YYAEL Committee and Emerging Leaders Team members, Andre, Tyler, and I, as well as our leader, Linda, attended and presented at the North Central Region Meeting 2025. We are all so grateful to Susan Wiland, North Central Region RVP, for her kindness and willingness to involve us as presenters and attendees in the meeting. Thank you to all those for welcoming and including us at your North Central Regional Meeting, especially Wayne, Ed, Sue, and Mary! Your efforts and dedication made for a wonderful meeting.
We had the honor of taking photos for the Meeting and the QR code to view the photos is in the recap video!
Wednesday, June 11
Andre and Tyler arrived early Wednesday morning, so we were able to prepare for our Immersion Fest, which was planned for June 25-28. Susan kindly invited us to have dinner (lunch) with her, so we enjoyed a nice meal and conversation. Thank you, Susan, for taking the time to chat with us!
After some more planning and discussion for the Immersion Fest, shipping some YYAEL merch and supplies for the Southeast Regional meeting, and exploring the Nature Reserve by our hotel, we boarded a bus to watch the Minnesota Twins versus the Texas Rangers. Andre brought baseball gloves for him and Tyler, in hopes of catching a baseball, but that did not happen–maybe a different time! Although we were afraid of it raining, it held off and it made for a very comfortable temperature and enjoyable time. Afterwards, we stopped and picked up a few snacks for the entire weekend and then headed for bed.
Thursday, June 12
Beginning with the Rosary, it set a powerful and uplifting tone for the day. We set-up our table and had some wonderful conversations with Vincentians. The socks, sunglasses, and stickers were a success–we did not bring any back with us!
At 10:30, Michael Acaldo started his keynote: How We are Called to Be a Beacon of Light. He talked about an amazing and incredible Vincentian named Rosie, who truly embodied Vincentian virtues and being a beacon of light to those he served and encountered.
After lunch, we heard from Connor Flanagan and his inspiring encounters that made him the person he is today. His main message was impactful: the joy of the Lord is our strength, we find this joy in the gifts and talents God gives us, and we must tap into them.
Andre said this about his favorite workshop, “My favorite workshop from the weekend was either Just Ask 2.0 or the Spiritual Retreat led by Connor Flanagan. I liked both of them because they included humor and stories, and they related to me in some way. I have played both football and basketball and with Connor’s stories, I was able to relate to these experiences and realize it is more than a sport; God can work in many ways.”
Tim Williams, Reverend Larry Syner, and Mary Beth Fuller all discussed the dignity of the human person along with how our Catholic Social Teachings go hand and hand with St. Vincent de Paul. Mary Beth Fuller emphasized the significance of mental health ministry and how we, as Vincentians, can be more aware of this.
Once these amazing and informative workshops concluded, we attended the Host City Event at the Mall of America. We were able to explore and visit some exciting stores. We captured many great bingo memories and enjoyed wonderful stories from fellow Vincentians. After a short recap video and hunt for a stapler, we slept awaiting Friday, our presenting day.
Friday, June 13
Once again starting our day off with Rosary, we centered ourselves before our presentation: Perspectives on Youth and Young Adults in SVdP. Thank you to all who attended our workshop and your interest in promoting Youth and Young Adults in the Society! For YYA to flourish at its fullest, committed Conference Coaches are needed; your support and flexibility are essential.
The rest of Friday was filled with descriptive and impactful workshops; we attended the other two Youth and Young Adult focused workshops where we heard some impressive dedication and zeal.
It was then time for Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary. We all rode on buses to the stunning place of worship. It was so great to talk with fellow Vincentians on the bus ride–it is special to hear about everyone’s unique and moving stories and how they became a Vincentian and why. Tyler, Andre and I had the honor of being gift bearers and when we walked around the Basilica, we saw a sign indicating SVdP Ministries had been there since 1988.
Once Mass concluded, we rode the bus on a mini tour of Minneapolis and where their SVdP thrift stores are located. Arriving back at the hotel, we had a nice meal and even better conversation. Thank you to all who made this memorable night happen!
Saturday, June 14
After Rosary, we attended a general session titled The Offering of Letters: Advocating for an End to Hunger. Tyler, Andre, and I helped hand out the letters, specific to each state for Vincentians to write on and sign. After all the letters were collected, Deacon Don blessed the letters so that they could be sent in the mail afterwards.
Next, was Just Ask 2.0, a wonderful session done by Chris McCarthy. We all found this talk inspiring; Tyler captured our feelings well when he remarked, “Out of all the wonderful talks we listened to this weekend, the one that spoke to me most was Just Ask 2.0 by Christine McCarthy. This talk was really inspiring because it showed that just simply asking or making a request can have a huge impact. We often say that The Society is “the best kept secret of the church” but if we can get out there and be bold, incredible things can and will happen.”
The third speakers were Reverend Greg and Ed Koerner. They spoke about the amazing Success Through Twinning between SVdP in Minneapolis and Venezuela; their stories were heartfelt and truly embodied the significance of friendship and service to those in need.
After lunch and the raffle, where Tyler won a signed image of Brett Favre, we heard from Ralph Middlecamp and Letters from a Young Frédéric Ozanam. We were pleasantly surprised when Tim Williams appeared as Frédéric Ozanam to help read “his” letters to various friends and family.
Susan Wiland then ended the meeting with an eloquent send off with reminders and well-wishes.
We cannot wait to see you all next year, and we thank you again for your kindness and welcome!
Some final remarks on this meeting:
Andre reflected, “We are the beacon of hope, and we should always act out of love. There are a lot of ministries that can be brought back home to California. I really appreciated one of the vendors who collected religious artifacts and gave them out for free, and I would like to potentially bring that mission into my life at home. I selected a cross with the St. Benedict Medallion and a Jesus icon. As the Spiritual Advisor of ELT and my Youth Conference in California, this vendor motivated me to find new ways to engage and stay rooted in our essential element, spirituality.”
Tyler’s highlight from the meeting was this, “My biggest takeaway from this regional meeting was to see the person first. This message was covered very well by many of our keynote speakers. It urges us to see our neighbors as children of God, instead of seeing them as the affliction they’re going through whether it be poverty, mental illnesses, or anything else. It really goes back to our calling to see the Face of Christ in those we serve, and as Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” (Matthew 25:40).”
Zoie noted, “Having presented at two other regional meetings before NCR, it was wonderful to be at my “home” region for our final regional presentation. I greatly enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces, and I could just feel the Vincentian friendship alive. The theme for this year’s meeting was motivating and one I will cherish. All the general sessions were moving and opened my eyes to novel concepts; I am looking forward to next year!”
Some of our favorite photos!
We asked Vincentians at NCR to write a kind and positive message to all Youth and Young Adults. Here’s some of our favorites. 🤍
