Youths from the Diocese of Davenport pose for a photo with a cutout of Pope Leo XIV during the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.
By Dan Russo
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Diocesan officials are asking high school students, parents and others interested in the 2027 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) to start discussions now about attending.
The Diocese of Davenport is again offering parishes the opportunity to participate in the event as part of a diocesan delegation.
Parish leaders, including pastors, parish staff, and other adults who may be interested in coordinating an NCYC group are invited to “Discerning the Pilgrimage,” an initial Zoom gathering scheduled for 10 a.m. Aug. 27.
This meeting will “introduce the diocesan planning process and help parish leaders continue and clarify their parish’s initial discernment about whether — and in what form — an NCYC pilgrimage may serve their young people,” according to the diocesan Office of Faith Formation.
Brody Bell, a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Coralville, encourages anyone considering being part of the conference to take action. The teen was one of about 370 youths and 130 adults who traveled to Indianapolis in 2025 as part of the Diocese of Davenport’s official NCYC contingent.
“That was the first trip I went on with my parish,” said Bell, who was a sophomore last year and is now preparing for his junior year of high school.
“I was surprised with how much we did in three days,” he said. “Before I went (to NCYC), I had a strong faith, but that really jump started my faith.”
Attending Mass with about 16,000 other young Catholics from around the nation was a highlight for Bell, who said the conference has inspired him to continue attending weekend and sometimes even daily Masses. He also now takes part in other faith-related activities more often than he used to because of his NCYC experience.
The next National Catholic Youth Conference will be held Nov. 18-20, 2027, at Lucas Oil Stadium and Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. Presented by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, NCYC is a multi-day experience of prayer, community, evangelization, catechesis, service and discipleship. Participants can expect Mass and Eucharistic adoration, nationally known Catholic speakers and musicians, breakout experiences and a large interactive exhibit hall. At the heart of the gathering is an invitation for young people to encounter Christ, experience the wider Church and return home strengthened to live as disciples.
“At this early stage, the goal is conversation and discernment, not a final commitment,” Trevor Pullinger, diocesan director of faith formation, wrote in a statement to The Catholic Messenger. “Families and young people are encouraged to speak with their pastor, youth minister, faith formation leader or Catholic school leader about whether a local group may be interested in making the pilgrimage.”
Information about the diocesan travel package, lodging, cost, registration process, deadlines and participation requirements is still being developed and will be shared as it becomes available. The complete diocesan travel schedule will be announced separately.
For additional information, contact Pullinger at 563-888-4244 or pullinger@davenportdiocese.org. A link to register for the upcoming Zoom meeting can be found at https://www.davenportdiocese.org/ncyc
(Lindsay Steele, diocesan reporter for The Catholic Messenger, contributed to this article.)
