LACEY — Counting down the final seconds to the start of this year’s Catholic Youth Convention, a flurry of cheers erupted from a group of around 350 high school students and chaperones at Saint Martin’s University’s Marcus Pavilion on Oct. 26.

Cheers turned into song as the audience sang along to a live performance from United Praise NW, introducing the theme, “You Are Fully Known.”

“I think so often today we get a lot of conflicting messages about who we are as people,” said emcee Cathleen Ito, who serves as middle school youth minister and confirmation coordinator at Holy Family Parish in Kirkland. “And just the reminder that God knows us, and he’s not scared of what we are, he’s not scared of our mess. He made us to be good and that in being fully known, we are fully loved.”

“That is something all of our young people need to know — all of our old people need to know that too — but especially, we want our young people to know that,” said Kimberly Abadir, the Archdiocese of Seattle’s director of youth ministry services. “They have so many things that they’re navigating, and having that sense of understanding that their identity is in God, in Christ, makes all the difference for them.”

The itinerary for the daylong conference included games, speakers, breakout sessions, confession and adoration, concluding with Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank Schuster.

Cathleen Ito emcees “You Are Fully Known,” the Catholic Youth Convention at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey on Oct. 26. (Photo by Stephen Brashear) 

The event’s first game introduced one of the Archdiocese of Seattle’s newest priests, Father Kyle Rink, and his search for a new best friend. The game whittled down the audience through a series of questions, leaving one student who shared the most preferences with Father Rink — Anbin Keen of St. Pius X Parish in Mountlake Terrace.

“When you go out in your high school, you might feel like you’re the only one, but coming here, it’s good to know you’re not the only one that’s Catholic,” Keen said of the convention experience.

Aires Patulot, the convention’s first keynote speaker, spoke about having a sense of not knowing, particularly about oneself.

“There is a voice that we can listen to that will tell us the truth about who we are,” said Patulot, the director of campus ministry at Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma. “There is a person who knows us fully, and it feels sometimes unclear. But the more that we have a chance to get to know this person, they’re going to tell us the truth that God can wipe the dim mirror that’s full of toothpaste and gunk and darkness and wash it clean so that when we look at the mirror, we can see who we really are.”

He continued his talk by bringing up a hero of his, Tenderheart Bear. One of the original 10 Care Bears, Tenderheart Bear is recognizable by a large red heart on his stomach.

“When you wear your heart on the outside, it can be hurt, it can be scarred,” Patulot said. “People can really see what’s on the inside. [Tenderheart Bear] is vulnerable, he’s honest.”

Patulot invited listeners to be more like his favorite Care Bear, and more like Jesus, who showed his vulnerability on the cross, he explained.

Following Patulot’s speech, teens headed to a round of breakout sessions, which included silent adoration, a prayerful campus walk, “stump a priest” and speakers on a variety of topics, including growing up between cultures, the seven deadly sins, and Theology of the Body.

Students had time to speak with their parish groups between keynote speakers and breakout sessions during the Catholic Youth Convention at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey on Oct. 26. (Photo by Stephen Brashear)

“Stump a priest” tasked students with submitting questions to a panel of six priests — Benedictine Father Paul Weckert, Father Justin Ryan, Father Chad Hill, Father Sylvester Chanda, Father Maximiliano Muñoz and Father Rink.

Questions ranged from how the panel knew they were called to priesthood to wondering if they could incorporate the slang term “no cap” into a theological statement — the latter of which did, in fact, stump the priests.

The former, however, brought responses such as Father Hill’s, who, after a prior desire to raise a family, found that fulfillment as a priest.

“Instead of having biological children, I have thousands of spiritual children,” Father Hill said.

Students said they particularly enjoyed this “stump a priest” session. EvaMarie Chavez of Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Seattle mentioned it as her favorite part of the day. Chavez serves on the Archdiocesan Youth Council with Father Rink’s new best friend, Keen.

After lunch, Chavez, Keen and five other members of the council held their own breakout session on how to live a life of faith in high school and how to further your relationship with Christ.

“Never be afraid to pray,” Clare Ramseyer of St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Everett told the audience. “Don’t care about what other people think of you because you are Catholic or because you’re praying — because what’s more important is your relationship with God.”

“I have people come to me [saying], ‘You’re so loving. Why?’” said Jonah Paulus of St. James Cathedral in Seattle. “Because I believe that’s what people should do. I believe that’s what God is calling me to do.”

Chavez told the audience a story of struggling when she was in middle school but finding strength through her conversations with God.

“When I first started dealing with these hardships, my immediate thoughts were, ‘Why me? What did I do to deserve this?’ Having that mindset was not benefitting me at all,” Chavez said. “And so instead I was, like, ‘Who can help me?’ And I realized that God can.”

Abbot Marion Nguyen speaks to the crowd of high schoolers during the Catholic Youth Convention at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey on Oct. 26. (Photo by Stephen Brashear)

The convention’s second keynote speaker, Abbot Marion Nguyen of Saint Martin’s Abbey, followed the afternoon breakout sessions. The stories of his own life brought some audience members to tears while other parts drew laughter. He spoke about taking time to listen to Jesus and asking him what he wants of you, instead of trying to live according to what other people want.

“I came to this realization about myself,” Abbot Nguyen said. “I always dreamt. Even when I started to dream holy dreams, instead of being a [basketball player] and [having a girlfriend] and all that, I started dreaming that I wanted to be like one of the saints.”

The day concluded with adoration and Mass. The entire crowd kneeled as Father Hill brought the Eucharist around to each part of the room.

“I love being in communion with my Lord,” Paulus said. “We are so many things in communion together.”

Bishop Frank Schuster celebrates Mass at the Catholic Youth Convention at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey on Oct. 26. (Photo by Stephen Brashear) 

While this is the first Catholic Youth Convention held at Saint Martin’s, Nick Coffman, the university’s director of campus ministry, said he would love for it to be held at the university every year.

“It’s a gift to be able to share what is our normal way of life with young people,” Coffman said, “a loving setting where the faith is so normal.”

The importance of nurturing that connection of youth and faith was a key takeaway for some conference attendees.

“Jesus talks about how [we need to] come to Jesus like a child,” Paulus said. “The youth aren’t the future of the church; they are the now of the church. They’re the role models that people should follow.”