annual Diocesan Youth Conference (DYC) and Catholic Campus Ministry Summit (Summit) in downtown Richmond. The weekend was complete with pure joy in Jesus, prayer, and community with hundreds of peers.
Attendance at both events was the highest since the pandemic. Approximately 930 teens gathered for DYC at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and adjacent Marriott Feb. 7-9. Summit was a gathering of about 520 college students Feb. 7-8, operating separately from DYC but in the same locations.
“It’s been awesome having [a community] be centered around Catholicism, to just interact and grow deeper in faith together has been a very powerful experience,” said Matthew Do, a first-timer at DYC from the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond. “It shows there’s so many other people who have the same desire to grow in their faith as you and it’s a really unique community and bond.”
Alicia Trapp, a student from Roanoke College, has been to Summit three times. “Roanoke College is a very small campus – we’re actually a Lutheran school – so not very many Catholics there,” she said, “so coming to an event and having so many Catholics here is awesome.”
In addition to the nearly 1,500 students at the events, the Catholic community was rounded out by more than 50 volunteers, 23 seminarians, 13 religious sisters, and 50 priests on-site at various times to hear confessions.
Carlos Gonzalez, Jr., a seminarian in his first year at Saint John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C., said he attended DYC as a high school student and looks forward to it each year. Attending now as a seminarian, he said, “It’s what I’ve been going to school for, what I’m giving my life to. It means a lot to me to be here, to serve the people.”
Kristin Witt, a junior at William & Mary, said one of the reasons she looks forward to Summit each year is to share the experience with friends from other colleges. “I never regret going, it’s a great time,” she said.
Bishop Barry C. Knestout was a crowd favorite, as always, at DYC and Summit. He offered Mass and heard confessions; mingled during the teens’ free time, but politely declined invitations to jump on the inflatables; was a good sport as he took the stage for Q&A sessions; and smiled nonstop as participants shook his hand and asked for selfies.
Jocelyn Lott, a teen parishioner from the cathedral, sees Bishop Knestout regularly at Mass, but said it’s special to see him at DYC. “It shows me that he’s not just at the church,” she said. “He’s a person just like us, so I can follow God just like he follows God.”
The weekend boils down to a seamless mix of faith and fun. Both events are packed with special guests, breakout sessions, Mass, Eucharistic adoration, opportunities for confession, and plenty of time for fun and games.
This year’s two keynote speakers were Beth Davis, with a funny, yet sincere, approach, and Oscar Rivera, a fun, down-to-earth entertainer.
“Beth Davis was so in touch with what God wants to do,” said a student from James Madison University. “She doesn’t just say what she wants to say, she says what the Lord wants, and she says it in the most gentle way.”
Witt, who has been to Summit three times, said, “I really liked one of the talks about balance and how we can have God be part of every aspect of our lives – even if we only spend a little time each week – as long as we’re keeping him in mind throughout our daily tasks.”
-Lily Nguyen Dunkle, The Catholic Virginian
Completely joyful with Mass
The atmosphere in the grand ballroom of the Greater Richmond Convention Center was completely jubilant on the morning of Feb. 8.
As teens attending DYC and college students attending Summit gathered, those who serve in campus ministry pumped up the crowd.
“Let’s go Rams!” shouted director of campus ministry Chris Spilka, to cheers from Virginia Commonwealth University students.
Austin Farinholt, director of campus ministry at James Madison University, led his students in the school cheer, prompting purple and gold streamers to fly through the air, a JMU football tradition.
But then Andrew Waring, director of the diocesan Office for Evangelization, helped the students settle down and prepare for “the reason we’re all gathered here.”
Moments later, the hymn “All Creatures of Our God and King” rang out through the ballroom, signaling the beginning of Mass.
Many of the hymns were traditional, and the Kyrie was in Greek – but the renditions were modern, featuring guitar, piano and drums. There were no kneelers, only metal chairs – but students knelt reverently on the floor.
The carpeted conference room was physically unchanged, but for just over an hour, it was the house of God.
Bishop Barry C. Knestout was the main celebrant of the Mass. He was joined by 23 seminarians and about 30 priests. The bishop did not bring a prepared text for his homily, instead electing to have “more of a conversation” with the youth. He spoke about Servant of God Frank Parater, a seminarian from Richmond who died at the age of 22.
“He’s an example of someone local, a young man, who was reflecting on what it means to be holy,” said Bishop Knestout.
He offered a statement found in Parater’s diary as an example of simple devotion: “I have nothing to leave or give but my life, and this I have consecrated to the Sacred Heart to be used as He wills … this is what I live for, and in case of death, what I die for.”
Frank Parater, the bishop said, “can be a good example for young people of the direction that we’re called to take in our own lives of discipleship.”
After Mass, the raucous atmosphere returned as Dan Harms, associate director of marriage, family and life in the Office for Evangelization, took the stage.
“You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” Harms sang, eliciting laughter from students as they were dismissed by group for lunch, breakout talks, or free time.
Harrison Gragg, a Liberty University student who is preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation, made his first confession that afternoon immediately following Mass.
“It was amazing. There was so much I let go of,” said Gragg. “I’m so happy to be here, to have fellowship with so many Catholics.”
-D. Hunter Reardon, The Catholic Virginian
Sisters’ complete surrender
Throughout the weekend, glimpses of religious sisters could be caught among the crowds, the graceful sway of their habits mixing with the students’ casual clothes.
Thirteen sisters from six orders were represented: Comboni Missionary Sisters (serving in Richmond); Daughters of Charity (from different houses outside our diocese); Daughters of Mary Immaculate (serving at Church of the Vietnamese Martyrs, Richmond); Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Nashville (serving at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Newport News); Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco (from New Jersey); and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (from Pennsylvania).
Sister Iliana Aponte, who celebrated her 31st anniversary of being a Daughter of Charity on Feb. 11, said being at DYC and Summit “put a lot of energy in my life.”
“I like the theme, ‘Complete my joy,’ because I think that is something we need now, we need joy and we need hope,” Sister Iliana said, referring to the current Jubilee Year of Hope. “And we need to bring joy and hope to the people around us. And [the students] are bringing me joy and hope to see that the Catholic Church is still alive with the youth.”
The sisters’ joyful and enthusiastic witness easily drew smiles as they conversed with the students. Marifer Diaz Morales, a teen from St. John, Highland Springs, was visibly excited to see Dominican Sister Anna Joseph, principal at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, and waited shyly to request a picture with the sister.
Morales grinned after taking the photo with Sister Anna Joseph, and a friend translated as Morales explained in Spanish that she had been discerning a possible vocation to religious life and was inspired to see the sisters.
In addition to the sisters’ joyful presence, they also spent an hour in prayer Saturday afternoon for all those taking part in the two conferences. Some of them also gave talks for the breakout sessions.
Sister Laura Downing, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, gave a talk during Summit called “Becoming Complete in/with Your Community.”
Sister Elfie del Rosario, the Salesian Sister of St. John Bosco known as “The Happy Nun,” presented one of the DYC breakout sessions, talking about decision-making with Christ.
Three of the Dominican sisters serving at Our Lady of Mount Carmel were seen carrying a large prop sword through the convention center after giving a talk during one of the DYC sessions called “Rosary: Sword for the Fight.”
Sister Molly Smith, of the Daughters of Charity, said it was a special gift to be at DYC and Summit, especially because St. Vincent de Paul is the patron saint of the Diocese of Richmond and the founder of the Daughters of Charity.
“It’s a really special connection for me, and a gift to be able to witness to young people,” said Sister Molly. “This vocation was just a gift from God for me and I want to be able to share that with other young people as they discern what God might be calling them to.”
-Lily Nguyen Dunkle, The Catholic Virginian
Completely captivated by the Real Presence
The emotion was palpable during Eucharistic adoration at DYC and Summit. Somehow, both the silence and the songs were deafening. One moment, the hundreds of worshipers were completely silent in prayer, some with their hands over their heart. The next, they stretched out their arms and unabashedly belted out songs, singing along with the praise band, “Lord, I need you, oh, I need you, every hour I need you…”
Bishop Barry C. Knestout presided over Eucharistic adoration twice on Saturday, Feb. 8, in the ballroom of the Greater Richmond Convention Center; once during Summit’s closing program and then again a few hours later for DYC.
During adoration for DYC, the bishop processed around the room with the Blessed Sacrament. As the spotlights followed the monstrance and clouds of incense billowed upwards, worshipers fell to their knees.
Many students did not hesitate when asked about the most powerful moment of the weekend.
Alicia Trapp, a student at Roanoke College, said adoration was the most impactful moment for her. “I was up in the front row and there was another student on the ground crying,” she said, “and it was so moving, when you see someone connecting like that.”
“I went over and sat with them and [we] kind of just embraced each other and we just enjoyed adoration together. It was so awesome,” Trapp added.
Joshua Powell, a high school senior from St. Bede, Williamsburg, has been to DYC five times, but said it is still unexpected “the things that Jesus brought to my heart, through the people around me, and especially through adoration.”
This was the first time at DYC for Reese Ellis, a junior from St. Bede. She said the keynote speaker before adoration, Beth Davis, was fantastic, “so that brought up all the feelings and all the joy and the sadness, and then in adoration – there was Jesus. So, it was definitely powerful.”
-Lily Nguyen Dunkle, The Catholic Virginian
See more coverage from DYC and Summit.
See more photos from DYC and Summit.