By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
Of the over 16,000 participants in last November’s National Catholic Youth Conference, there were 250 attendees from the Diocese of Evansville.
Among those in attendance were Aiden Fehrenbacher, a parishioner at St. Philip Parish in Posey County. He went to NCYC Nov. 20-22, 2025, with the Holy Redeemer youth group. He went to NCYC to experience how people his age experience their faith in the same way and are trying to strive for the same thing he is, he said.
“I think it was really impactful because these people that are my age or even younger are striving to be the best Catholic person that they can be while still having all these other things in their lives,” Fehrenbacher said. “But they’re putting their faith as the priority.”
Among offerings for diocesan youth at the 2025 NCYC were joining Pope Leo XIV for a Zoom call and a live Question and Answer session with all participants at Lucas Oil Stadium; and Mass with Bishop Joseph M. Siegel at St. John’s Church in downtown Indianapolis.
“I found the pope’s talk the most beneficial,” Fehrenbacher said. “Kind of describing about the AI stuff. And also how he said we are the present of the church and not just the future.”
Bryan Macke, youth minister and coordinator for the St. Maria Goretti youth group, which is comprised of Holy Cross Parish in Fort Branch; St. Bernard Parish in Snake Run; and St. James Parish and Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Haubstadt; also attended NCYC. He said the main thing that stuck out to him that has a profound impact on the youth was to be in one arena with so many other young Catholics from various areas, backgrounds and ethnicities. Yet, they were all seeking the one God Jesus Christ and being united in their Catholic Church, he said.
“They realize the universality of our faith as well as knowing that they are not alone during these current times with its unique challenges and struggles,” Macke said.
Fehrenbacher said NCYC is an event he would “definitely recommend” other youth take advantage of in the future.
“These people are the same age as you going through the same things that you’re struggling with,” Fehrenbacher said. “Seeing other people your age trying to grow as close to God as they can is super impactful for you and everyone else that is struggling as well.”