Middle schoolers from six of the seven Michigan dioceses attended the inaugural Anchor Youth Conference on March 15
GRAND RAPIDS — More than 200 middle schoolers from the Archdiocese of Detroit joined their peers from across the state at the Anchor Youth Conference on Saturday, March 15, engaging more deeply in their Catholic faith alongside other sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.
Anchor, a collaboration between the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Grand Rapids, Lansing, Gaylord, Saginaw and Kalamazoo, took place at Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School.
Diocesan leaders in youth ministry hoped the first-of-its-kind statewide conference would form the groundwork for more collaboration in the future, Laura Piccone-Hanchon, associate director for discipleship formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit's Department of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship, told Detroit Catholic.
More than 950 middle schoolers and their chaperones attended the daylong event, which included speakers Brian Greenfield and Emily Wilson, opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation, praise and worship with the renowned Christian band Encounter Worship, and a Mass celebrated by one bishop from each of the Lower Peninsuls's dioceses, including Detroit Auxiliary Bishop-emeritus Donald F. Hanchon.
“It was a time for these kids to come together to experience really good worship music, and hear really inspiring messages,” Piccone-Hanchon said.
Piccone-Hanchon, who served as the conference’s ministry representative for the archdiocese alongside Katy Frederick, said organizers wanted to give young people an opportunity to encounter Jesus while surrounded by hundreds of others who share their faith.
“We wanted an opportunity for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders to make a life-changing decision; we really wanted them to be able to make a decision to follow Jesus and be in community,” Piccone-Hanchon said.
Piccone-Hanchon added the feedback from the young attendees was positive.
“I felt it was a great experience of spiritual enrichment,” said Jonathan Manrique, a middle schooler from Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn. “I thought the speakers did a good job using their personal experiences and stories to help us be closer to God. At the end, I was surprised when six bishops from the dioceses in Michigan celebrated our Mass, and I felt that the Holy Spirit filled the whole congregation.”
The conference experience made many feel closer to Jesus and “reconnect to their faith.”
“The conference meeting helped me reconnect with God and make my relationship with him stronger,” said Jazmine Velaquez from the Church of the Holy Family in Novi. “I would recommend it to others who are feeling lost in their path with God.”
Piccone-Hanchon said she and other diocesan leaders hope the conference lights a fire that keeps burning as the middle school students go out into the world and interact with family and friends.
“We hope that the young people that were at Anchor went home and shared the good news with their families and with friends and that enthusiasm (for their faith) will intrigue other young people to join us not only at future Anchor conferences, but to be interested in taking part in the many ministry opportunities that are available to them throughout the archdiocese,” Piccone-Hanchon said.
