Where Priestly Vocations Begin: The Lasting Impact of Steubenville Youth Conferences

Where priestly vocations begin: The lasting impact of Steubenville Youth Conferences

A new CARA survey found that 18% of priests ordained in 2026 attended a Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference, highlighting the conferences’ growing impact on priestly vocations. [...]

Where vocations begin: The lasting impact of Steubenville Youth Conferences

In April, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate’s (CARA) survey was released and showed that 18% of priests ordained this year attended a Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference during their vocational journey. This was more than any other Catholic conference ministry in the United States.In previous years — specifically from 2010 to 2025 — this percentage ranged between 8% to 16%.In 1976, Franciscan University of Steu…