November 24, 2017

National Catholic Youth Conference 2017

‘There are always people in my church who support me’

Wil ZinkanWil Zinkan still remembers it as one of the hardest moments of his young life.

At the time, he was in the middle of his seventh-grade year when his parents told him their family was moving to a new city.

“That was hard for me,” Wil says. “I loved where I lived and the friends I had.”

As difficult as that time was, the welcome he received at his new Catholic school—St. Charles Borromeo in Bloomington—made a huge difference. So did his Catholic faith.

“Prayer and coming to church helped me get through that move,” recalls Wil, who is now 16. “It was great when I came to St. Charles. Everyone was open and welcoming. Now, no matter what I’m going through, I know I have a support system. There are always people in my church who support me.”

Wil had the same feeling as he stood in the midst of the thousands of teenagers congregating inside the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for the second day of the National Catholic Youth Conference on Nov. 17.

“Looking around here and seeing all these people and knowing we share the same faith and values is really cool.” †

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