National Catholic Youth Conference
The National Catholic Youth Conference, frequently referred to as NCYC, is a three-day event for Roman Catholic youth. NCYC is held in U.S. cities every two years and organized in part by the host diocese of the city. The conference is organized by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM). During the conference, there is music, prayer, workshops, liturgy, and opportunities to participate in the Sacrament of Penance, otherwise known as Reconciliation or Confession.
There are also concerts, dances, and a comedy club at NCYC. An area, known as the "thematic park", is set up with interactive educational and recreational activities, as well as traditional exhibits and vendor booths.
The nature of the NCYC conference requires large indoor facilities for a conference. The Nationwide Arena was used in conjunction with the Columbus Convention Center at the 2007 NCYC, where the 20,000 seat arena space was used for general sessions and participants walked to the convention center for breakout sessions including workshops and larger concurrent sessions. At the 2009 conference, the general session was duplicated via live video stream to the Grand Ballroom of the Kansas City Convention Center for overflow purposes. There were over 5,000 in overflow seating as the Sprint Center seated only 19,000. NCYC does not use club-level seats in participating arenas, lowering the optimum seating capacity, but floor seats are available on a first come, first served basis.
The 2011 NCYC was held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The event's main sessions were broadcast around the world online. During the day, the participants spent the day in the Indianapolis Convention Center for small workshops and influential speakers. The city of Indianapolis will also host the 2013 and 2015 editions. The 2013 event will occur November 21-23. Christian artist Matt Maher will be making an appearance.
History
NCYC began in 1983 as a regional conference, with one session for the east coast and one session for the west coast. The regional conferences had a few thousand youth in attendance. NCYC was merged into a national conference in 1991 and interest in the conference began to grow. The conference now attracts over 20,000 youth and adults for three days of worship, music, and fun.[1]
| Year | Attendance | Host City | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | TBD | Indianapolis, Indiana | Called / Llamados |
| 2015 | 25,000 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Here I Am Lord / Aquí Estoy Señor |
| 2013 | 23,000 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Signed. Sealed. Delivered. |
| 2011 | 23,000 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Called to Glory |
| 2009 | 23,000 | Kansas City, Missouri | Christ Reigns |
| 2007 | 20,000 | Columbus, Ohio | Discover the Way |
| 2005 | 22,000 | Atlanta, Georgia | Winds of Change |
| 2003 | 22,000 | Houston, Texas | River of Life |
| 2001 | 25,000 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Hope at the Crossroads |
| 1999 | 22,400 | St. Louis, Missouri | [email protected] |
| 1997 | 17,500 | Kansas City, Missouri | Take it to Heart |
| 1995 | 11,000 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Voices that Challenge |
| 1993 | 9,000 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Let the Spirit Ring |
| 1991 | 7,200 | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
| 1989 | 5,800 | Louisville, Kentucky/Denver, Colorado | Come and See |
| 1987 | 5,000 | Portland, Oregon/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | |
| 1985 | 3,850 | Phoenix, Arizona/Biloxi, Mississippi | |
| 1983 | 3,300 | San Francisco, California/Washington DC |
References
- ↑ History and Attendance Records of Past NCYC Conferences, National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry, Retrieved 11-23-2009