By CNA Staff
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 /
06:35 am
EWTN Global Catholic Network announced it will serve as the exclusive media partner providing news coverage, broadcast, and digital streaming of Pope Leo XIV’s first-ever digital visit with American Catholic youth during the 2025 National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) hosted by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) on Nov. 21.
The historic encounter will connect the Holy Father live from the Vatican with thousands of young people gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and many more watching online around the world.
According to the NCYC, the Holy Father is expected to address as many as 15,000 registered young people ages 14-18 from Catholic youth movements across the United States and engage directly with them during a 45-minute live dialogue beginning at 10:15 a.m. ET on Nov. 21.
A select number of young people will be chosen to directly converse with Pope Leo during the session. The NFCYM indicated that details about the selection process will be shared in the coming weeks.
The encounter will take place on the second day of the Nov. 20–22 NCYC, which in addition to the young people will gather Catholic youth ministry leaders, clergy, and volunteers from across the country for three days of prayer, formation, community, and celebration.
Reacting to the announcement, Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis said: “It’s wonderful to welcome the youth of the United States back to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis just a year after we had 60,000 Catholics there for the National Eucharistic Congress.” He added that “revival in the United States isn’t something to hope for, it is something that is happening. I am pleased to partner with NFCYM, my brother bishops, and EWTN to facilitate this important digital encounter.”
“From the very beginning, EWTN has been the place where the faithful can gather — across distances and time zones — for the great moments in the life of the Church,” said Michael P. Warsaw, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of EWTN. “As we continue to grow and adapt our media platforms, serving younger audiences has become an essential part of our mission. This historic encounter will not only inspire young people but also invite them more deeply into the heart of the Church,” he noted.
Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News, added: “At EWTN News, we are committed to covering and supporting events of significance in the global Church. We are especially excited to partner with NCYC, NFCYM, and honored to work with the Holy Father on this unprecedented moment for the young people of the American Church with the first American pope.”
Today’s announcement, on the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also coincides with the 44th anniversary of EWTN’s first broadcast.
“This providential selection reflects EWTN’s long-standing mission to bring the Church’s message to every home and to support young people in encountering Jesus Christ and growing in their faith,” Alvarado said.
The encounter will feature opening remarks by Pope Leo XIV, youth representatives, a live Q&A, and closing remarks including a blessing. EWTN’s coverage will also include broadcasting additional NCYC programming from Nov. 20–22, providing global audiences with access to prayer, catechesis, formation, and celebration taking place in Indianapolis.
Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Pérez, who serves as episcopal adviser to the NFCYM, noted that “the Holy Father’s choice to encounter the American youth in this way is an expression of his closeness to Catholic youth, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Pope Francis who called the youth the ‘now of God.’”
Echoing Pérez, Warsaw pointed out that “this encounter with Pope Leo XIV will mark an important moment for the youth of America,” adding that “I am thrilled that we can offer EWTN’s services for the 2025 conference and encounter by providing the means by which NCYC, NFCYM, and the Holy Father will have a global vehicle of expression. We look forward to sharing this moment with the world.”
Visit ncyc.us for more information about the program and how to participate.
The largest Catholic media organization in the world, EWTN’s 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 435 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 U.S. and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., EWTN News operates multiple global news services, including Catholic News Agency; The National Catholic Register newspaper and digital platform; ACI Prensa in Spanish; ACI Digital in Portuguese; ACI Stampa in Italian; ACI Africa in English, French, and Portuguese; ACI MENA in Arabic; CNA Deutsch in German; and ChurchPop, a digital platform that creates content in several languages. It also produces numerous television news programs including “EWTN News Nightly,” “EWTN Noticias,” “EWTN News In Depth,” “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly,” “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo,” and “Vaticano.”
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The Catholic News Agency (CNA) Staff is a team of journalists dedicated to reporting news concerning the Catholic Church around the world. Our bureaus are located in Washington, D.C., and Rome. We have sister language agencies in Kenya, Germany, Peru, Brazil, and Italy. CNA is a service of EWTN News. You can contact us at news@catholicna.com with questions.
