1975 · Steubenville, Ohio, USA
Steubenville Youth Conferences Begin
In 1975, Franciscan University of Steubenville launched summer youth conferences that grew into one of the largest and most influential Catholic youth ministry programs in the United States.
The Steubenville Youth Conferences grew out of the charismatic renewal movement that swept through American Catholicism in the 1970s. Franciscan University of Steubenville, a small Catholic university in eastern Ohio, had embraced the charismatic renewal under the leadership of figures like Father Michael Scanlan, who became president in 1974. The conferences began modestly in 1975, bringing high school students to campus for a weekend of talks, worship, and Eucharistic adoration. What set Steubenville apart was the combination of enthusiastic, emotionally engaging worship with solid Catholic sacramental practice. The conferences featured dynamic speakers, praise and worship music, and large-group prayer, but they also centered on the Mass, Confession, and Eucharistic adoration. For many Catholic teenagers who found their parish experience dull, the conferences were a shock. They encountered Catholicism as something alive and demanding. The model worked. By the 1990s, the conferences had outgrown the Steubenville campus and expanded to satellite locations across the country. Today, Steubenville Conferences are held at more than twenty sites each summer, drawing over 50,000 high school students annually. Many priests, religious, and lay Catholic leaders point to a Steubenville conference as a turning point in their faith. The conferences have also drawn criticism. Some have questioned whether the emotional intensity of the experience translates into lasting faith, or whether the charismatic style fits uneasily with the broader Catholic liturgical tradition. These are fair questions. But the numbers suggest that Steubenville fills a gap that many parishes struggle to fill: giving young Catholics an experience of their faith that is personal, communal, and deeply connected to the sacraments.
Why it matters
Created one of the most influential models of Catholic youth ministry in the United States, reaching tens of thousands of young Catholics annually and shaping vocations to priesthood and religious life.
What Happened
In 1975, Franciscan University of Steubenville began hosting summer conferences for Catholic high school students. The conferences combined charismatic-style worship with traditional Catholic practices including Mass, Confession, and Eucharistic adoration. Under Father Michael Scanlan's leadership, the program grew steadily. By the 2000s, the conferences had expanded to satellite sites across the United States, reaching over 50,000 students annually.
Why It Still Matters
The Steubenville model has influenced Catholic youth ministry well beyond its own conferences. Many diocesan and parish youth programs have adopted elements of the Steubenville approach: dynamic speakers, worship music, and extended Eucharistic adoration. Countless priests, religious sisters, and lay ministers trace their vocational awakening to a Steubenville conference. The program also demonstrates a recurring pattern in Catholic life: renewal movements that begin on the margins and eventually reshape mainstream practice.