The annual gathering featured a first-ever digital encounter with Pope Leo XIV
By Lisa Dahm
Hawaii Catholic Herald
A group of Hawaii youth and their chaperones joined thousands of other young people last month for the annual National Catholic Youth Conference, which welcomes teenage faithful to come together for prayer, catechesis and community.
This year, with 16,000 people in attendance in Indianapolis, Indiana, Hawaii teen Micah Alcisto had the honor of being one of five students invited to ask Pope Leo XIV a question during a first-ever digital encounter in Lucas Oil Stadium Nov. 21.
Standing center stage in a semicircle with the other youth, the senior at Saint Louis School in Honolulu asked the U.S.-born pope about relying on artificial intelligence to assist in finding solutions to things such as schoolwork and using it as a tool or resource to find answers.
“Holy Father, what do you think we should be cautious of when embracing this new technology?” Alcisto said.
The pope said he was glad to be asked that question, and he called AI one of the defining features of our time. He said that safety is not only about rules but about personal responsibility along our faith walk.
“Every tool we’re given, including AI, should support that journey, not weaken it,” Pope Leo said. “Using AI responsibly means using it in ways that help you grow, never in ways that distract you from your dignity or your call to holiness.
The pope encouraged conference attendees to be wise and prudent in using AI, so it does not limit their true human growth.
“Remember, AI can never replace that unique gift that you are to the world,” he said.
Later by email, Alcisto told the Hawaii Catholic Herald that when Pope Leo said his name and responded to his question, it made him feel loved and valued beyond measure.
“It helped me realize that God loves each of us deeply, no matter our differences,” Alcisto said. “In the moment he was speaking to me, I understood that God knows all of our struggles, worries, and our hopes even better than we do. He meets us where we are. That realization strengthened my faith and reminded me that I am never alone.”
Pope Leo spent an hour answering questions from the youth and host Katie Prejean McGrady, quoting several important theologians to inspire his audience.
He told attendees that comfort may be nice, but it should not be a Catholic’s life goal.
“As Benedict XVI said, ‘We are not made for comfort, we were made for greatness,’” he said. “We were made for God himself.”
Later in the digital encounter, the pope said that being a Christian and following Jesus requires conversion and allowing God to transform one’s heart.
“St. Augustine said, ‘If you want to change the world, begin by letting God change you,’” Pope Leo said. “The first thing we must do is deepen our own friendship with Jesus.”
Reflecting on experience
NCYC started in 1983 as separate conferences on the East and West coasts, which joined in 1991 to become the largest national conference in the country.
The three-day conference — this year held Nov. 20-22 — typically includes praise and worship, Mass, adoration, talks, games and other activities.
Marianist Brother Brandon Alana, chief mission officer at Saint Louis School, said NCYC reminds him that the Holy Spirit is alive in the hearts of young people today.
“When we give them space to ask, to explore and to hope, we discover just how much they can teach us about faith and of our God who accompanies us all,” Brother Alana said. “If we had any doubts, we just need to re-watch the Holy Father’s digital encounter with our young people.”
Saint Louis School student Isaac Bear Catbagan, 16, attended NCYC for the first time. He said he wanted to go because his friends told him about the countless memories they had made in previous years and how it had helped them develop their faith — not to mention meeting other young Catholics from across the U.S.
“Eternal life is long, and I want to prepare for it as best as I can,” Catbagan said.
His favorite NCYC experience was attending Mass.
“The stadium we were in was filled with Catholics like me, and the Holy Spirit filled everyone’s heart,” he said. “Many people, including myself, cried because of the beauty of the Catholic Church and the love of God.”
Jessica Sambrano, 16, a parishioner at St. Catherine Church in Kapaa, Kauai, said she also heard about NCYC from her friends and wanted to attend.
“This experience changed me by helping me realize that no one is perfect and that God has a plan for each of us — we just need to trust him,” Sambrano said. “I’ll always remember how special it was that the pope took time to speak with us, and I was deeply inspired by seeing thousands of young people praising God together.”
Joshua Bicoy, 15, a parishioner at St. Damien of Molokai Church in Kaunakakai, Molokai, said his first time at the conference brought many surprising moments.
“The digital visit from Pope Leo really stood out to me — when he said that God is always with us, even when we feel far away or heartbroken, it brought me a lot of comfort,” Bicoy said.
NCYC was also the first big church conference for Francis Bumatay, 17, from St. Damien of Molokai Church.
“Being surrounded by thousands of joyful young Catholics felt like the miracle I had always prayed for,” Bumatay said.
Saint Louis School student Collin Sherlock, 15, said he is glad his parents signed him up for the conference.
“This experience really helped me see how many people love our Lord, Jesus,” Sherlock said.
He said he was impressed with Pope Leo’s knowledge and said his answers helped him understand what God wants of people.
The pope said that if Jesus asks people to make changes in their lives, it is because he wants to bring them greater joy and greater freedom.
“Jesus takes nothing away, and he gives you everything,” Pope Leo said. “We receive far more than we could ever imagine.”
Next year’s event will take place Nov. 20-21 in Long Beach, California. For more information, visit ncyc.us.
Top: The group from Hawaii included young people and chaperones from St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Kapaa, Kauai; Saint Louis School in Honolulu; Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Wahiawa, Oahu; and St. Damien of Molokai Church in Kaunakakai, Molokai. (Courtesy Lisa Gomes)
Above: Thousands of young people gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Nov. 21 for Pope Leo XIV’s first digital encounter as part of the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference; Pope Leo spoke on screen at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Photos by Margaret Murray / OSV News)