New Larose bridge in works to replace pontoon path
June 3, 2008June 5
June 5, 2008
Thousands of young and faithful teens will descend onto Houma for this month’s annual Steubenville on the Bayou Catholic Youth Conference.
The event, held at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, takes place June 27-29. This is the third straight year Houma has hosted the conference.
“This event is about teaching teens to live out their Catholic faith, although you don’t have to be Catholic to attend the conference,” said Shawn Lepeyrouse, volunteer coordinator for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Conference Office.
Participants attend as a group. Usually it is with their church parish; some Catholic high schools will come, but all teens have chaperons, according to Lepeyrouse.
Over 3,000 are expected to attend with groups coming from all over Louisiana and several other states. Planning for the conference is a massive undertaking.
“Every hotel is booked between here and Morgan City, including 800 kids who stay on-site,” said Cynthia Percle, logistics coordinator for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Conference Office.
Event coordinators still need 350 adult volunteers over the age of 21 and have Diocese Safe Environment Training to do first aid, transportation, security and catering (no cooking, just serving).
There are two new programs offered at this year’s conference — LEAD (Leadership, Evangelization and Discipleship) and Mercy Crew.
LEAD is for those who have attended a previous conference and would like go a step further.
“They come together the Monday before the conference for youth leadership training before joining their group,” said Lepeyrouse.
Mercy Crew is for young adults ages 19 to 26. They come for a retreat on Wednesday before the conference and stay through the weekend to attend and serve at the conference.
Steubenville events are based around the sacraments such as confession, Mass and Eucharist. Boys and girls are spilt up, and there are different speakers throughout the weekend sessions.
“They learn a lot about issues they are dealing with – chastity, living out their faith, witnessing among their peers,” said Percle.
The theme of Steubenville this year is “Witness.”
“Witness their faith to be a witness of Christ’s love,” said Lepeyrouse.
Popular gospel acts Righteous B. and Kelly Pease are performing Saturday afternoon.
Bishop Sam Jacobs, creator of the conference, will give the homily during Mass on Sunday.
Although the Steubenville conference will end Sunday afternoon, participants and the public are invited to attend the 2097 show Sunday night at the Civic Center.
2097 is a national tour put together by Adore Worship Ministry of Houma.
“It starts with praise and worship and leads into teaching, more praise and worship and adoration,” said Lepeyrouse.
Tickets cost $10.
Steubenville is co-sponsored by the diocese and Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. It is one of 19 conferences the university holds annually around the country.
The university held a summer youth conference on its campus, but had to turn teens away because space was filling up so quickly.
Bishop Jacobs proposed doing the first off-campus youth conference in Alexandria where he was serving 14 years ago. When he moved to the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese, he started a new conference here.
“We were originally created to be an overflow conference to the one in Alexandria,” said Lepeyrouse. “Now we’re at the point where we’re filling up as well.”
To volunteer at Steubenville on the Bayou or to purchase tickets for the 2097 show, visit the conference office at 1181 West Tunnel Blvd, Suite D in Houma or log on to www.steubenvilleonthebayou.com.
