Category: Uncategorized

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Thematic Overview

Friday Night | Jesus Our Hope

Jesus Christ is our hope. He is present to us, even if we do not always feel his presence. Through the Scripture passage about the calming of the storm at sea (Luke 8:22-25), we want to illustrate that Jesus is present in the storms both within us and outside of us. Our hope is in him alone; this offers us great peace and joy. This hope is an anchor to our soul.

Saturday Session 1 | Hope Does Not Disappoint

Jesus offers us a hope that does not disappoint. When we place our hope in worldly things or idols, they will fail and disappoint us. God is faithful to his promises, and to fully see that, we must understand what God has promised us. We will unpack God’s promises and offer practical ways to fully trust in God’s faithfulness–what it means to truly have living hope.

Saturday Session 2 | Hope in Prayer

Our prayer life is the foundation of our relationship with Jesus Christ. In times of trial, we turn to him, our rock. We want to share why and how to pray, especially in the midst of suffering and uncertainty. “My soul, be at rest in God alone, from whom comes my hope” (Psalm 62:5).

Saturday Session 3 | Hope Alive

By his death and resurrection, Jesus has overcome sin and death. He is alive and invites us to share in his life. Through the Scripture story of Jesus calling Peter to step out of his boat and walk on water, we want to illustrate Jesus’ call for each us to keep our eyes fixed on him and hope in him in the midst of fear. Jesus sends his Holy Spirit to give us courage and strength to step out of the boat and hope in him.

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How to Pray with Someone

  1. Ask the person if anyone has ever prayed with them before. If not, first explain prayer ministry and intercession: It is asking someone to pray for them, and instead of the other person praying alone later, he or she will pray for them out loud right away.  
  2. Ask them if there is anything specific on their heart for which they would like prayers.  
  3. Begin with prayers of gratitude for the person, for God’s love of them, and for what God is doing in their heart.  
  4. Offer their intentions out loud. Always bring them to Christ and direct your prayer and focus to him. 
  5. Note: If a Scripture or an image comes to mind that might be helpful for the person, discern whether it will be received well. If you decide to share it, make sure to explain that God will sometimes speak through Scripture or images and encourage them to continue to pray with it and see how God is speaking to them through it.  
  6. Close the time with a prayer that can be prayed out loud together (Hail Mary, Our Father, Glory Be, etc.).  
  7. Encourage them to continue to seek God in prayer. Also, encourage them to continue to talk with someone about what God is doing in their life and, if needed, help them to seek additional help through counseling, spiritual direction, mentorship, etc. 
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Family Discussions (For Parents)

Many parents find it difficult to start faith discussions with their teens. Often, it is something that was not a part of their own upbringings. If this is you, here are a few tips to help to ease any of your worries about having a fruitful faith-based discussion with your children:

  • Say a prayer to the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide your children and help them to be open to his grace.
  • Young people have profound spiritual hunger. While they might not have a strong devotion to the Catholic faith, they are looking for meaning and purpose in their lives. Talking to them about their thoughts and feelings regarding the faith helps them to seek and find the answers they need.
  • Even teens who are engaged in their faith have many deep questions and concerns. Being a young person today is hard. Much of what is going on in their lives is hiding beneath a veneer of “having it all together.” Sometimes it only takes one question and one moment for them to let you into their lives.
  • Despite what many in the media say, you still are the strongest influence on your children. Even just asking a question communicates that you care.
  • Give your teens freedom to be honest. Their answers may not be perfect, but you want honesty and authenticity. Affirm their honesty.
  • Spend more time listening than talking during small group time.
  • Be authentic about your own spiritual journey. Share about your faith when you were a teen. Answer the questions honestly along with your teens.
  • Be patient with your children if they don’t open up to you right away.
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How to View the Livestream

How to view Steubenville Live

To view and fully participate the Livestream, you will need to register and log into your Steubenville Virtual Conference Platform account.

This can be done on a computer, tablet, or cell phone. For the best viewing experience, we recommend watching the livestream on a computer or tablet (or projected on a big screen!) and using your cell phone to participate in the interactive features such as live chat, Q&A and polling.

Accessing your Steubenville Virtual Conference account

  1. Go to steubenvillelive.com
  2. Click the “Livestream Access” button
  3. Log in using your username (or email) and password (If you forgot your password, you can reset it!
  4. In the Membership Content section of the dashboard, click on the “View” button next to “Steubenville Live Youth Conference” 
  5. The livestream, interactive features, and schedule will all be available on that page! 
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Workshop 7

8:00am – 9:15am                    

Workshop 7:

1. (RT) The Gift of Spiritual Direction

Robert Siemens

(Chapel)

2. (OT) Moving a Parish from a School Year Model to Forms of Outreach that Better Server Conversion

Dr. Doug Beaumont

(Egan: Room 113)

3. (OT) Men’s Ministry in Today’s Church

Justin Frato

(Cosmas & Damian: Pugliese Auditorium)

4. (OT) St. Frances De Sales and St. Ignatius Loyola as Mentors

Eric Gallagher

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Baron Room, 2nd Floor)

5. (OT) How to Avoid Bad Meetings: A Strategy for Healthy Leadership Teams

Ann Lankford

(Cosmas & Damian: Room 206)

6. (OT) How to Effectively Proclaim the Kerygma and Invite a Response

Michael Hall/André Regnier/Marcel LeJeune

(Finnegan Fieldhouse)

7. (OT) Seeking to Help People Discover Their Personal Vocation Using the MCORE Approach

Dr. Joshua Miller

(Cosmas & Damian: Room 300)

8. (OT) The Preventive System of St. John Bosco in the Digital Age

Fr. Lou Molinelli, SDB

(JCWC: St. Leo Room)

9. (OT) When Leaders Sin: Why We Still Need the Holy, Catholic Church

Ken Ogorek

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd Floor)

10. (OT) Mentoring Within a Parish

Antoniette Pace

(Egan: Room 213)

11. (OT) Parish Renewal: Building an Evangelized and Evangelizing Faith Community

Tom Quinlan

(JCWC: Gentile Gallery)

12. (OT) How to Do Marriage Prep in High School Settings to Prepare Young People for Matrimonial Success

Chris Vaughn

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd Floor)

13. (OT) The Priest as Minister of the Word: What Every Catechetical Leader Needs to Know

Dr. Eric Westby

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom A)

14. (OT) Revisioning Infant Baptism Ministry in the Heart of the New Evangelization

Larann Wilson

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom B)

 

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Workshop 4

9:00am – 10:15am                    

Workshop 4:

1. (YA) The Keys to Spiritual Multiplication

Michael Hall

(Finnegan Fieldhouse)

2. (CT1) Sacred Scripture: The Big Picture

Marc Cardaronella

(JCWC: Gentile Gallery)

3. (CT2) Reality: Epistemology for Catechists

Ron Bolster

(Cosmas & Damian: Room 206)

4. (CS) Teaching to Form vs. Inform

Amy Roberts

(JCWC: St. Leo Room)

5. (DO) Balancing Life and Ministry as a Professional: Finding and Implementing a System That Works for You

Dr. Therese Recinella

(Egan: Room 113)

6. (HFF) Ways to Evangelize the Family Through Scripture/Formas de Evangelizar la Familia a Través de la Sagrada Escritura

Marlon De La Torre

(Cosmas & Damian: Room 300)

7. (PCL1) Religious Education Material Evaluation and Selection

Gigi Zapiain

(Cosmas & Damian: Pugliese Auditorium)

8. (PCL2) Magisterial, Conciliar, and Catechetical Documents I

Martha Drennan

(Egan: Room 213)

9. (RCIA1) Liturgical Components of the Christian Initiation Process

Lori Smith

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Performance Room, 2nd Floor)

10. (RCIA 2) Liturgical Catechesis

Dr. James Pauley

(Fieldhouse Performance Room, 2nd floor)

11. (YM 1) Incarnational Ministry

Kris Frank

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom A)

12. (YM 2) Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization

Jim Beckman

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom B)

13. (OT) Developing a Salesian Style of Life with the Young

Fr. Lou Molinelli, SDB

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd Floor)

14. (OT) Serving the Stranger: Refugee Resettlement as a Parish Ministry

Antoniette Pace

(St. Joseph Center: Totino Room)

 

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Workshop 6

3:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Workshop 6:

1. (YA) The Discipleship Pathway: Jesus’ Plan for Renewal

Marcel LeJeune

(Finnegan Fieldhouse)

2. (CT1) The Ecclesial Method

Dr. James Pauley

(JCWC: Gentile Gallery)

3. (CT2) The Four Last Things

Fr. Jay Mello

(Cosmas & Damian: Room 206)

4. (CS) The Educational Leader in a Catholic Setting

Luke Crawford

(JCWC: St. Leo Room)

5. (DO) Canon Law for Diocesan Officials

Dr. Chris Hoag

(Egan: Room 113)

6. (HFF) Faith in Hispanic Families/La Fe en Las Familias Hispanas

Mary Ann Wiesinger-Puig

(Cosmas & Damian: Room 300)

7. (PCL1) First Penance and First Eucharist Preparation

William O’Leary

(Cosmas & Damian Hall – Pugliese Auditorium)

8. (PCL2) Philosophical Foundations of Catechesis

Ron Bolster

(Egan: Room 213)

9. (RCIA1) Pastoral Components of the Christian Initiation Process

Patty Norris

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Performance Room, 2nd Floor)

10. (RCIA 2) Companions on the Journey: Sponsors and Godparents

Gary Norris

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Baron Room, 2nd Floor)

11. (YM 1) The Church, the Body of Christ: Working with Bishops, Pastors, Staff, and Parents

Gina Bauer

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom A)

12.  (YM 2) Partnering With Families

Dr. Eric Westby

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom B)

13. (OT) How Apologetics Works in a Pastoral Setting and in Parish Life to Serve Systematic Catechesis

Dr. Doug Beaumont

(St. Joseph Center: Totino Room)

14. (OT) Parish Level Strategies for Cultivating Discipleship

Eric Gallagher

(Chapel)

15. (OT) Discipleship Quads: A Process for Making Disciples That Make Disciples

Mark Joseph

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd Floor)

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Workshop 5

2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Workshop 5:

1. (YA) The Art of Discipleship

André Regnier

(Finnegan Fieldhouse)

2. (CT1) Essential Link Between Liturgy and Catechesis

Marc Cardaronella

(JCWC: Gentile Galler

3. (CT2) Our Life in Christ: The Basics of Catholic Morality

Mary Ann Wiesinger

(Cosmas & Damian: Room 206)

4. (CS) Praying With Scripture

Rania Garnem

(JCWC: St. Leo Room)

5. (DO) Christ Before Me: The Christocentric Nature of Diocesan Administration

Marlon De La Torre

(Egan:Room 113)

6. (HFF) The Blessed Virgin Mary/La Santísima Virgen Maria

Paola Quintero

(Cosmas & Damian Hall – Room 300)

7. (PCL1) Prayer: Introduction to the Spiritual Life of the Catechist

Sr. Johanna Paruch, FSGM

(Cosmas & Damian:Pugliese Auditorium)

8. (PCL2) Magisterial, Conciliar, and Catechetical Documents II

Martha Drennan

(Egan: Room 213)

9. (RCIA1) Catechetical Components of the Christian Initiation Process

Gary Norris

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Performance Room, 2nd floor)

10. (RCIA2) Sacred Scripture: The Big Picture

Ann Lankford

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Baron Room, 2nd Floor)

11. (YM 1) Helping Teens Understand the Liturgy

Dr. James Pauley

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom A)

12. (YM 2) Effective Catechesis in Youth Ministry

Dr. Bob Rice

(St. Joseph Center: Classroom B)

13. (OT) Accessing the Gifts and Power of the Holy Spirit in the Context of Ministry

Jim Beckman

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd Floor)

14. (OT) Catechumenate as a Model for All Sacramental Preparation

Justin Frato

(St. Joseph Center: Totino Room)

15. (OT) Helping Catechists to Thrive in Ministry, Avoid Burnout, and Develop Healthy Relationships in Parish Ministry

Jim and Maureen Otremba

(Chapel)

 

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Sunday

Conference Schedule:

  • All general sessions will be held in Finnegan Fieldhouse
  • All participant meals will be served in Antonian Hall
  • Chapel indicates Christ the King Chapel

Track & Workshop Legend

(YA) Young Adults

(CT) Catechist Training (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)

(CS) Catholic Schools (non-certification)

(PCL) Parish Catechetical Leader (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)

(RCIA) Rite of Christian Initiation (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)

(YM) Youth Ministry (Yr. 1 or Yr. 2)

(DO) Diocesan Officials

(RT) Retreat Track (non-certification)

(HFF) Hispanic Faith Formation (non-certification)

(OT) Open Track (non-certification)

2:00 pm-6:30 pm

GDC Debut Study Day

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd Floor)

SCHEDULE

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Catholic School Leaders’ Summit Registration

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Performance Room, 2nd Floor)

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

GDC Debut Study Day/Catholic School Leaders’ Summit Participant Dinner

(Finnegan Fieldhouse: Aerobics Room, 2nd Floor)

 

 

 

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Fr. Jonathan McElhone, TOR

Father Jonathan McElhone, TOR  is a Franciscan TOR, serving at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Before responding to a call with the Franciscans, Father Jonathan worked as an industrial electrician, programming robots. Ordained in 2012, Father Jonathan ministered as a parochial vicar at a parish in Texas before moving back to his alma mater in 2005. Currently, Father Jonathan serves Franciscan as the director of the Priestly Discernment Program. Father Jonathan loves being a priest and ministering the sacraments. He has a passion for sharing the Gospel and never tires of witnessing miracles!

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Father Agustino Torres

Father Agustino Torres, CFR, is a priest with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal based in the Bronx, New York. He is the founder of Corazon Puro, an organization dedicated to forming youth. He hosts the EWTN television shows Icons and Clic con Corazon Puro in Spanish. Father Agustino was one of the friars who founded Catholic Underground, an apostolate of the Friars of the Renewal, and the Casa Guadalupe (women) and JPII (men) houses of discernment. He is internationally sought to address topics such as the Church’s teachings about human sexuality, vocational discernment, and missionary discipleship.

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Recharge Games & Activities

Chalk Art Drawing

Use these topics to create your own Pictionary game in the parish parking lot or have all your teen work together to create a masterpiece (don’t forget to send us a picture on social media!). If you’re participating from home, go outside and get creative in your driveway!

  • Mary
  • The Resurrection
  • Heaven
  • Six days of creation
  • Your church
  • The Pope
  • The Holy Family
  • The Ten Commandments
  • Eucharist (bread and wine)
  • Easter candle
  • Stations of the Cross
  • Hope Alive logo
  • Scripture scene –  calming the storm at sea
  • Scripture scene- Jesus walking on water

Two Truths & A Lie

This game is ideal for 10-15 people, but if you have a larger gathering, divide people up into teams so it doesn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes to get through everyone. This can be done in person or virtually!

  1. To get started, explain the game to the group. Let them know that each person will introduce themselves by stating two truths and one lie. They don’t have to be intimate, life-revealing things, just simple hobbies, interests, or past experiences that make each person unique. The lie can be outrageous, wacky, or sound like a truth, making it even harder for the other participants who have to guess which statement is a lie.
  2. Each person goes one at a time; the group has to guess which statements are true and which statement is a lie. It’s up to your group whether to keep score or just play for fun to get to know each other.

 

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Praying for & with One Another

Individual Prayer

  • Share your prayer intentions through the Steubenville Live app. We will offer these intentions at Mass during the conference. Pray for the intentions that others have shared! This is an opportunity to be connected through prayer while physically apart.  
  • Ask your parents or siblings to pray with you. You can share your intentions out loud and end with an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.  

Family/Group Prayer

  • Invite everyone to share their own prayer intentions.  
  • If everyone is comfortable, one person can open with a prayer, and each person can pray specifically for their intentions in their own words.  
  • Pray the Litany of Trust, Rosary, or the Divine Mercy Chaplet together. (The “Prayers” button on the Steubenville Live app provides these and many other prayers that can be prayed out loud together!)  
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Livestream Technology Requirements

Recommended Technology Requirements

For the best viewing experience, the minimum required bandwidth (download speed) is 7 mbps. In addition, we recommend using the following browsers and versions on Windows 7/later or macOS Sierra (10.12.6)/later:

  • Chrome 30+ (has automatic updates)
  • Firefox 27+ (has automatic updates)*
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Safari 9+

*H.264 video (required for viewing Vimeo videos) is only supported in Firefox for Windows 7 and later. Firefox versions on Windows XP are no longer supported for playback.

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Fr. Jose Robles-Sanchez

Father José Robles-Sánchez is the pastor of St. Juliana Church in Alexandria and he also serves as the Coordinator of Steubenville South for the Diocese of Alexandria. For over 20 years with the Steubenville Conferences and over ten years with Lifeteen Camps, he has devoted himself to providing young people with opportunities to find a true and endless life embedded in the Eucharist, which is the center of life for the Church, and absolutely must be the center of life for the youth. He loves challenging young people to have a better commitment with Christ and the Church, as this will help them live their call to holiness in their own culture and their own lives.

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Derya Little

Derya Little  Born and raised in Muslim Turkey, Derya Little rejected her family’s Islamic faith and became an atheist after her parents’ divorce. During her stormy adolescence, she tried to convince a Christian missionary that there is no God but was converted to Christ instead.

While attending a Turkish university and serving as a Christian youth minister, Derya began to compare the teachings of Protestantism and Catholicism, and during her doctoral studies in England, she entered the Catholic Church.

Little has an MA in History and a PhD in Politics. She has written articles for academic journals, Catholic World Report, Crisis Magazine, and other Catholic publications. Her conversion story, From Islam to Christ, is published by Ignatius Press. Her other books include The Beginner’s Guide to the Traditional Latin Mass and YA fiction Two Fallen Worlds.

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Ike Ndolo

Ike Ndolo grew up in Missouri, the son of Nigerian immigrants, and his life is a woven tapestry of experiences: hymns and Bob Marley, injustice and mercy, discrimination and acceptance. As a result, Ike has become a well-tested navigator of the human experience. He aims to share and guide you through stories that inform and even reorient your perspective. With deep and soulful gospel roots, Ike draws from new wave R&B and powerful, vocal-driven performances, calling on modern influences such as Anderson .Paak and St. Paul and the Broken Bones.

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Wednesday

6:30 am – 8:30 am      

Breakfast

8:45 am – 9:00 am

Liturgy of the Hours Morning Prayer

9:00 am – 12:00 pm     

MORNING SESSION

Praise and Worship

“Resurrected Hope”
Dr. Bob Rice

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
Celebrant: Bishop Scott McCaig

Homilist: Fr.  Joseph Espaillat

Noon – 1:30 pm     

Lunch

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Afternoon Session

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm     

Free Time

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm     

Priests’ Track

Free Time

Deacons’ Track (JCWC: Gentile Gallery)

Deacon’s Gathering
Deacon Ralph Poyo

Seminarians’ Track (JCWC: St. Leo Room)

“Anchored in Hope” 

Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm     

“Life in the Spirit Track, Part 2 of 2”
(Finnegan Fieldhouse)
John Beaulieu

4:30 pm – 7:00 pm     

Dinner

6:45 pm – 7:00 pm     

Gathering Music
Steubenville Worship

7:00 pm – 10:25 pm   

EVENING SESSION

Evening Prayer with Worship

Anniversaries, Conference Attendance Recognition

Praise and Worship

“Adversity: Burden or Bridge?”
Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart

Holy Hour

(Chapel)

Fr.  Joseph Espaillat

10:25 pm – 11:30 pm 

Social

Cake and Punch available to celebrate anniversaries (JCWC)

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Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart

Mother Olga, the founder and mother servant of Daughters of Mary of Nazareth, lived through four wars in Middle East. In 1993, she started a lay movement called Love Your Neighbor, and in 1995, she established the Missionaries of the Virgin Mary. She has a BS in biology and hematology, a MA in theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, and an MA in pastoral ministry from Boston College. Mother Olga has received many awards, including the Saint Paul the Apostle Evangelization Award, an honorary Scarlet Key Award, the Bowie Kuhn Award, Cheverus Award, the Assyrian American National Federation Humanitarian Award, and Saint Edmund’s Medal of Honor. In April 2011, Cardinal Séan Patrick O’Malley entrusted to her the mission of establishing the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth.

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Fr. Christopher O’Connor

Father Christopher O’Connor  is a poor, wretched sinner who was, only by the grace of God, ordained a priest on June 5, 1999. He is currently the pastor of Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, in Woodside, Queens, New York, in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

 

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Bishop Scott McCaig

Bishop Scott McCaig, CC, was born in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada, and grew up Kamloops, British Columbia and entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1987. After serving with NET Catholic Youth Ministries USA, he joined the Society of Apostolic Life the Companions of the Cross in 1989 and later served two terms as general superior (2006 to 2016). Bishop McCaig holds an undergraduate degree in history from Carleton University, a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology from the University of St. Paul, and a master of divinity degree from the University of Toronto. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1995, serving in numerous capacities. He was appointed by Pope Francis as Military Ordinary of Canada on April 8, 2016, and ordained to the episcopacy on the Feast of the Visitation, May 31, 2016. Bishop McCaig serves on several boards, has participated in many missionary outreaches, and assists in training missionaries with NET Ministries of Canada. In addition, he is episcopal advisor for the Spiritual Motherhood of Priests Apostolate in Ottawa, serves on the Committee for Ecumenical Dialogue for the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops, and is liaison to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario.
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Academic Camps

What Steubenville Conferences do for your soul, Franciscan University will do for your mind! 

Franciscan University of Steubenville’s summer academic programs offer the best of Franciscan to rising high school sophomores and juniors: 

June 21-26, 2020
The Franciscan Summer Academic Experience
Steubenville, Ohio 

The Franciscan Academic Experience includes hands-on learning and engaging lectures across many disciplines including science, philosophy, theatre, theology, psychology along with daily Mass, socials, praise and worship, and cultural excursions.