This exciting weekend of prayer, community, and worship gathers high school teens throughout the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and beyond. Teens are invited to deepen their relationship with Jesus through powerful speakers, high-energy praise and worship music, vibrant liturgies, recreation, Reconciliation, and Adoration.
DCYC 2023 will be held on Feb. 17-19, 2023. Check-in will begin at 3:30 pm on Feb. 17. DCYC begins with a General Assembly at 7:45 pm on Friday. DCYC will conclude with our 10 am Closing Liturgy (ending at approximately noon) on Sunday, Feb. 19. The closing Sunday Mass is open to families.
All high school students in grades 9-12 during the 2022-23 school year are invited to attend.
The official DCYC hotel is the Embassy Suites Frisco at 7600 John Q Hammons Dr, Frisco, TX 75034
The DCYC Team provides the following for each registered participant:
DCYC 2023 provides an opportunity for youth to hear from nationally known dynamic speakers and musicians who bring to life the message of Jesus Christ and challenge youth to live out their faith as his disciples.
Emcee - Clay Imoo
Clay Imoo is a speaker, YouTuber, writer, musician, and bowler. He is married to his lovely wife, Gail and together, they have three terrific children (Sean, Jacob, and Kayla). They live in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and are parishioners of St. Paul Parish. Clay has worked for the Archdiocese of Vancouver for the past 20 years. He currently serves as an Associate Director for the Ministries and Outreach Office and as a Content Coordinator in the Communications Office. Clay has been blessed to speak at many national and international youth rallies and conferences, including in Texas. When not doing ministry, Clay enjoys spending time with his family, playing music, playing sports, playing nap time, writing Canucks parody songs, and making cheesy YouTube videos about his favorite hockey team.
Keynote Speaker - Chika Anyanwu
Chika Anyanwu is a Catholic evangelist, former Confirmation coordinator/youth & young adult minister, and the author of "My Encounter: How I Met Jesus in Prayer." Her love of God and neighbor enthuses her to share the gospel through testimony, scripture, and honest conversations about the difficult realities of faith and life. She’s had the opportunity to evangelize at NCYC, Given, Steubenville youth conferences, FOCUS SEEK conferences, and The Catholic Feminist France pilgrimage. She’s also a contributor to Blessed Is She, as well as “Connected” and “Venture: the Bible Timeline” by Ascension Press. Chika is a part of a beautiful Nigerian family, loves her coffee black, and desires sainthood for herself and you, although bad drivers challenge her sanctity!
Keynote Speaker - Joe Melendrez
Joe Melendrez has forged a unique path to becoming one of America’s most exciting Catholic performers. At age fifteen, Joe was featured on MTV and developed a love for performing. Later that year, on a Teen A.C.T.S. Retreat, Joe encountered the tremendous love of God. It was then that he decided to dedicate his life to sharing the Good News. Joe shares the Gospel in many unique ways, from his development of a faith-based clothing line (God Swagg Apparel), his release of five major Catholic hip-hop albums, to sharing the winnings from a college Chipotle contest (a year of free burritos), as a means to evangelize to different people with each meal!
Joe’s BA in Religious studies from the University of Dayton has led him to become a Religion Teacher and Youth Minister for over ten years. In addition to his work in Catholic education, Joe’s electric ministry of music and evangelization has taken him to Europe, Africa, Australia, South America, and all across the USA. Joe uses his skills to animate vast crowds of teens, and he continues to share these gifts at major youth rallies, conferences, and national events. Today, Joe Melendrez is a husband and father, as well as a natural MC, a dynamic musical performer, an inspiring speaker, and an expert retreat leader.
House Band - Dave Moore
Dave Moore is a singer-songwriter who travels the states singing traditional and contemporary songs of praise. His mission is to create an atmosphere that inspires the heart to be vulnerable with God through prayer and music. Dave has written songs that have been featured on national and independent radio stations. His ministry, before anything else, is a ministry of hospitality, a ministry of drawing all into communion with Jesus and each other.
All high school students in grades 9-12 during the 2022-23 school year are invited to attend.
DCYC requires an official chaperone ratio of 1:7. There must be one Safe Environment cleared and trained chaperone, age 21 or above, for every seven youth registered. Safe Environment-trained Young Adults aged 18-20 may attend as adult leaders but do not count toward the chaperone ratios.
When registering, night-time chaperones should select “Night-time Chaperone” on the Adult Permission Click form with your group. Because night-time chaperone registration does not include programming, lodging, meals, or a t-shirt, there is no registration fee. Parking is $5/day.