Deep faith, commitment of young people inspire me

You mentioned at the recent NOLA Catholic Youth Conference how impressed you were by the number of high school students who attended.

I was. This was the first youth conference we’ve had since the fall of 2019 because of the pandemic. It was really a joyful experience to be present with nearly 500 teenagers and adult youth leaders to share God’s love around the theme, “All Things New.” Having nearly 500 people attend was tremendous, and we hope the number grows next year now that we’re back into the rhythm of gathering in large groups. The Vigil Project, which is a group of religious musicians, did an amazing job of setting the tone for the day and also enhancing the worship. Sister Josephine Garrett was an excellent keynote speaker. I was touched by her vocation story in which she said God spoke to her heart as she climbed the corporate ladder of success to become vice president of a bank in Texas – but she still felt an emptiness in her heart before her conversion. She related very well to the students and came across in a very enthusiastic way. The program also included three dynamic breakout sessions. Father Andrew Gutierrez served as the emcee. He works closely with Adrian Jackson, who is director of the CYO-Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office.

Was raising awareness of everyone’s vocational call a goal of the conference?

Yes, and that doesn’t mean exclusively a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate or religious life. The presenters spoke about the vocation that we all share – and that is the vocation to discipleship and to being faithful followers of the Lord Jesus. The presence of seminarians, priests and religious sisters and brothers reminded the young people that there is the possibility that God might be calling them to think about a religious vocation. We hope that throughout the course of these youth conferences that they think about what it means to have a vocation to marriage and family life. Some of these young people will choose to live out their faith in the single way of life. Others are being called to be religious leaders. This was the first time in the history of the conference that the gathering included spending time before the Blessed Sacrament with all the participants present. That was a very powerful moment. The young people also had the opportunity to go to confession, and several priests were available throughout the day. I had the privilege of celebrating and delivering the homily at the closing Mass.

Pope Francis has had some encouraging words for young people.

The holy father frequently reminds young people that they are not the “future” of the church but the “now” of the church. This is an idea that I concentrate on when I go to parishes for confirmation. We are inviting and challenging young people to live out their faith in Christ and in the church. This is not just something that they speak with their mouths, but it is something they live out with their hands and their hearts. Their lives are not only a blessing in growing closer to Jesus but also are a blessing to others because they lead other people to come to know Jesus.

Is the archdiocese making plans for high school students to attend the March for Life in January in Washington, D.C.?

Yes. We had about 300 last year, and we’re hoping to have an even larger group this year. This is the first national March for Life since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and we have so much to thank God for and so much more to do to protect and support women in challenging pregnancies and mothers who need help caring for their children. Adrian also is making plans to lead a large contingent of young people from our archdiocese to Portugal for World Youth Day next summer.

That youthful enthusiasm must give you a lot of hope for the future.

It does. There are those who would want us to believe that young people have turned away from the church, and we want to make sure we do in fact, reach out to those who are away. But we certainly have a large number of young people who are still active in youth ministry in our archdiocese, and they are an inspiration to me.

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected].