This summer, Catholic youth across America have the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. Are your teens being called to attend this historic event? Read on to learn about how they’ll participate at the Congress and how their time there will have a lasting impact.
The youth experience at the Congress is more than just a youth conference, though it includes many of the same elements: inspiring keynotes, popular Catholic speakers, community with other teens, and opportunities for prayer and the sacraments.
But the exciting part is that this conference experience takes place within the context of the Congress—the first of its kind in 83 years! Youth will have a customized experience as Congress participants, giving them a unique, powerful encounter with Jesus Christ and a hope-filled vision for the Church at large.
Teens will not only enjoy talks and experiences tailored to them, but they will also realize their important role in the Church today—not as a separate group but as a vital part of the whole. At the Congress, they will pray and worship alongside Catholics of all ages, vocations, and backgrounds in a powerful experience of community that will open their eyes to how big and alive the Universal Church really is.
All told, this generational moment will be unlike anything a young Catholic has experienced before.
Each morning of the conference, teens will attend an impact session called Awaken hosted by the Steubenville Youth Conference team at Franciscan University. The same transformative experience and dynamic speakers you’ve come to expect from Steubenville will be there, including presenters like Brian Greenfield, Jackie Francois Angel, and Oscar Rivera.
Prayer will be central to each talk and presentation, offering opportunities for teens to respond and go deeper with Our Lord. Powerful worship music by Andrew Laubacher and Ricky Vazquez will provide a reverent atmosphere for teens to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist.
Afternoon breakout sessions will be hosted by apostolates specializing in youth ministry, including Life Teen, NET, and the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement. Each session will focus on equipping teens to become Eucharistic missionaries and step into their evangelistic roles as members of the Church.
In the evening, teens will join other Congress attendees for Revival sessions in Lucas Oil Stadium, where they’ll hear from speakers like Fr. Mike Schmitz, Sr. Bethany Madonna, and Bishop Robert Barron. They’ll also enter into powerful moments of prayer, worship, and adoration, led by talented Catholic musicians like Dave Moore and Matt Maher. Most importantly, they will encounter Our Lord in the Eucharist alongside tens of thousands of their fellow Catholics from across the country.
As a part of the National Eucharistic Revival movement, the Congress youth experience has a unique emphasis—teens’ formation in the faith is not just for the sake of their souls but “for the life of the world.” Teens will be set ablaze with love for our Eucharistic Lord and challenged to return to their homes, schools, and communities to share his love with others.
These sessions are for high school youth—incoming freshmen through just-graduated seniors. Teens cannot attend alone and must participate with a youth group or be accompanied by a parent. Contact your parish or diocese to inquire about youth groups that will be attending the Congress, or register yourself and your teen for an experience that will impact both of your lives for years to come!
