Twenty-six thousand eager teenagers and chaperones filled Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) to deepen their Catholic faith. Twenty-one teenagers from the Manchester area attended.

The group left Manchester before the crack of dawn, Nov. 16, and arrived home Nov. 19.

At NCYC they listened to speakers and attended different sessions that included packing meals, making cards for refugees, and creating scrapbooks for veterans.

Sister Miriam James Heidland was the keynote speaker at the conference. At a young age she was abused, and as a teenager she got involved in drugs and bad relationships. She went to college to play volleyball and found God during that time. Later, she changed her life and became a nun.

“Her speech was really inspirational,” junior Megan McDonald said. “It taught us that even if you make bad choices, you can still turn your life around.”

The group also participated in adoration, which is a time for prayer and reflection.

“All 26,000 people were so quiet you could hear a pin drop,” McDonald said. “We kneeled on a concrete floor for an hour, but I didn’t even notice because we felt so united.”