“This weekend filled me with an immense sense of hope for the youth of America. Seeing teenagers from all over the country gather with such enthusiasm was profoundly moving,” said Mike Echevarria, a chaperone from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem, after his first Steubenville Youth Conference at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
For the past three decades, the Steubenville Youth Conference has been a summer tradition for students across the Diocese of Allentown. This past summer, 80 students from 13 parishes hopped on buses and vans for three trips to the University.
Many young people and adults attribute their continued faith to having had a profound experience on one of these trips.
“Saturday night Eucharistic Adoration is the highlight of the weekend,” said Marci Zambito, Director of Religious Education at St. Catharine of Siena, Reading, who has led teens for the past eight years. “It’s when they make the most impactful connection with Our Lord.”
Andrew Strong, a senior at Parkland High School and a parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield, attended his second conference this year. “The Eucharistic procession was definitely the highlight,” he said.
“Being able to adore Jesus alongside other teens is an incredible experience. I could feel the love that Our Lord has for each and every one of us, and that experience encouraged me to spend much more time in Adoration at my parish.” He continues to attend weekly Eucharistic Adoration at St. Joseph the Worker.
The trip provides an opportunity to encounter Our Lord and each other.
“Even though some forms of praise were a little foreign to me, it was a great experience…and I learned a lot about how to grow in faith,” said Wallace Morris, a first-time attendee and a senior at Parkland.
“My favorite memory was praying the Rosary at midnight with 10 other dudes in this little chapel that was in our dorm. It was one of the most peaceful moments I had ever experienced, and I could truly feel the Lord and Our Blessed Mother with us.”
The trip is not only about the teens. Echevarria said the experience was “incredibly uplifting” as a chaperone.
“It was so encouraging to see thousands of teenagers gathered together, and the atmosphere was filled with pure joy, singing, praying, and fellowship,” he said. “It truly lifted my heart to witness such a vibrant and massive Catholic youth movement thriving in our country today.”
Echevarria said his children, Shaun and Marie, were deeply moved. “They felt incredibly blessed to share their faith openly with so many peers,” he said, “and experienced a deeply personal encounter with Jesus. They were so inspired by the experience that they both announced they want to go back next year — and they plan to bring their friends along, too.”
Zelenda Hodgskin, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Allentown, hopes to increase attendance from the Diocese at the Steubenville Youth Conference.
“I would love for children from all five counties to be able to attend and make connections with one another through an encounter with God,” she said, “an encounter that is in a very different environment from what we experience here.”
If you are interested in sending your teen to the 2027 Steubenville Youth Conference or sponsoring a student, email Zelenda Hodgskin at ZHodgskin@allentowndiocese.org. Eligible students include those who are currently in grades 8-12(for the 2026-27 academic year).
To learn more about the trip, go to https://steubenvilleconferences.com/youth-conferences/.
Photo by Mrs. Marci Zambito of St. Catharine of Siena Parish in Reading.
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