Who are the National Young Catholic Leaders?

The National Young Catholic Leaders is a high school & early college nonprofit organization that encourages members to go out into the world and share their faith. More than 130 members are invited to a monthly webinar series featuring powerful speakers like Sarah Swafford and Curtis Martin, along with testimonies from fellow NYCL members their age.

After the main session, members, who are scattered all across the US, build personal connections through virtual small groups, called "squads," who challenge each other through prayer and discipleship to go out and invite others into the mission and the Church.

Why Acts 22:15?

"For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard."

Exemplified by our mission statement, our mission is to introduce young people to a life of apostolic mission through personal witness. By breaking down this verse into four key components of an apostolic life, NYCL sets our leaders on a path to be at the forefront of the New Evangelization movement.

The first four words, "for you will be," set a tone for the complete instruction. Acts 22 depicts Paul incorporating firsthand details in his testimony that don't appear in Acts 9. Spoken by Ananias to Paul, these four words are not merely a prophecy, but marching orders. These marching orders have been  passed down through Paul and his following preachers to us.  In the midst of lies perpetuated by social media, AI and misinformation, the young generations are seeking authenticity. They want a home. This search for truth is how they find their true identity in Christ and a home in His Church. We are being called to share that faith. Ananias' words are evidence of that. 

In the original Greek, "martyr" is translated "witness." For NYCL Leaders, this means living a life as a witness to Christ means living a sacrificial life as if we ourselves are martyrs. To be a martyr means to offer ourselves- heart, mind, soul and strength; all we have and will have, to Christ. By doing so, we are firstly able to better see Christ in others, and so better serve them where needed(Mt 25:40). Secondly, by opening ourselves to Christ, we allow Him to shine through us, and so in turn, our friends, family, neighbors and community are able to see Christ in our words and deeds.

Ananias continues by specifying whom we are called to witness to: "all men."  Now Acts 22:15 is established as a part of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19. Through Acts 22:15, we see a road through what can seem a daunting challenge, particularly when we as laymen are unable to baptize except in emergency cases. Therefore, we are called to treat everyone we meet, regardless if they are our best friend or our worst enemy, as if they were Christ Himself. By living joyously, 

The final section of Acts 22:15 concerns of what we are to witness, which is simply, our own lives. "Of what we have seen and heard" is a reminder firstly of the universal call to holiness as outlined by Pope St. John Paul II in Christifideles Laici. He states: "Everyone in the Church, precisely because they are members, receive and thereby share in the common vocation to holiness." This idea that all are called towards heaven has been rooted in the Church since its earliest years.

Yet beyond that, each and every one of us has our own vocation and way of carrying out this universal call. Atop that, Christ has encountered each and every one of us in a way unique to us. Therefore, living a life of witness means living our lives as Christ has met us on the road to Damascus- just as He met Paul. 

Many concerns around individual evangelization movements boil down to simply "I don't know how." Acts 22:15, rooted in a community life centered towards Christ, provides an answer. It is through these means of community, prayer and faithful living that NYCL will accomplish our mission.