Amarillo— YOUnique and Gifted is the theme of the annual Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference (DCYC), open to all diocesan young adults in the seventh to twelfth grades, and set for Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9 in the Heritage Room of the Amarillo Civic Center, 401 South Buchanan.
“It’s time to come together in the Texas Panhandle to celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ as the young church,” said Guzman. “I invite young adults to get ready for an awesome time with God in fellowship with other youth, music, motivational keynotes, workshops, Eucharistic Liturgy with Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, a powerful time of Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration, concluding with a Sunday afternoon at Wonderland Park.”
Among those speaking at the DCYC include Catholic musician Dana Catherine, Daniel “D.J.” Bernal, Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ Sister Mary Michael Truong, Father Shane Wieck and Catholic couple Huy Le and Claire Tulfo. The house band will be a local group, the Frank Aguilera Band.
Dana Catherine, 25, has participated in youth rallies, conferences and other youth events throughout the country alongside nationally known speakers Leah Darrow, Dr. Scott Hahn and Mark Hart. She recently released her latest EP, Nothing in the World.
Daniel Bernal Jr. attended church throughout his childhood and knew the importance of his Catholic faith, but a series of life experiences left a deep void in his heart. While attending a Steubenville conference in 2008, Bernal realized his need for a genuine and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and since then routinely travels to ministers to audiences of all ages.
A native of Vietnam, Sister Mary Michael also went through a number of life experiences as she went to college and fell away from her Catholic Faith. She said it was while attending a conference with her mom that she prayed during the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and realized the love Jesus Christ had for her. Sister Mary Michael professed her Perpetual Vows on Aug. 12, 2017 at Prayer Town Emmanuel.
Father Shane Wieck is the youngest priest serving in the Diocese of Amarillo, having been ordained to the priesthood on June 2, 2018 by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek at St. Mary’s Cathedral. A native of Amarillo, he is Parochial Vicar at St. Laurence Church, Amarillo and the co-host of The Word on the Street with Father Tony Neusch on St. Valentine Catholic Radio.
Huy Le and Claire Tulfo are an engaged couple who will be getting married in July. While they both grew up Catholic, it wasn’t until they entered college that each would dive into exploring their Catholic Faith and fall in love with the Lord. The couple truly believes that it was God who brought them together at a Portland coffee store four years.
For additional information or to register for the annual DCYC, please contact Guzman at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 383-2243, ext. 118 or via email, [email protected].