Friday night concluded with a short period of Eucharistic Adoration. After hearing a talk about how God longs for us, we were led into a time for God to be with us. We were invited to simply spend time with Him who is mercy.

Our host, Dan Harms, set it up by talking about how loved we really are. “Adoration,” he said, “is an extension of the Mass. It’s a time for every single one of us to just fall in love. Tonight, He proves His love for us by coming to be present among us.”

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What are we doing gathered here at Steubenville? For what are we searching? What do we think will make us happy? Pete Burds’ keynote on Friday evening asked us to consider what our thirst is really for.

Thirst: For What Do We Long?

We all have basic desires for food, drink, and sleep. These are good to pay attention to and to satisfy.

We also have another level of desire. We desire popularity and thirst for the desire to be known and to be a big deal. We all desire relationships, not just romantic relationships, but for a good family and friendships. Maybe you desire money or to get into a good college?

Even if we can attain these desires, we remain unsatisfied.

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One fascinating feature of every SteubySTL conference is the presence of seminarians from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. We are excited to introduce you to one of them: David H.

David H. is a lifelong Catholic who grew up in a family of 7 children; he has 4 sisters and 2 brothers! He entered seminary immediately after attending high school at St. Pius in Festus, MO.

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Despite the early morning wake-up call for most of us volunteers, there was a lot of hugging and smiling and excitement at Mass this morning! The energy comes naturally as we arrive here in Springfield to experience the gift of serving the teens this weekend. I think we’re as excited as the kids. We’ve been praying, preparing for the part we play in the conference, and reminding ourselves that it is about them – the teens – and their relationship with Christ. One intercession voiced our desires the best, “That we might be the face of Christ to the teens we encounter.”

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You’ll find them scattered throughout the arena during our main sessions and workshops. You’ll find them during lunch, during dinner, and after evening programming outside of the Adoration Chapel in the PSU. And if you can’t find them when you need them, ask any staff member – who will gladly find them for you. They are here for you. They are our prayer ministers.

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