Abigayle Sambells, 14, said she attended this year’s New York Catholic Youth Day because “it’s important to share our faith with each other, and to celebrate it together – to try to recognize what God is trying to teach us.”

The five-hour afternoon gathering on Sunday, April 28, drew an estimated 1,100 middle school students to St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat served as principal celebrant of that day’s Mass, and he later led students, staffers, and volunteers in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The previous day, Saturday, April 27, saw a similar event aimed at high school students, with Cardinal Timothy Dolan celebrating that day’s Mass. The Department of Youth Faith Formation, Archdiocese of New York, sponsors the annual New York Catholic Youth Day.        

“It was really inspiring,” Sambells said in a brief interview with The Good Newsroom during a break, adding that she appreciated the Mass homily message about accompaniment and encouragement – seeking to encourage others. Her family parish is Holy Innocents in Pleasantville.         

Show that you are a Christian

“Let us take a moment to acknowledge our sins – that we’re not perfect, that we make mistakes. And this is why we need a Redeemer,” Bishop Espaillat said after making welcoming remarks, noting the significance of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Later in the homily, the bishop, in citing the day’s readings, spoke of the role St. Barnabas had as an encourager of St. Paul and his mission for Christ. “Barnabas stood up for St. Paul; and Barnabas said: hey, you see this guy. I trust him. I believe in him…And so you (apostles) need to give him a shot; you need to give him an opportunity.”

The bishop talked about the importance of loving, “not just in speech or in words, but in deed and in truth, You see, it’s not enough to just say you are a Christian; you need to show that you are a Christian. And that’s what this day is all about. God is revealing Himself to you and to me. And then we in turn are called to show that in our actions, in how we live our lives. And Barnabas was not afraid to do that.”  

“We’re called to be like Barnabas; we are called to encourage, and we are called to grow in community. We’re called to love everyone – accompaniment. I ask you, as you leave today, encourage others and walk with others…Are we at peace right now in the world? We have a lot of problems; and so that’s why I think Barnabas is the perfect model for us today,” Bishop Espaillat added, before leading participants in renewing their baptismal promises. 

“Revealed,” music, and adoration

Earlier in the day, Joe Melendrez, a prominent Catholic musician and speaker, spoke about the importance of the day’s theme: “Revealed” (John 14: 6-7), the Father reveals Himself through the Son. Sister Elfie Del Rosario, FMA, (The Salesian Sisters), known as “The Happy Nun,” served as emcee and also touched on the “Revealed” theme. 

The day ended with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This was preceded by Bishop Espaillat, Sister Elfie, and Melendrez treating the youth by singing faith-based rap music, including a song titled, “Thank You, God.” For this segment of the event, the bishop was casually clad, wearing a cap and sweatshirt. 

“Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Young people are seeking the truth; they’re hungry for that truth. And we want to share with them that the truth can be found in a person, and that person is Jesus Christ,” Christina Davis, director of youth ministry for the Department of Youth Faith Formation, told The Good Newsroom after Mass.

Adrian Hernandez, 12, said it was important to attend the gathering because “it was a great opportunity to learn new things, to learn about God and learn about our faith – to be here with my youth ministry friends and teachers, and the bishop and priests.” Adrian’s family parish is St. Rita of Cascia in the Bronx.