40 Years of Life-Changing Conferences

Franciscan University Celebrates Milestone

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Franciscan University of Steubenville is marking a milestone this year, and the entire Church has reason to celebrate.

The Ohio university is commemorating the 40th anniversary of its summer conferences (SteubenvilleConferences.com/adult; SteubenvilleConferences.com/youth), which, since their inception in 1975, have fueled the faith of more than 500,000 deacons, seminarians, priests, teens, young adults, catechists and adults. This year alone, 53,000 people at a minimum will be reached.

What started as a regional assembly of Catholic priests has burgeoned into an array of wildly popular and formative conferences — which will meet this year in 11 states and Canada. Conferences typically offer adoration, Mass, the sacrament of reconciliation and talks by well-known speakers.

What accounts for the conferences’ enduring appeal? 

Marcel LeJeune, the assistant director of campus ministry at St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M University, points out that the conferences “are not only solid in their content, but logistically as well.”

“Franciscan University has done what few others could,” he said admiringly. “It reaches a multitude of generations from different parts of the Catholic Church.” LeJeune will be a presenter at Steubenville’s St. John Bosco Conference, which is specifically designed to provide catechetical tools to those who teach the faith. Although their individual focuses may differ, the Steubenville summer conferences all share a common goal: to deliver “a message that helps all grow closer to Jesus,” LeJeune said.

It’s no wonder that conferences often sell out. Fortunately, two new opportunities have been added to this summer’s conference lineup.

Just launched for youth is Steubenville NYC, the fruit of collaboration between Franciscan and Life Teen International. Featured speakers include Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and teen favorite Leah Darrow, a former model who speaks on chastity and self-acceptance.

New for adults is the Power and Purpose Conference, characterized by a dynamic atmosphere of prayer and renewal, focusing on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Presenters include Divine Mercy promoter-Marian priest Father Michael Gaitley and the “Dynamic Deacon” and EWTN host Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers.

Returning to the Steubenville campus is the Applied Biblical Studies Conference. The event features theologian Scott Hahn, founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, his wife, Kimberly, Bishop Ronald Gainer of Harrisburg, Pa., and Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic author David Currie.

Also back again is the much-anticipated Defending the Faith Conference, which in the past has featured an impressive roster of speakers. This year’s lineup includes apologist Patrick Madrid, author and professor of philosophy Peter Kreeft, author and EWTN host Mike Aquilina, freelance writer Emily Stimpson, Catholic converts Ulf and Birgitta Ekman and ConversionDiary.com blogger and radio host Jennifer Fulwiler.

It’s worth noting that among the well-known Catholics who inspire others with their words are some who were themselves inspired at Steubenville conferences. Lisa Mladinich, author, blogger and founder of AmazingCatechists.com, is one of them. “In 1993, following my reversion to Catholicism, I attended the Defending the Faith Conference. I had already had a fiery conversion, but this was like rocket fuel poured into my heart.”

It was at a summer youth conference that Erin McCole Cupp, blogger and author of Don’t You Forget About Me, found strength to fulfill her vocation. “I always attended the Steubenville conferences as an adult chaperone,” she said. “I know the experience was for the kids, but as an adult, I received so much encouragement from the other adults there, first as a young adult relatively new to living my faith and fighting to keep the virtue of chastity; then as a young married woman and then as a young mother myself.”

Youth events like the one chaperoned by Cupp are the jewels in Franciscan University’s crown of summer conferences. Twenty-one youth conferences are scheduled to take place this year at various locations throughout North America. Presenters include singer-songwriter Chris Padgett, founder of the “Grace Before Meals” apostolate Father Leo Patalinghug, acoustic-rock duo Popple and Theology of the Body for Teens author Jason Evert.

Bring together speakers and musicians like these, expose the Blessed Sacrament, and amazing, faith-filled things can happen.

“We were at adoration at a Steubenville East (New England) conference, with a talk and music by Father Stan Fortuna,” recalled Mladinich, “and I was praying along in a huge, dimly lit tent. I was chaperoning a couple of troubled teen girls, and I turned to look at one of them. She had her head bowed in deep prayer and seemed to be radiating light. After that, she asked me to walk her over to a priest for confession, then went home and abandoned all of her troubled friends and all her sinful habits, became attached to the Rosary and St. Thérèse of Lisieux and never looked back. Meeting Our Lord in that tent that night turned her whole life around. I credit the magnificent efforts of great people with helping her come to Christ.”

Alison Duffy, marketing/communications coordinator for NET Ministries, has been to six Steubenville conferences. She says that the conferences were “life-changing”: “As an adolescent, I struggled with self-worth. During adoration at a conference, I clearly heard the Lord speak five words to me: ‘My daughter, you are beautiful.’ That moment changed my life. I knew then that God loved me for myself. Those were words that I needed to hear but had never taken the time to be silent and listen for.”

Like Duffy, Ashley Meyers is also employed by NET Ministries. It was while praying before the Blessed Sacrament at a Steubenville conference that Meyers feels she “accepted his plan for her life.”

“I could feel Jesus truly present, walking around that arena, and I knew that I wanted to follow him wherever he wanted to lead me. I had no idea that he would ask me to leave my family to be a NET missionary and then call me to spend another year away from my family on mission staff.”

Whereas her Steubenville experience led Meyers to her life’s work, it was Duffy’s work that led her to Steubenville. “Attending NET events such as Lifeline was what drew me into wanting to attend Steubenville youth conferences.” She added, “It just goes to show that putting Jesus in the room changes things!”

As a high-school student, Duffy’s husband also participated in Steubenville’s youth conferences. At one conference, he heard a talk on chastity that made an impression on him. Observed Duffy, “I guess you could say that both my husband and I benefited from his attendance at the youth conferences. On our wedding day, he handed me a chastity card that he had signed at a Steubenville conference so many years before. It had been in his wallet for all of those years.”

She added, “I’ve seen conversions of the hardest of hearts at the conferences, and I’ve seen holy men and women grow even holier. Taking a weekend off to attend a Steubenville conference would be the best decision any Catholic could make this summer.”

Celeste Behe writes from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.