David Calavitta opened the men’s session this afternoon by leading the men in a loud roar.  Literally, the entire arena erupted with the loud screams of all the men gathered at the conference.  He then called the men to lean into Christ’s message during this session.

David opened with telling the story of the 40 Holy Martyrs of Sebaste. These men were sent into a frozen lake to die – and, being holy Christians – died together as brothers.  He said, “I want to be that kind of man that lives and dies together with his brothers.”

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Noelle Garcia had the opportunity to speak to the ladies of the conference today on the topic of authentic friendships. We as a generation consider ourselves very lonely, despite the amount of “friends” we may have and the amount of “likes” we receive on social media.

We need relationships to survive. Specifically, we need our female friendships. Women are sensitive; we are able to sense. We can sense when others are in need. We can sense when someone needs us. So, Noelle challenges us to have this attitude toward our friends: “You are responsible for them and getting them through this journey.” That journey can be many things ranging from one bad instance in their life to the journey to Heaven.

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Lydia from LEAD is a member of St. Benedict Parish in Duluth, MN – in the Diocese of Duluth, MN. She is homeschooled, will be a senior in high school this fall, but also takes classes at a local community college.

This morning, Lydia shared with us how she came to appreciate the importance of the Mass through a powerful experience she had a Catholic youth camp. Here are some of the awesome things she shared:

I’ve very grateful for my parents and the way they’ve fostered me in my faith.

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Fr. Mike Schmitz began his homily with a few jokes, of course. My favorite was that when he was younger, he felt like a man trapped in a woman’s body…and then he was born!

He then shared about a certain line from today’s Gospel that makes him laugh: when Jesus is talking to his disciples and says, “You are worth more than many sparrows.” He shared how this line can be quite comical when taken literally; but that it has a much deeper meaning. Fr. Mike explained that Jesus was simply telling his disciples that they belong. He said, “One of the key things that helps us know who we are is when we know we belong – and if you belong to God, it means you matter, that your life matters.”

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During this weekend’s conference, Mark and Joyce Markowski from St. Gerard Majella Parish in Kirkwood, MO are serving as what they affectionately call “Priest Ubers,” though their official title is “Priest Hospitality.” This is the 4^th year that they have been helping in this way, though it is the 5^th year attending Steubenville for each of them. Joyce has also attended previously an usher, and Mark as a chaperone. They have been married for 30 years.

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