Surrounded by young Catholic leaders from across Canada, sharing their faith, experiences, and passion for serving God, Sr. Marie Claire Ihorere found renewed inspiration for her own religious vocation.
“I must continue to grow and develop through perseverance and consistency in order to become a true disciple of Jesus,” she reflected after participating in the 2026 National Youth Leadership Conference in Winnipeg, Canada.
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A member of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Angels, Sr. Marie Claire attended the conference at the invitation of Fr. Reegan Soosai, CMF, Director of Diocesan Youth Ministry in the Archdiocese of Sherbrooke.
Joining them were Santiago Bobbia, a Claretian youth leader from Sherbrooke, and Fr. Frank Hernandez, CMF, from the Sacred Heart Parish in Vancouver. Together, they represented our USA-Canada province at this national gathering of young Catholic leaders.
The encounter gathered approximately 100 youth leaders from 15 dioceses across Canada, from Vancouver to New Brunswick.
The event offered young leaders the opportunity to share and reflect on their own experiences and encourage each other’s ministries
“Through the inspiring talks, homilies, workshops, and moments of prayer, I experienced spiritual renewal and growth,” said Sr Marie Claire.
Our delegation had the opportunity to join four workshops that covered topics like mental health issues among young people, creative approaches to youth ministry, artificial intelligence (AI), and gender identity.
“I return to Sherbrooke with my heart on fire and my spirit renewed, filled with joy and a commitment to continue walking, serving, and sharing God’s love with young people,” said Santiago Bobbia.
In an atmosphere filled with great joy and enthusiasm, the event concluded with a final presentation by the guest speaker Tanner Kalina, a Catholic evangelist, author, and speaker dedicated to sharing the Gospel. At that last speech Santiago found a sentence that stayed with him: “To love God is to desire the good of one’s neighbor.”
The next National Youth Leadership Conference will take place in Regina, Canada from October 1–3, 2027.
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