Category: Team West

2020 Youth Conferences

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Oscar Rivera Jr.

Oscar Rivera Jr. (“Two Ten”) lives in Fall River, Massachusetts, with his wife. He serves as the director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Fall River. He grew up in the inner city of Waterbury, Connecticut; his method of avoiding the hood’s promises became God and hip-hop. For over a decade, he has been an international speaker and performer. Oscar’s life is devoted to the new evangelization, and his upbeat urban approach has made his message entertaining and easy to understand. Our faith is not boring and neither is Oscar.

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Mark Hart

Mark Hart, affectionately known as the Bible Geek, is a best-selling author, Catholic radio personality, and highly sought-after speaker. He proudly serves as the chief information officer and executive vice president of Life Teen International. Mark and his wife, Melanie, have four children and live in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Katie Hartfiel

Katie Hartfiel received her theology degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville and spent the following seven years serving as a youth minister in Houston. She now feels blessed to spend her days with her husband, Mark, and their four children, while still getting to travel to speak about Jesus. For more on Katie, her books, and your first chapters free, visit womaninlove.org.

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Josh Blakesley

Josh Blakesley has acknowledged a simple calling: to make music that moves people into prayer and action. Josh and his bandmates have dedicated themselves to making music for liturgy in today’s era by answering the question, How do I create a song that will honor traditions, yet speak to people in the modern Church and lead them to worship? He has led music for 20-plus years at various events, churches, festivals, and conferences including Steubenville Conferences. In addition to touring, songwriting, and producing, Josh serves as the music director at St. Anthony of Padua in The Woodlands, Texas.

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Fr. Edwin Leonard

Fr. Edwin Leonard shares the Gospel with devotion and enthusiasm. A graduate of Francisan University and veteran of NET Ministries, he was ordained in 2012 by Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell for the Diocese of Dallas. Fr. Edwin served his first two years of priesthood as the parochial vicar at St. Rita Catholic Church until he was assigned as the director of Vocations for the diocese. Under Fr. Edwin’s direction, the diocese accepted 80 new seminarians into formation.

In addition to vocations work, he was appointed in 2018 as chaplain of Bishop Lynch Catholic High School where he served until 2021 when he was assigned as pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church in Coppell, Texas. Fr. Edwin also serves on the executive board for the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors. As comfortable in a Crossfit gym or at a music festival as he is at the altar of the Lord celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Fr. Edwin loves sharing the Gospel and teaching the next generation of saints.