By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
From Feb. 14-16, more than 1,800 youth, young adults, and ministry leaders gathered at the Frisco Convention Center under the theme “Viva Cristo Rey!” to deepen their faith and strengthen their connection to Christ. It marked the largest attendance at a Dallas Catholic Youth Conference since the Diocese of Dallas initiative began in 2012.
According to Jacob Coffman, associate director of content development for the Diocese of Dallas Office of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministries, this growth is a testament to the Holy Spirit’s work.
“As much work as we do, He’s the one who makes things happen,” Coffman said. “Those who attend can’t help but share the way that Christ impacted them through this conference, and so more people hear that joy and excitement and want to come the next year to experience that themselves.”
To accommodate the surge in attendance, DCYC has continually evolved, adding additional hotels, restructuring the layout of the conference center, and expanding its team of volunteers, speakers, and support staff.
“That constant reshaping has pushed us to improve and innovate from year to year and to avoid falling into mere routine,” Coffman said, “and our volunteers continually rise to the challenge and make the sacrifices to be here for our young people.”
Strength and faith
This year’s theme, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (Long Live Christ the King!), draws inspiration from the Cristeros movement of the 1920s in Mexico, particularly the martyrdom of 14-year-old St. José Sánchez del Río.
“It’s a statement of who Christ is to us: our king, our leader, our guide, our brother, and our savior,” Coffman said. “In saying that, we’re making a statement of who we are: children of a king, members of a body, and heirs to the kingdom.”
Coffman said the theme resonates deeply with today’s Catholic youth, who face unique challenges in an ever-evolving digital world.
“They want to be seen and heard and known and loved,” he explained. “Our young people are called to take on the faith for themselves, to draw from the springs of the Church, and to live meaningful lives that share God’s grace with all those they encounter.”
Engaging and inspiring
Despite the scale of the event, Coffman said DCYC remains rooted in personal engagement and faith formation. Each attendee is part of a parish youth ministry and accompanied by leaders and mentors. Large group sessions are followed by small group discussions, ensuring that every teen has a chance to reflect and process what they have experienced.
“The parish groups and youth ministries are always at the core,” Coffman said. “That personal accompaniment is what really helps everything stick.”
Beyond spiritual growth, DCYC fosters leadership and discipleship.
“Authentic growth in holiness is always growth in leadership,” Coffman said. “Through the whole process of the conference, we invite and empower our teens to do just that. Our Zebedee student leadership team provides a special opportunity for year-long formation and service during the weekend.”
Kaelynne Serapio, a teen parishioner from Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church in Irving, is a member of the Zebedee team.
“I was specifically a part of the creatives ministry, which was in charge of helping around the conference and making sure the participants feel welcomed and are having fun,” Serapio said, adding that her role enriched her DCYC experience this year. “I was able to connect with so many fellow Catholic teens in this conference because of how similar our beliefs are because of our faith. These people related to me, and we bonded because of that.”
Taylor Lett, minister for youth evangelization and discipleship at St. Rita Catholic Community, praised the diocesan team for its efforts to build a Christian community among youth ministers, which helped fuel DCYC’s growth.
“When you bring together a Class 5A high school’s worth of kids from across nine counties, the sheer size has potential to overwhelm any meaningful sense of community,” he said. “But when you bring those kids together and so many of their leaders know each other, know the conference organizers, and know the priests, there’s this sense of community by example.”
Teresa Holmes, who works in youth ministry at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Lancaster, said DCYC provides teens with the opportunity to see other teens at various stages in their faith and to realize the love for Jesus is real.
“The testimonies from their peers help teens realize that we all have moments of doubt, fear, issues at home and more,” she said. “To hear how God has positively impacted their lives and how God walks with them during all aspects of life has an impact on our teens. They may not know it at the time; however, in God’s time, He will sprout the seed that was planted at DCYC.”
Having accompanied a group of teens from her parish, Holmes recalled adoration as being one of the most touching and impactful times of the weekend.
“With Jesus present in the room, the dim lights, and moments of music and silence, the Holy Spirit touched many of our youth in different ways,” Holmes said. “Our teens provided comfort and prayed with their peers. There was no fear of openly praying together as a group. Seeing how the Holy Spirit touched our teens is such a warm and beautiful sight to behold.”
Serapio agreed, saying that she found comfort in her peers when embracing the opportunity to grow in her faith, particularly during eucharistic adoration.
“It felt comforting…the reverence, the silence of the room, and my peers being overcome by the Holy Spirit was so powerful. On top of that, I felt that I was alone with Jesus despite being in a room with so many people,” she said. “I had a moment of peace and comfort during adoration. This motivated me to committing more to my prayer life and leaving time for God.”
Likewise, Lett said eucharistic adoration proved a highlight for many of the teens he accompanied.
“Our students experience adoration in a variety of ways; some love the music, the size, and the production, some prefer silence and a more intimate setting,” he said. “One of the things we have talked about more than once is how to participate worshipfully in a setting that may not be our personal preference. This year during our parish breakout time, I let them process the evening themselves. They had a great conversation about the ways Jesus shows up every year in adoration for different students, and in different ways, and how little He depends on either the noise, the silence, or any one preference.”
Shaping the future
While DCYC focuses on high school students, its impact extends well beyond the weekend.
“Our teens leave this weekend on fire for the faith, and that resonates to their siblings, their parents, and their friends,” Coffman said. “Since DCYC began in 2012, our teens have grown to become leaders and mentors for new generations. Many of our current volunteers, youth ministers, and leadership team members first encountered their call at DCYC.”
With a record-breaking year in the books, Coffman said he believes the Dallas Catholic Youth Conference will continue to inspire a new generation of disciples, ready to live out their faith with courage and conviction.
Holmes agreed, noting that she had witnessed DCYC’s impact at her own parish in Lancaster.
“Some of our teens are participating more at church as commentators, lectors, altar servers, choir, and assisting with the faith formation classes for the younger children,” she said. “They volunteer to help me with Vacation Bible School and help other church ministries with their various activities when needed.”
Holmes expressed hope that the youth’s desire to learn about their faith and the sacraments has been ignited and strengthened through their experience at DCYC, helping them recognize their vital role in the Church alongside adults. She prayed they would participate more devoutly in parish events throughout the liturgical year, such as leading the Stations of the Cross, Adoration, and Holy Week observances. Additionally, she encouraged them to seek a mentor to accompany them on their faith journey and deepen their understanding of the Church’s teachings.
The task now lies with ministry leaders to encourage teens to build upon this experience, Holmes said, by encouraging the teens to share their DCYC experience or other testimonies, to actively participate in Mass, and to actively volunteer to support other ministries when needed, inviting their peers to join.
Lett added that he hoped to coordinate with other parishes that attended DCYC for service opportunities.
“We are going to partner with several of the other parishes in our area that attended DCYC for a ‘Spring Break Service Day,’” he said. “It’s important that we continue the community DCYC helps build throughout the year if we want to sustain a culture of fellowship in our diocese.”
Coffman added that this is the ultimate goal of DCYC: to be an annual touchpoint for the diocese to begin and continue that work again and again.
“It is part of the whole missionary work of the Church: Go, make disciples of all nations, teach what Jesus taught, and bring the whole world into His fold.”
Editor’s note: The Dallas Catholic Youth Conference is made possible by the generous donations from the Bishops Annual Appeal.
