Franciscan University Marks 50 Years of Steubenville Youth Conferences That Have Shaped Generations of Catholics

What began as a single gathering on the university’s Ohio campus has grown into one of the most recognizable Catholic youth conference movements in the United States, drawing teenagers into experiences centered on the Mass, Eucharistic adoration, confession, prayer, fellowship, and evangelization.

The origins of the conference trace back to Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, the university’s former president. After hosting a conference for priests, Scanlan asked attendees what the university could do to better serve the Church. Their answer was straightforward: create an event specifically for teenagers. The following year, Franciscan University launched its first youth conference, establishing a ministry that would continue for five decades.

Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, the university’s current president, described the anniversary as a testament to enduring faith and mission.

“It’s really a beautiful testimony to God’s faithfulness,” Pivonka said.

Reflecting on the conference’s long history, he noted that many of the teenagers who attended the first gatherings are now approaching their seventies.

“That’s half a century of young people whose hearts have been touched, who have encountered Jesus in the sacraments, who have encountered him in the community gathered of young people,” Pivonka said. He called the milestone a tremendous blessing both for participants and for the university, which has played a role in facilitating those encounters.

The conference ministry continues to expand. This summer, Franciscan University hosted four sold-out conferences on its Steubenville campus while an additional 15 conferences were held in cities across the United States.

The events feature a mix of nationally known Catholic speakers and spiritual leaders. This summer’s lineup included Father Mike Schmitz, host of The Bible in a Year podcast; author and speaker Chris Stefanick; Father Leo Patalinghug of the Archdiocese of Baltimore; author and Catholic radio host Katie Prejean McGrady; and speaker, musician, and author Paul J. Kim, among others.

Despite the growth and popularity of the conferences, organizers say their fundamental focus remains unchanged.

“At the heart of our conferences, at the heart of this experience for young people, is the Blessed Sacrament,” said Brian Kissinger, executive director of conferences at Franciscan University.

Kissinger emphasized that the conferences are designed to be welcoming to young people regardless of their faith background or level of religious formation.

“We know teens are coming from a million different places — not just geographically but emotionally, spiritually, catechetically,” he said. Some participants come from deeply Catholic families, while others attend simply because they were invited by friends.

As a result, conference organizers seek to make the experience as accessible and invitational as possible while presenting the Gospel message clearly. The goal, Kissinger explained, is to proclaim the Christian message in a way that does not assume participants already know or understand the full story of the faith.

One of the conference’s most memorable traditions takes place during the closing Mass. At that time, the celebrant invites young men and women who believe God may be calling them to the priesthood or religious life to come forward in response to that call.

Data from recent studies suggest the conferences have had a notable impact on vocations. According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate’s 2026 survey of newly ordained priests, 18% of priests ordained this year attended a Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference during their vocational journey.

Additional CARA studies found similar results among religious communities. Twenty-one percent of women religious and 15% of religious brothers who recently made perpetual vows reported attending a Franciscan youth conference. Combined, 18% of newly professed religious men and women said they had participated in a Steubenville Youth Conference, a higher proportion than any other Catholic conference ministry in the country.

The conference’s influence on vocations has prompted many to ask what accounts for its sustained success and appeal among Catholic youth.

Pivonka rejects the idea that there is a complicated formula behind the ministry’s longevity.

“People will often ask me, ‘What’s the secret sauce of the conferences?’ But honestly, there’s nothing complicated about it,” he said.

Instead, he pointed to the conference’s commitment to creating opportunities for young people to encounter Christ through the sacraments, adoration, reconciliation, worship, and community. Organizers aim to remove barriers that might prevent those encounters from taking place.

“So, I’d like to say that there’s some secret sauce but it’s really just providing an environment for encounter for the young people,” Pivonka said.

He also challenged the perception that younger generations are uninterested in robust expressions of faith.

“I also don’t buy into the whole ‘young people aren’t zealous or you can’t challenge them,’” he said. “We present the teachings of the Church without any hesitation. And what we’re finding is that young people respond to that.”

As Franciscan University commemorates 50 years of youth conferences, its leaders point to a legacy measured not only in attendance figures but in decades of spiritual formation, vocational discernment, and faith communities shaped by a shared encounter with Christ. For a ministry that began with a simple request from priests seeking support for young people, the Steubenville Youth Conferences have become a defining presence in Catholic youth evangelization across the United States.

• Raju Hasmukh with files from Catholic World Report