Upcoming youth conference to help students 'turn' to Christ

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Students in grades 7-12 from throughout the Diocese of Sioux City will have the chance to turn their attention to God at an upcoming youth conference to be held Feb. 28 in at St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson.

According to Danielle Fennessy, diocesan faith formation coordinator, the 2026 Turn Youth Conference will feature Bishop John E. Keehner as the keynote speaker.

“There is a great interest in Bishop Keehner, having just been ordained in May and he has a great willingness to meet his parishioners,” she said.

Stephanie Hall, a member of the team of faith formation leaders organizing the conference, said she is looking forward to hearing the bishop speak.

“My first thought was, how wonderful that he is willing to meet with the youth of our diocese,” she said. “My next thought was ‘oh my, the bishop is coming.’ I think it is wonderful that he is willing to take time from his schedule to join us in Jefferson.”

The theme and leading Bible verse of this year’s Turn is “but who do you say I am,” noted Fennessy, which comes from the Scripture verse Matthew 16:15. The verses Matthew 16:13-20 features the dialogue where Jesus asks the disciples who do they think he is and Peter responds.

She said they will be asking the students to ponder that question and then when they know that Jesus is God, “how does that transform our own lives?”

“The theme of this year’s conference is twofold,” explained Hall, religious education coordinator for St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson. “First, who does God reveal himself as and second, who are we as God’s children within our Catholic faith.”

Mass will follow the keynote talk with Father Bill Schreiber, pastor of Jefferson St. Joseph, as homilist.

In addition to the bishop’s keynote, Fennessy said breakout sessions will tie into the theme and reflect on how to respond to Christ’s question.

Breakout session leaders will include Deacon Don Evans delivering a talk, “I Am Set Apart,” reflecting on how the faithful can respond to their baptismal call. Justin Derry, a therapist from St. Donatus Parish in Granville, will present on the topic “I Am Human” and Sue Gradoville, a retired school counselor from Ascension Parish, will speak on “I Am Enough.” A fourth breakout will be centered on an activity.  

“The conference will conclude with adoration and confessions,” said Fennessy, who added that youth will have the option to continue fellowship and build relationships from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Greene County Community Center in Jefferson.

The diocesan faith formation coordinator explained that the keynote by the bishop will be presented to the entire group and then the students will be divided into smaller groups by age for the breakout sessions.

This is the fourth Turn Conference to be held in the diocese, will the previous three held at St. John Church in Ogden. The first two years were organized by the faith formation staff of Ascension Parish of Boone County. Last year, other faith formation leaders from the region assisted and they reached out for diocesan assistance.   

This is the first time Jefferson St. Joseph is hosting the conference and that is exciting for Hall.

“I believe that holding the Turn Conference at a rotating location is a great idea,” she said. “Next year, I believe that Our Lady of the Plains in Lake City will be the host site.”

Through the various talks, sacraments, prayer and discussions with their peers, Fennessy said she hopes the youth gain a greater appreciation for how Christ works in their own lives and how they can respond to God’s call.

“I hope that the youth attending are able to walk away with a sense of belonging, purpose and excitement in being a Catholic,” said Hall.

Registration for the 2026 Turn Conference is now open. For youth who wish to attend, Fennessy asked that they reach out to their parish first to see if a group is attending, but if there is no group going they can register individually on the diocesan website at scdiocese.org/turn. Contact Fennessy at [email protected] with questions.

The cost to attend is $20, which includes lunch, snacks, T-shirt and time at the recreation center.

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