Our Youth

Diocesan Youth Hang Out with An Author and Newswoman

February 12, 2015
Author Carlos Wallace and Father Dwayne Davis rub elbows with diocesan youth at the Youth and Young Adult Leadership Conference sponsored by the diocesan Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns.
Author Carlos Wallace and Father Dwayne Davis rub elbows with diocesan youth at the Youth and Young Adult Leadership Conference sponsored by the diocesan Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns.

Youth from throughout Brooklyn and Queens joined the diocesan Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns for the annual Youth and Young Adult Leadership Conference.

This year one of the guest speakers was Liz Faublas, host of “Currents,” the daily news show on NET-TV, the sister news organization of The Tablet.

Faublas shared her experience of leadership and the importance of communication and public presence. She captured the youths’ attention by touching on several areas of concern in being a young person in today’s society. She gave personal anecdotes and shared that she too had struggles but she knew that she was able to achieve her goals because of her faith.

News anchor Liz Faublas poses for a picture with a youth participant at the leadership conference.
News anchor Liz Faublas poses for a picture with a youth participant at the leadership conference.

Another guest speaker was Carlos Wallace, author of “Life is Not Complicated-You Are: Turning Your Biggest Disappointments into Your Greatest Blessings.” Wallace is also the president and CEO of the entertainment and philanthropy company, Sol-Caritas.

Wallace also spoke with the young people about today’s challenges. He told them how he was able to overcome hardships and obstacles in his path to become a success in his personal life. He took questions from the youth about their concerns and challenges. He said he knows that his faith in God is what formed him into the man he is today.

“This conference was an amazing experience, not only because I was able to talk to friends and peers, but I was able to understand that you need God’s help and guidance in your journey to learn self-respect and to respect others,” said Mark Enobakhare, a youth leader at Our Lady of Light parish, St. Albans.

“The speakers were absolutely amazing. They expressed life-lessons my parents had told me about. They had given their own personal experiences which added on to the message of the importance of God in your life.”

“I was extremely glad that I was able to attend the VBCC Youth and Young Adult Leadership Conference with my son Taylor,” said adult leader Mary Cassandra Odenat, from St. Thomas Aquinas parish, Flatlands.

“I was impressed and happy that many of the life lessons that I have been speaking to my son about were being highlighted by Liz Faublas and Carlos Wallace. It meant a great deal to me that faith-based public personalities such as these were echoing the same life concerns as I have. Concerns that I want my son to be cognizant about in order to increase his chances of having a bright future.”