By Steven Polley

Director, Offices of Youth Ministry and Religious Education

What do you get when you take more than 24,000 Catholic youth and adult chaperones from all over the United States, Canada, and Germany, and converge them on Houston, Texas?

You get the NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) and more than 24,000 people celebrating their Catholic faith through prayer, liturgy, music, games, and many other fun activities.

You get more than 24,000 people learning more about themselves and their relationship with God.

You get more than 24,000 people trying to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the largest group to ever play "Simon Says".

You get more than 10,000 young people gathering on the floor of the Houston Astrodome, celebrating with a dance.

You get more than 24,000 people celebrating Sunday Liturgy together. Just imagine -- 24,000 people joining hands during the Lord’s Prayer.

You get more than 24,000 tired and weary travelers returning to their homes as late as 4:30 a.m. Monday after the close of the conference on Sunday, only to care enough about themselves, and others, to still make it to school on Monday.

You get a city of Houston, truly transformed, having a change of heart after experiencing the young Catholic Church for four days.

You get not the Church of tomorrow, but the young Church of today, alive and well, fully in touch with our faith and tradition.

I am still in awe of what I witnessed while in Houston for the NCYC. As I look at the pictures and remember the events of these four days, I still get chills. As tired as each of us are, I can’t wait to do it again in October of 2005 when we travel to NCYC in Atlanta. For the Diocese of Dodge City, we had 115 youth and 31 adult chaperones attend NCYC. I would like to thank each of the youth for the love, laughter and joy each of them brought to this great event. I too would like to thank each of the chaperones, for the love and compassion that they give to each of our youth.