Just say yes

Annual Steubenville Youth Conference transforms teens on spiritual journey

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By Tami S. Scott, associate editor

Editor’s note: Associate editor Tami Scott traveled with the St. Mary/St. Augustine youth group as a mom/chaperone to the annual conference. Here she shares her observations from her first Steubenville visit.

Sundry emotions surrounded the charter bus that would bring 30 teens and nine adults to the annual Steubenville Youth Conference in the early morning hours of July 11. As the luggage was loaded into the undercarriage storage, some kids were energized when reunited with friends while others stood quietly waiting to board. Some were tired, others anxious, and some didn’t know anyone yet. Many had been to Steubenville before, but for others, it was their first time. One boy didn’t feel so well; he had a nervous stomach.

But once the St. Augustine/St. Mary’s (SASM) team boarded the bus, there was no turning back – nor would there want to be. The road ahead was long but filled with the Holy Spirit the entire trip.

SASM youth minister and seminarian Carlos Gonzalez led the group and was accompanied by Father Ben Schrantz and chaperones assisting in the mission of evangelization. Fr. Ben is the parochial vicar of the recently linked parishes St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Augustine and St. Mary of the Assumption in Baldwinsville.

One of the first moments when I witnessed the power of this journey was on our way to Cedar Point, an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Fr. Ben handed out rosaries to those who didn’t have one so together we could pray the Hail Mary. I looked across the aisle at the boy who was nervous about the weekend. He received one with beautiful yellow beads. I commented on the color. He nodded. And we all prayed together. Carlos then told all those who were given rosaries that they were theirs to keep. Again, I looked at the boy. His eyes widened in disbelief and a candid smile appeared as he safely tucked away his treasure.

That’s when I knew there was something uniquely special taking place in the hearts of our youth.

On Day 2, we boarded the bus again, this time for Steubenville. We stopped at a local park for a short retreat where the kids played games, acted out skits and attended Mass under a pavilion. The park was quiet, the green area vacant but a few walkers in the distance. Then out of nowhere a gaggle of geese slowly waddled past our group during Mass.

After Mass ended, Fr. Ben explained that the Mass was dedicated to the Holy Spirit, and in Ireland, the Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit is not the dove, but the wild goose. Why? A quick Google search for the peculiar choice is because “the ancient Celtic people saw how the Holy Spirit has a tendency to disrupt and surprise.”

Come, Holy Spirit

Once we arrived at Franciscan University at Steubenville, we joined more than 3,000 others who made the journey — some from as far as Alaska. Music and conferences kept the kids energized from morning till night with breakouts of small groups to reflect on the topics presented.

But it was during Adoration when the Holy Spirit appeared to stir souls most fervently. A Eucharistic procession takes place. Lights are dimmed and praise and worship music plays. Teens and adults alike can be seen kneeling and raising their arms toward Christ in the Eucharist. Some cried, others prayed over strangers and friends supported each other as they experienced the Holy Spirit working in them.

Not everyone has the same experience; some are significant, and others continue to wait on God’s timing.

I had the privilege of hearing testimonies from our group on the journey back home. The courage and strength these teens displayed, to be so open and vulnerable with their peers (and non-peers) can only be drawn from the Lord himself. The following excerpts are mere glimpses into their full experiences before and after Jesus met them on this journey.

• “Being Christian is more than going to Mass every week … It’s how you see God every single day.”

• “I feel so loved and worthy of [the love] and that’s a feeling I never want to let go of.”

• “That feeling that I wasn’t worthy of anybody’s love was finally taken off. I was completely filled with the love of Jesus Christ.”

• “Last year, Steubenville was a huge conversion for me because, before it, I didn’t really consider myself Catholic. I considered myself an atheist.” … “For this one, my ‘self’ really didn’t cross my mind very much. The first thought I had was I want all of my friends and everyone here to have the greatest experience like what I had last year.”  … “I can’t really explain it but I feel like now my purpose is for me to go out and to just help everyone else to feel God’s love and to develop their faith to be as strong and as faithful as they can.”

There were close to 30 priests at Steubenville for the conference. These priests heard almost 1,600 confessions in nine hours.

On Day 1, I saw kids laughing and joking with each other, seemingly without a care in the world. By Day 4, I discovered that each of these kids was battling inner struggles, whether it was depression, anxiety, anger or fear, yet their emotional states were transformed into feelings of peace, love, worth and hope — all from saying yes and being open to hearing God.

If you’re reading this and have a child or grandchild or know a child you think would prosper from this conference, reach out to your parish’s youth minister. If you’re a teen skimming through the paragraphs because Mom or Dad wants you to, please let the words soak in. My son didn’t want to go last year. He ended up loving it. He went again this year and plans to attend again next year.

Going to Steubenville as a mom/chaperone and associate editor for the Sun was very humbling for me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my experience with you. May you find it hopeful and encouraging. I’ll leave you with some words from Fr. Ben as he spoke to the SASM team on the ride back home to Baldwinsville.

“Jesus’s arms are outstretched on that cross for us. His arms are outstretched for us … every time we might not feel him, we might not understand, we might mess up and we might fall down … His arms are outstretched because they’re there to scoop down [and] pick us up and hold us in that big hug.

“When he was on his way to that cross, when he was hanging on that cross, when he was dying on the cross, he looked out to the ends of the earth and to the ends of time and he saw your face … You are worth more than you’ll ever know because God gave himself up for you. Never forget that. Never forget that.”