About Steubenville 2026

Battle-ready and Worthy

All Teenagers Are Fighting a Battle

Some battles are easy to see. Others remain hidden behind smiles, busy schedules, and glowing phone screens.

There are battles against anxiety and fear. Battles against temptation. Battles over identity, belonging, and self-worth. Battles against the quiet voice that whispers, You're not enough.

This year's Steubenville Youth Conference invited thousands of teenagers to hear a radically different message.

You are worthy. Not because you've earned it. Not because you're perfect. But because Jesus Christ has called you by name, laid down His life for you, and reminds you that every battle you face has already been entrusted to Him.

The conference theme, "Worthy," echoed for 36 teenagers from SJE who attended the conference at the end of last month. And the accompanying, powerful words from Scripture: "For the battle belongs to the LORD." (1 Samuel 17:47) became an invitation to surrender their lives more completely to Christ.

More Than a Conference

Hosted by Franciscan University of Steubenville at Missouri State University, the Steubenville Youth Conference exists for one purpose: to help teenagers encounter the living Jesus Christ.

For three days, nearly every distraction of ordinary life is stripped away. Instead of endless scrolling and noise, there is prayer and time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Instead of wondering who they should become, teenagers hear the One who created them remind them who they already are: beloved sons and daughters of God.

They hear dynamic speakers proclaim the Gospel without apology. They worship alongside thousands of other Catholic teens. They celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and they receive the grace of Reconciliation.

The Catholic Church has always taught that grace builds upon nature. When young people are immersed in an environment in which  truth, beauty, friendship, and the sacraments surround them, the Holy Spirit has room to work in remarkable ways.

And He did.

When Jesus Changes Everything

For sophomore Megan Miles, this year's conference became a turning point.

Her family has attended SJE on and off for about four years. "We started going with my mom's husband's sister just to Christmas and Easter Masses," Megan explained, "but quickly fell in love and made it part of our everyday life."

Yet her journey wasn't simple. Coming from divorced parents who attend different churches, Megan often felt caught between two worlds. She loved Jesus but struggled to know where He was leading her. Steubenville changed that.

"This trip really showed me that following Jesus shouldn't be about making others happy but instead living a holy life and saying yes to Jesus every day because He died on that cross for me."

That realization became even more profound during the Saturday night Eucharistic Adoration.

For Catholics, Adoration is not simply quiet reflection, it is an encounter with Jesus truly present in the Holy Eucharist. Last year Megan admitted she didn't fully understand what was happening. This year she prepared.

Megan researched Eucharistic Adoration before the conference. She came expecting something deeper and she wasn't disappointed.

"When you're in that area and everyone is worshipping Jesus, it's hard not to feel something," she said. "This year I truly understood what was going on. I felt His presence and the Holy Spirit. That night during Adoration was truly life-changing. I wish everyone could go at least once to experience the joy and goodness of Jesus."

The fruits didn't remain in Missouri.

This month Megan plans to begin OCIC as she prepares to become Catholic.

Sometimes one "yes" to a retreat becomes the first "yes" to a lifetime with Christ.

Preparing the Soil

Jake Sherman, who organized and chaperoned the trip, believes something beautiful actually began before the buses ever left St. John.

On the eve of departure, the teens gathered for Eucharistic Adoration at SJE.

"There was an openness from night one," Jake shared. "Everyone had a desire to go all in."

Like good soil prepared before planting, the teens arrived ready to receive whatever God wanted to give them. Throughout the weekend Jake watched teenagers pour into confession lines, kneel in prayer, worship freely, and support one another with genuine joy.

He says the most powerful moment each year remains Saturday night's Eucharistic Adoration.

"If they aren't personally having a profound encounter with Jesus, they're witnessing someone else experience Him in a powerful way. That witness changes hearts too."

Faith is contagious. So is courage. When one teenager boldly surrenders to Christ, others discover they can do the same.

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Friendship Redeemed

Perhaps one of the most beautiful surprises of Steubenville is that it changes not only a teenager's relationship with God—it transforms their relationships with one another.

For Julia Dahl, one talk especially struck her heart.

During a women's session, Sister Karolyn spoke about how God created women for authentic community, yet today's culture often teaches comparison, competition, jealousy, and insecurity.

Julia realized how desperately the world needs friendships rooted in Christ. She left Steubenville with a renewed commitment to invest differently in the people around her. "It's amazing how my friendships through Steubenville have only gotten stronger over the years," Julia shared. "We are open to praising God together, and that means something."

She also began journaling again, giving God space to speak into her daily life.

Another message stayed with her from one of the talks during the weekend.

"God doesn't need you," the speaker said. That sentence caught everyone's attention. Then came the rest. "God doesn't need you, but He wants you."

What a beautiful summary of the Gospel. God lacks nothing. Yet He chooses us. He calls us. He delights in us. God invites us into His mission because of His love, not because of our usefulness.

That truth has the power to heal every teenager who has ever questioned their worth.

Mercy That Begins Again

For Vincenzo Pomilla, the greatest gift of Steubenville came inside a confessional.

In today's culture, confession is often misunderstood. Yet Catholics know it is one of Christ's greatest gifts—a place where shame gives way to mercy, where burdens become lighter, and where grace strengthens us to begin again.

Vincenzo experienced exactly that. "The priest took his time to help me cope with some of my struggles," he shared. "I'm working on not picking up the same bad habits I confessed." That statement reflects the true purpose of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Confession isn't simply about listing sins.

It is about allowing Jesus to meet us exactly where we are, speak truth into our wounds, and give us the grace to continue the journey toward holiness.

Vincenzo returned home with a renewed desire to receive the sacrament regularly—not out of obligation, but because he experienced firsthand the freedom Christ offers through His mercy.

His advice to anyone considering Steubenville is simple.

"Give it a chance. It can be a life-changing and eye-opening experience for your faith journey."

Sometimes evangelization is that uncomplicated.

One teenager inviting another.

The Ripple Effects Continue

The fruits of Steubenville rarely end when the weekend does.

At SJE, leaders have already noticed teenagers returning with renewed devotion to Sunday Mass. Many are seeking confession regularly. Prayer has become more intentional, and friendships have become deeper. Conversations are centered less on popularity and more on purpose.

And perhaps most remarkably, one young woman is beginning OCIA because she encountered Jesus in a new way. And her story may become part of something much larger.

Megn's brother entered the Catholic Church this past Easter. Her stepfather is Catholic. Her mother continues discerning her own journey into the Church as she awaits the completion of necessary paperwork.

How beautiful would it be if one teenager's "yes" became the catalyst for an entire family's deeper encounter with Christ?

That possibility reminds us that God never works in isolation.

He transforms one heart, which touches another, then another, until entire families—and eventually entire parishes—are renewed.

The Fire Continues

When Jesus appeared at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came as tongues of fire.

Fire gives light. Fire gives warmth. Fire spreads.

That is exactly what we are witnessing in our teenagers.

Steubenville isn't simply producing memories. It is forming disciples: Young men and women who love the Eucharist. Who seek God's mercy in confession. Who desire authentic friendships rooted in Christ. Who are discovering their identity as beloved children of God.

Disciples who are learning that holiness is not reserved for saints of the past—it is God's invitation today.

As these teenagers return to SJE, they carry more than stories from a weekend away.

They carry the fire of the Holy Spirit. And that fire has only just begun.