Pope Leo XIV Honors 50 Years of Steubenville Youth Conferences With Special Video Message

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO-The 50th anniversary season of the Steubenville Youth Conferences opened with a special message from Pope Leo XIV. In the recorded eight-minute video, he encouraged young Catholics to seek authentic peace, perfect joy, and God's call for their lives.

The message debuted June 19 before thousands of young people gathered at Franciscan University of Steubenville and satellite conference locations in Denver, Dallas, and Orlando. It will be shown throughout the summer to more than 43,000 participants attending Steubenville Youth Conferences across the United States and Canada.

Reflecting on the life of St. Francis of Assisi during this Jubilee Year marking the 800th anniversary of his death, Pope Leo challenged young people to look beyond the distractions of modern culture and discover lasting joy in Christ.

"St. Francis' message, and mine, is simple: true peace and perfect joy are gifts from God that come when we open ourselves to him and trust in his power to transform us," Pope Leo said.

The Holy Father also encouraged attendees to be open to God's call in their lives.

"Today, the Lord needs missionaries to spread the word to those who do not know him, holy men and women to begin loving Catholic families, priests to be spiritual fathers and ministers of the sacraments as well as religious men and women to be witnesses of the true joy of his kingdom," he said. " If you have a sense that the Lord may be calling you to one of these vocations, do not close yourself off or turn away in fear, but take a step forward and say to the Lord, 'Here I am, send me!'"

The surprise video message was introduced by Franciscan University President Father Dave Pivonka, TOR. Audible gasps and cheers could be heard at all four locations as teen attendees realized the pope himself was addressing them.

"It was such an amazing surprise and such a personal message to us," said John of Philadelphia. "I thought it was very inspirational and motivating. It really hit home for me."

Aidan, another teenager from Canton, Ohio, said he was struck by how personally the Holy Father addressed the conference community.

"It was really so genuine," Aidan said. "I thought it was incredible how he singled out this campus and this university."

Father Pivonka expressed gratitude for the pope's message and recognition of the conferences' impact over the past five decades.

"We are profoundly grateful for the generosity and prayers of the Holy Father. The fact that Pope Leo XIV took time to personally address and honor the Steubenville Youth Conferences during this milestone anniversary is a tremendous blessing," Father Pivonka said. "His message was both encouraging and challenging, calling young people to discover authentic peace, perfect joy, and the courage to follow God's plan for their lives. For 50 years, we have witnessed the Lord transform hearts through these conferences, and the Holy Father's words are another concrete sign of God's continued work in this ministry."

Since their founding in 1976 at Franciscan University, the Steubenville Youth Conferences have helped more than one million young people encounter Jesus Christ through dynamic preaching, the Mass, eucharistic adoration, confession, prayer, and authentic Christian community.

Their impact continues to be reflected in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate's 2026 survey of newly ordained priests, 18 percent of priests ordained this year attended a Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference during their vocational journey. Separate CARA studies found that 21 percent of women religious and 15 percent of religious brothers who recently professed perpetual vows also attended a Franciscan youth conference. Combined, 18 percent of newly professed religious men and women reported participating in a Steubenville Youth Conference-more than any other Catholic conference ministry in the United States.

Several young attendees said Pope Leo's reflections on St. Francis and trusting God through life's challenges resonated deeply.

"I loved how he talked about St. Francis and the Jubilee Year of his death," said Tim of Pittsburgh. "The pope's message really helped me to see I need to trust God more and not worry so much."

Greer of Chicago said the Holy Father's message about "perfect joy" was especially meaningful.

"It was super cool to be able to get a message and advice from the pope," she said. "I really want to spread his message of perfect joy and help others see they can have that perfect joy in their life if they just trust in Christ."

Other teens appreciated the uniquely personal nature of the pope's address.

"It was very cool how personalized the pope's message was to us right here at this conference," said Jack of Valley City, North Dakota. "I think it's so special to have an English-speaking pope that so many people can understand. His message felt really deep to me."

Marisa of North Dakota said the pope's words remained with her after the evening ended.

"It was such a surprise when his face showed up on the screen," she said. "I thought it was very inspiring and really resonated with me. I thought about his words to us all night long."

The Steubenville Youth Conferences will continue throughout the summer at locations across North America, including three more sold-out conferences hosted on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville. While registration for the on-campus conferences is full, limited spots remain available at select satellite conferences.

For more information about the Steubenville Youth Conferences or to register, visit SteubenvilleConferences.com.