Catholic school hosting live watch party for Pope Leo’s first address to American youth

DAVID CITY, Neb. (KLKN) — The first American pope, Pope Leo XIV, is set to make his first address to Catholic youth across the United States on Friday.

His livestreamed speech will happen at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.

Although the students at Aquinas Catholic School will not be at the convention, Principal Sandy Van Cura has scheduled live watch parties for grades 8 through 12.

Kaleb Andel is a senior who has researched Pope Leo and says he seems like an honest and transparent pope.

Andel adds that he is looking forward to hearing from him about what’s to come.

“It seems like he will be doing a lot of great things for the Catholic faith and the Catholic people,” he said. “I’m very excited to see where he goes and what he does differently than other popes.”

Students like Bella Fontenot said she’s looking to hear about something more specific.

“It would be really cool if he were to bring up the fact that Catholics are against social media and that struggle,” she said.

Fontenot said social media is an ideal place for her generation to learn more about God and commends Pope Leo on his outreach to her peers.

“As a kid, I didn’t really understand it [religion], but having Pope Leo now, and the fact that he’s reaching out to the youth, it makes it more exciting for me to be able to understand what’s going on now and feel included,” she said.

Students aren’t the only ones anticipating the spiritual stream.

Teacher Melissa Yindrick is the director of campus ministry at Aquinas and says it took an intentional effort from staff to organize the watch parties and the follow-up discussions that will follow.

Yindrick said she has hope for the students who will take it in.

“I hope it will increase their identity in being a passionate Catholic,” she said.

“Communication is the first and most important part of building trust, and so by communicating directly with them, he’s saying, ‘I see you, I hear you, and I want you to know that you are valuable.'”

Yindrick adds that young people have served as leaders in the Catholic Church all throughout history and hopes that they feel a calling to fearlessly lead this new generation of Catholics into the future.