Imagine

By Steven Polley
For God and Youth

Editor’s Note: Photos from the NCYC gathering will be in the next issue of the Register.
I invite you to pause for a moment and imagine Kansas City.  Now imagine the number of police officers and all the people working in restaurants in the downtown area, primarily in and around the Convention Center and the Sprint Center.  Now imagine their thoughts when they found out that over 21,000 young people were coming to this area for a conference.  Now imagine the change in their thoughts as they experienced the joy, enthusiasm and most of all the politeness of each young person.  Imagine a married couple who were so amazed at what they saw that they offered a matching pledge up to $100,000 for the collection that is taken for the Catholic Foundation USA.  (This collection provides scholarships for young people attending the conference.)
Imagine an eight block Eucharistic procession through the streets of Kansas City.  Imagine the Deputy Police Chief coming to the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, the sponsors of the event, and telling them that if we want to come back to Kansas City in four years we are more than welcome, as they have never seen or experienced a group as wonderful as ours.  Statements like this make me proud that I represent the Diocese of Dodge City and the young Catholic Church.  
As I’ve traveled home today, I have been asked by several people, “How was it”? I replied by saying that it was very good and I think that our young people had a wonderful experience.  But as I ponder this and continue to reflect on the events of these past four days -- the lack of sleep, the miles walked, the trips back and forth from the hotel, the smiles and laughter on the faces of our youth, and the number of people who told me thanks -- I think the real response to this question lies ahead of us.  
Over the years, I have been drawn to the Gospel of the Transfiguration, especially the thoughts of coming down off the mountain, and the words, “Listen to Him”.  One of the speakers at NCYC referred to this as well.   
We have returned from a pilgrimage, a journey to a sacred place where Christ was present in Word and Sacrament.  Truly each person gathered at NCYC found themselves on a mountain top.  But now we have returned home.  So the real test for “How was it?” lies ahead in the way each of us responds to the invitation to become stronger disciples.  How do we become more involved in the life of our parish?  How do our young people become more involved and how do they respond to the invitation from the diocese to participate in the many diocesan youth events offered for our youth?  
I thank you for your prayers as we embarked on this pilgrimage. I now invite you to continue to pray for the young Catholic Church of Southwest Kansas.  Truly it is alive and well.   And please, please, take the time to listen to the stories of the 300-plus who took this journey from our diocese.  Listen to them, hear their stories, and yes from the journey to Emmaus, listen to their hearts burning, with the joy of what they have experienced.  If you want to see a part of what we experienced, please go to the diocesan website, www.dcdiocese.org/youth and view the pictures.
I cannot conclude this column without saying thanks to many people.  To Father Ted Stoecklein and Father Wesley Schawe for journeying with us and serving as our spiritual leaders.  To each of the chaperones who worked so hard to prepare for this journey and for their undying love given to each young person in Kansas City.  To you the parents who walked this journey with your children.  And finally to each of the young people, thank you for what you did and gave.  Thank you for who you are and for who you are becoming.  I am proud of you.
Special thanks to the Great Bend and Ellinwood Knights of Columbus, who graciously gave of themselves, providing our noon meal as we returned home.
“How was it?” lies ahead.  But imagine, just imagine the young Catholic Church of Southwest Kansas, alive, well and growing stronger as we walk as members of Christ’s Body.