For the teenagers attending the Archdiocese of Washington's inaugural EXULT Youth Conference, spending time with hundreds of other young Catholics offered an opportunity to make friends, share their faith and experience a sense of belonging.
Research suggests those connections can play an important role in adolescent well-being.
A 2026 study by the Child Mind Institute surveyed 1,000 American teenagers between ages 14 and 17 and found that 88 percent said spending time with peers in person helped them feel connected. The study also found that teenagers reporting stronger social connections experienced lower levels of loneliness, anxiety and depression.
Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have also examined the relationship between religious participation and well-being. A 2018 study following more than 5,000 young people over eight to 14 years found that those who attended religious services at least weekly during childhood and adolescence were more likely to report greater happiness and life satisfaction as young adults.
At EXULT, students from Catholic schools, public schools and homeschooling families spoke about the friendships, encouragement and shared experiences that made the gathering meaningful to them.
Summer Landa-Belo, a senior at DuVal High School in Lanham, Maryland, and a parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Washington, D.C., said being surrounded by other Catholic teenagers gave her a sense of belonging that she sometimes misses at school.
“I just feel so seen,” she said.
Therese Vieyra, a sophomore at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., and a parishioner of St. Peter’s Parish on Capitol Hill in Washington, enjoyed the music and the experience of gathering with Catholics her own age.
“Even as I go to church, sometimes I don’t see people my age,” she said.
Daniel Vargas, a senior at Bowie High School in Bowie, Maryland, and a youth group leader at St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Our Lady of Fatima in Riverdale Park, Maryland, has attended several Catholic youth conferences and welcomed the opportunity to participate in another.
“It’s honestly amazing seeing everyone with the same mission, of growing in our faith,” he said.
Isaiah Runnels, a sophomore at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, Maryland, and a parishioner of St. John Vianney Parish in Prince Frederick, said he enjoys the friendships and opportunities to collaborate with other young people through parish youth ministry.
He especially likes group activities that allow participants to talk, share ideas and work together.
Nathan Peruso, a sophomore at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, Maryland, and a parishioner of St. John Vianney Parish in Prince Frederick, said gathering with hundreds of other young Catholics was an unusual experience that helped him see the wider Church.
“It definitely changes your perspective on things,” he said.
Carl “CJ” Jensen, a parishioner of St. John Vianney Parish in Prince Frederick, Maryland, appreciated the opportunity for teenagers from different communities to gather and learn more about their faith.
He said he liked that the conference gave so many young people a chance to hear the word of God.
Molly Pieslak, a freshman at St. Peter the Rock Academy in Bowie, Maryland, and a parishioner of St. Mary of the Mills Parish in Laurel, Maryland, appreciated seeing Catholics from throughout the archdiocese.
“I think it’s really good to see all of these people here who are Catholic,” she said. “It helps me feel like it’s not just our church that’s Catholic.”
Yanelli Garcia, a sophomore at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, Maryland, and a parishioner of St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Hyattsville, Maryland, is considering whether God may be calling her to marriage or religious life.
Her advice to other young people discerning their vocations was to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration and listen for God’s direction.
“In the most silent times, in the most unexpected times, you hear a calling from him,” she said.
Sophia Gonzalez, a sophomore at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, Maryland, and a parishioner of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Wheaton, Maryland, said youth conferences give young Catholics an opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences of faith.
“I think it’s just really fun to see how everyone connects,” she said, describing how much she enjoys seeing other teenagers gather to praise God.
