By Dylan Lavitoria and Ethan Leung, Student Writers –

(Richmond, California) – In February, twenty-seven students from our school’s Student Leadership and Ministry Class (SLAM) took a four-day trip to Los Angeles to attend the LA Religious Education Congress Youth Day 2025. For those who aren’t familiar with the event, the LA RE Congress website describes it as “an annual four-day event, drawing Catholics from across the nation and around the globe,” specifically with a focus on engaging Catholic youth in an inspiring and exciting way.

The group departed from Richmond on Wednesday, February 19th, in the morning and made a stop at Universal Citywalk in the early evening. The students warmed up to the “SoCal” energy by enjoying the themed stores and restaurants in the lively Citywalk before arriving at their hotel, completing their nearly seven-hour drive to Anaheim.

The next morning, the students woke up bright and early to attend the eagerly awaited conference. When arriving at the Anaheim Convention Center, SLAM was met with a long line entering the building. This is not surprising when you consider that over 8,000 young people were in attendance at the event! This fact was made clear when they entered the center’s arena for the event’s morning conferences, and it resembled a Los Angeles Lakers game more than a religious gathering!

The morning conference featured an array of fun, inspiring, and spiritual segments, each calling the students to a closer relationship with Christ. For example, a “Jesus Rap Battle” was held, grabbing students’ attention and humor as they heard rhymes and lyrics of faith.

Jessica Cox was the morning’s keynote speaker, a woman born without arms and most known for being the world’s first armless licensed pilot and first armless black belt in the American Taekwondo Association. See, the theme and motto for this year’s Youth Day was “You are Enough, You Belong,” acknowledging the difficulties the youth of today face with conforming or fitting in, and Cox spoke about how she faced the exact same challenges. She recalled how she would wear an uncomfortable prosthetic arm just so that she could better fit in with her peers. But it was only when she stopped wearing it and realized that she was enough the way she was that she began her journey toward her amazing achievements.

The morning concluded with the Adoration of the Holy Eucharist, led by Bishop Kevin of the Diocese of Orange County. This was a time for the students to truly be in Christ’s presence and offer prayers, thoughts, and worship to God.

After the morning conference, SLAM attended a workshop led by Father Augustine Torres titled “Go Make a Mess,” during which he directed attention to Pope Francis’ quote with the same moniker. He called the young people of the Church to impact their communities and make a change in God’s name. To “make a mess” means that said impact is felt and remains. In the wake of Pope Francis’ current state of health, Father Augustine’s words ultimately called for the youth to step up now, not later. 

Unfortunately, afternoon workshops were full and could not accept any more attendees by the time SLAM got to them, so they couldn’t attend any as a group, except for a few students who managed to sneak into a few of them. But on the bright side, this snagged the students with clear-view seats to Youth Day’s Mass, the final gathering of the day. Led by Bishop Kevin, the Mass featured upbeat and engaging Gospel music and even a dance number to go along with it. Concluding the conference, the Mass was an opportunity for the students to reflect on what the conference had covered and put it into practice when being in the presence of and communicating with God.

After all the religious ceremonies and tight connections with Christ, the group was glad to know that the trip was only halfway done. The latter half of the trip was filled with joyfulness, a feeling only fitting for “the happiest place on earth.” That’s right—SLAM experienced all that Disneyland, Anaheim, had to offer. 

Despite waking up at six in the morning and enduring sweater weather, the warmth of love and kindness filled everyone’s hearts the moment they entered the park. Thousands of kids, teens, and parents flooded the gates, excited for the magical experience. Many students from SLAM decided to make a priority list for the rides that the group had to do.

Throughout the remaining day, SLAM had the time of their lives. From the interactive Rise of the Resistance to thebooming, desolate canyons of Big Thunder Mountain, the group had a blast exploring Disneyland. The group bonded over ginormous turkey legs, picture-taking with the main Disney characters, and how thrilling the rides were.

Before the party disbanded, there was one more event before our final goodbye. Hundreds of people crowded before Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, awaiting the colorful crash of captivating combustions in the night sky. Ultimately, hundreds of people were disappointed with the high winds, which resulted in the cancellation of the fireworks show. 

Despite the dissatisfaction, SLAM kept their spirits up to end the night on a high note. The memories of this day will always shine brighter than the fireworks could ever be. As the group headed back to their hotel and eventually to the Bay Area, this trip would be unforgettable for all students. Even without fireworks, the trip ended with a sense of magic that would outlast just a single night.