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Teens experience God’s love at Steubenville conference
By Julie Filby
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Photo by Robert Linn/DCR |
The weekend of July 8-10, 1,600 high-school youth gathered at the Colorado Convention Center for three days of powerful liturgies, high-energy general sessions, and intense prayer at the 2011 Steubenville of the Rockies Conference.
The conference themed “Rooted” based on Colossians 2:6-7—the same verse affiliated with World Youth Day Aug. 16-21 in Madrid—challenged youth to root their lives in Christ, amidst the many things competing for their time, and go deeper in their relationships with God.
“The best part of the conference was seeing everyone’s love of God,” said Kevin Roerty, 16, from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Fort Collins, “you don’t see that in public. You see it here … then when you go back (home), you have to go out and be courageous, and remember that liberating feeling of loving God so much.”
For many attendees, Saturday night’s eucharistic procession and adoration was a highlight. The procession began in the back of the darkened Wells Fargo Theatre where a spotlight illuminated a gold monstrance flanked with candles and incense.
From the stage below, conference host Jim Beckman, director of the ImpactCenter for Catholic youth ministers, announced the procession: “Let’s welcome the Lord; let’s get on our knees.”
Hundreds of teens dropped to their knees on the concrete floor as Father Alvaro Montero, D.C.J.M., pastor of St. Mary Parish in Littleton, weaved through the aisles of the auditorium with the Eucharist. Many stretched out their arms to get closer; some sang along with the live Christian rock music played on-stage by the Josh Blakesley band; and others, overcome with emotion, wept openly.
“I’ve never cried like that,” said Taryn Brooks, 15, who traveled 10 hours with her youth group from Christ the King Cathedral in Lubbock, Texas, for the conference. “It was a rush of emotion … you could feel God’s love.”
Her friend was moved by the experience as well.
“It (adoration) was like three hours long and it felt like 20 minutes,” said Sarah Wanjura, 15. “It’s indescribable. It’s definitely going to change my life; it opened my eyes.”
In preparation for adoration, Mark Hart, popular youth speaker and author known as the “Bible Geek,” gave an impassioned talk on the importance of the cross.
“Jesus Christ, thinking of you, didn’t just get nailed to the cross,” he said, “He walked up and mounted the cross so that you wouldn’t die.”
Hart continued.
“(Jesus) could’ve blinked his eye and there would’ve been 10,000 angels pulling out swords,” he said describing the crucifixion. “The greatest miracle of Good Friday is that there was no miracle. He didn’t call in a miracle to save himself; he didn’t call in a miracle because he wanted to save you!
“At the moment of his most intense suffering he was thinking of you—and he was hoping in your moments of intense suffering that you’d be thinking of him,” he said. “I pray this night we look upon that monstrance, which is a cross, and see Christ right in the middle of it.”
Following adoration youth had an opportunity for the sacrament of reconciliation and small group time. Earlier activities included Mass celebrated by Denver Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley, sessions led by Hart; Blakesley; Mary Bielski, founder of ALL4HIM Ministries; Bob Lesnefsky, Christian hip hop artist; and Chris Stefanick, director of Youth, Youth Adult and Campus Ministry for the archdiocese.
On Sunday morning, Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap, celebrated Mass. At the end of Mass, teens who felt open to a call to religious or consecrated life were asked to come forward for a blessing from Archbishop Chaput. Some 50 women and more than 100 men approached the altar for a blessing.
The Denver conference was one of 18 Franciscan summer conferences in the United States this year. Next year’s conference is set for July 6-8, 2012.
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