SAN DIEGO —- Registration for this weekend’s Steubenville San Diego Youth Conference had to be closed off early this year when the numbers topped 4,200.
"We had to close it off 20 days after we opened," said Bob Schrimpf, chairman of the annual Roman Catholic youth conclave that has attracted more than 10,000 young people since it began four years ago.
High school students from throughout the nation were flocking into housing today through Sunday at San Diego State University, where the three-day program is being held, and at the University of San Diego.
The local gathering is one of a dozen held around the country every year for young people "to get rocked by God, to get serious about life in Christ and his church, and to learn the truth about the Gospel," according to organizers of a conference earlier this summer that drew more than 1,000 young people to Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio —- the birthplace, 30 years ago, of the Franciscan University Youth Conferences.
The mission of this outreach program is to "evangelize youth through large conferences and events … At the heart of the conference weekend are the sacraments, through which young people can receive the Father’s loving mercy, forgiveness and healing compassion."
These conferences have also become fertile ground for recruitment to the priesthood, said Schrimpf, who’s been a featured speaker at several events around the country over the years.
"It was edifying to hear the authentic conversions at all levels," said the Rev. Anthony Saroki, the San Diego Diocese vocational director. Last year’s conference was the first he attended, shortly after being ordained, he said.
He said this conference, "which is the biggest event of this kind of event in the region" is "fertile ground for planting the seeds for priesthood." He is scheduled to conduct breakout sessions to help young men heed the calling of priesthood.
Last year’s conference drew some 3,000 attendees.
18 comments
This is great. Now how about something like this to help Catholic Adults get serious about their faith!
Passionate Catholic Youth is truly an exciting and wonderful thing. I experience it at WYD 2002. (Too bad I couldn’t go to WYD2006). God is doing some really great stuff.
Ultracrepidarian
People should send their children to the wonderful youth conference his Excellency Cardinal Mahony hosts every year. Everyone has a wonderful time singing and clapping and watching the liturgical dancers! And the workshops are fabulous! My favorite was “Liturgical Dance: Moving Through the Seasons”, followed closely by “Dancing into Freedom!” and “Homosexuality, Celibacy and the Priesthood: Continuing the Conversation”. You should really make an effort to attend the LA religious education conference instead of some rogue conference hosted by mere lay catholics!
Looks like another 60’s “windows opened” hippy get together. I’m sorry, but when boys mix with girls in a dark auditorium, the devil is bound to smile.
GET OUT’EM GUITARS! WEES GOIN TOA HODOWN!
It’d be awesome to see a family conference with that many attendees. It’s too bad when the youth gets charged up and on fire for their faith, only to come home to the same old secular dull lifestyle. It’d be great to see parents involved so the foundation is edified.
It’s very good to hear about the good things Bob Schrimpf is still doing. I volunteered in the early 90s for a fledgling youth ministry at a parish in San Diego that had really been let go. Schrimpf helped us get off the ground, piggybacking on his retreats. He had a strong team of young people that put on a retreat every month. He taught prayer, Scripture, kept a good discipline–all the time wearing his FRANCISCAN hoodie.
He was the first Steubenville grad I ever met, and not the last great one. Very good to hear he has stayed with youth ministry!
There is a perpetual adoration chapel set up for the duration of the event.
The religious sisters who are “on staff” at the weekend are from are in full religious habit.
On Saturday evening, there is an hour-long Eucharistic procession.
None of the speakers are doctrinal dissenters.
At the Masses and talks throughout the weekend, the teenagers hear that if they are guilty of mortal sin, they must receive the sacrament of penance before they receive the Eucharist, and that they have an obligation to worship God at Mass every Sunday.
At Mass this morning, though taking place in a sports arena, the 4,000+ teenagers knelt on the concrete floor at the proper times — without being told to do so.
Priests are on hand throughout the weekend to offer the sacrament of penance.
Toronto has the Lift Jesus Higher Rally which brings out several thousand each year from all over Eastern North America. http://www.lift-jesus-higher-rally.org
Fr. Stephanos: I am so happy to hear that these wonderful things take place at the youth conferences. It makes me wonder why I’ve never seen nor heard anything like this happening in the Diocese of Steubenville.
Guadalupe:
Where have you been? Franciscan Unviersity is located in the Diocese of Steubenville and has been sponsoring these youth rallies since the 1970’s and many Steubie U grads have also sponsored retreats, rallies for parishes throughout that Diocese.
DJP: I am well aware of the location of Franciscan University of STEUBENVILLE. Where have I been? Right here in the Steubenville Diocese. I read every issue of the diocesan newspaper, and I know what’s going on around the diocese. I’m active in my parish, and I know what’s going on here. I have relatives in other parts of the diocese, and I know what’s going on there too. And I know what’s NOT going on — anything resembling this conference. Catechesis, from my perspective, is ABYSMAL.
DJP, do you LIVE in this diocese?
My children have attended this conference for the last 4 years.
On the east coast it is in Attleboro, MA. Our parish sends down 2 bus loads of youth and they do come back fired up for the Lord. Many of these youth have engaged their parents in spiritual renewal.
My children have returned each time touched by our Lord in a special way.
Karen : )
Just so everyone knows, Franciscan University does sponsor things like this for adults, as well as for youth. As a matter of fact, I just got back from the Defending the Faith Conference, which was AMAZING, and I’m not even Catholic (yet)! The speakers included Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Dr. Mary Healy, who gave several excellent talks on the Theology of the Body, Steve Ray, Patrick Madrid, and others. There were also a couple thousand people in a very reverant Holy Hour that happened to be my first!
They have conferences all summer long, several for youth, a young adult conference, a conference for Priests, Seminarians, and Deacons, and others. There is a lot of energy on the campus, and we were informed that the university has more theology majors than all other Catholic colleges in the US COMBINED.
If you want to know more, check out their website at franciscanconferences.com. This year’s conferences are over, but they have a lot of next year’s planned already.
Guadelupe:
If you are getting your news from the Herald Star, its no wonder you haven’t heard of the many and varied summer conferences. The Herald Star and the Weirton Daily Times are pathetic little rags. I stopped getting them years ago!
I drove my daughter over to Franciscan University in June and July for some summer courses, and saw busloads of high school aged kids arriving (one bus decorated with the Canadian maple leaf).
Hit the university website in late spring to get the summer conference schedules (www.franciscan.edu)
Guadelupe:
From my experience – your diocese paper, as well as my own, never have any Franciscan University news in them, either. Its a shame.
Shana, I don’t live near the north end of the diocese, where Steubenville is located, and so I am unfamiliar with the newpapers you mentioned.
I know that Franciscan has wonderful programs; both my husband and I have attended conferences there. I receive their mailings. I am speaking specifically of the DIOCESE of Steubenville. The diocesan newspaper is remarkably devoid of news concerning Franciscan. We must endure the ramblings of Ron Rolheiser, but we have no articles by the venerable professors at Franciscan.
DJP said “many Steubie U grads have also sponsored retreats, rallies for parishes throughout that Diocese” but I have not seen this, and I’ve lived here most of my life.
FYI – I just got back from the Stuebenville North conference here in the Twin Cities this weekend. It too was a “sell-out” crowd, though our capacity is half the size of San Diego, about 2000 youth and another 600-800 adults (chaperones, youth leaders, etc). Same amazing experience. Our conference “sold out” in only 8 days!!!
Partnership for Youth, the group that organizes it (in cooperation with Franciscan U) is currently trying to get grant money, so they can have TWO conferences here next year!!! Pray for them!
Thank God for Fr.Scanlan and the University for being faithful diciples and challenging the world to come to Jesus. I know of many on-fire young people who have attended these conferences and they are the future. Unfortunately the entrenched liberal,60’s hold-outs in positions of authority in too many Church offices look with horror at the “extreme” actions of these kids , i.e. kneeling for hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, going to Confession “excessively” (once a month), praying the Liturgy of the Hours etc. I’ve been told by more than one “Formation of the Laity” director that these conferences put too much stress on many of the young people and they have to be “de-programmed” when they come back to the “real world”! Ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Too much Jesus? Go figure.
Kids these days. Rosaries, chaplets, sacraments. Where are their values?
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