Steubenville conferences aim to rejuvenate faith of Catholic teens

Published: 2006-07-31

DENVER (CNS) -- The heart of the annual Steubenville of the Rockies Conference in Denver was evangelization, and the basic Gospel message -- God created us, our lives have meaning and Christ loved us so much he died for us -- was everywhere, according to a Denver archdiocesan youth ministry official. "This has been an extremely powerful coming together and the kids have responded so well," said Chris Stefanick, director of the Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry Office of the Denver Archdiocese. The July 21-23 conference drew 2,100 youths from all over the United States and Canada. "We had a hundred more youth on a waiting list," Stefanick told the Denver Catholic Register, archdiocesan newspaper. "Every space for this weekend was filled up back in March." The same weekend the Steubenville Atlanta Conference was held, drawing nearly 3,000 youths. The events were sponsored by the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, and are two of a dozen hosted for high school students by the university on its campus and around the country. Organizers described them as "a weekend to get rocked by God, to get serious about life in Christ and his church, and to learn the truth of the Gospel."

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