7/23/2010 10:42:00 AM
Oregon youths to attend conference
| |
|
 |
Catholic News Service photo
A young man prays at a Steubenville conference in Denver. |
|
The Steubenville Northwest Catholic Youth Conference, set for July 30-Aug. 1, will take place at the Spokane Convention Center. Youths from all over the northwestern states and Canada are getting excited for the annual event.
Bob Falkner and Peggy Martinez, regional organizers, hope the new location will allow the conference to serve more youth. “The change of venue has opened up some exciting opportunities,” Martinez said.
Krisi Christensen of Oregon City brought the St. John the Apostle Youth Group for the first time last summer after a fellow youth minister, discussed her youth group’s experience at the conference.
The youth came back “so-on-fire” and talked up the experience so well that the number of attendees from St. John the Apostle has doubled. One of the new attendees, Elayne Ingram, says the conference “sounds inspiring because it’s not some three hour lecture; it’s fun-filled, faith-filled activities that youth would enjoy.”
Parents are coming to help in order to see what their kids came home so excited about. “It is wonderful to see the young church come alive,” Christensen said, “It is just overwhelming when you walk in and see so many youth praising God.”
This year’s biggest group is also traveling the farthest. FaceToFace Ministries of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan hosts youth from several Canadian provinces for a 10-day summer pilgrimage every year. Jon Courchene, director of the FaceToFace Steubenville Pilgrimage, brought his group two years ago and has decided to come back this year. He saw the faith of many come alive at the Steubenville NW Conference.
Some of the pilgrimage’s adult chaperones were converted as youth at a Steubenville Conference years ago. “It impacts you now, and through your entire life,” Courchene said. “The youth just love it.”
|
|
