Pope Leo to hold first digital encounter at NCYC

 The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) is deeply honored by today’s announcement that Pope Leo XIV will encounter the youth of the United States through a real-time digital encounter at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) general session on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, at 9:15 a.m. CT.

The Holy Father is expected to address the up to 15,000 registered young people ages 14-18 from Catholic youth movements across the United States and engage directly with them during a 45-minute live dialogue. This historic moment will mark a powerful opportunity for young people to witness the Universal Church’s care and concern for their voices, experiences, and hopes.

“We are humbled and thrilled to welcome the Holy Father to NCYC,” said Christina Lamas, Executive Director of NFCYM. “His presence is a profound reminder that young people are at the heart of the Church and that their voices matter.”

The Holy Father’s participation in this event will be inspirational. It will build on the hope-filled encounters with millions of young people both online through the first-ever Digital Influencers Jubilee, and in person at the recent Jubilee for Youth in Rome. Entrusting this event to the Blessed Mother, the news of the Digital Encounter was announced on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15.

“Even in a globalized world, the Church can seem far away for young people. The Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American Youth in this way is an expression of his closeness to Catholic youth, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope Francis who called the youth the ‘now of God’,” said Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, who serves as Archbishop of Philadelphia as well as Episcopal Advisor and board member for NFCYM.

A select number of young people will be chosen to directly converse with Pope Leo during the session. Details about the selection process will be shared in the coming weeks.

EWTN, the Global Catholic Network, will be the exclusive broadcast and livestream media partner for NCYC and the live session with Pope Leo XIV. This first-ever partnership is one of many EWTN is taking to reach Catholic Youth.

2025 NCYC will gather thousands of Catholic young people, ministry leaders, clergy, and volunteers from across the country for three days of prayer, formation, community, and celebration in Indianapolis. The Holy Father’s virtual participation will add a deeply personal and spiritual dimension to an already powerful experience of faith in action.

For more information, visit nfcym.org.

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