Steubenville Conferences

What Steubenville Conferences does

Steubenville Conferences is a Catholic faith-formation conference program founded in 1975 and operated as a ministry of Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. The organization hosts an annual portfolio of 6 adult conferences and 19 youth conferences, including Power & Purpose, Priests/Deacons/Seminarians Retreat, St. John Bosco (for ministry leaders), Applied Biblical Studies, Defending the Faith, GLORY Women's Gathering, and Steubenville Youth Conferences across multiple U.S. regions and Canada. Programming is anchored in Catholic worship, eucharistic adoration, sacraments, and Catholic speakers, with Franciscan University faculty and the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (TOR) order providing theological credibility. Ancillary products include Franciscan LEAD, a five-day teen leadership immersion, and Night of Joy, a free livestreamed Easter event.

The business runs on a fee-for-event model with tiered individual registration ($155-$410 depending on audience and conference), supplemented by optional on-campus housing and meal plan add-ons ($130-$565 per attendee). Clergy and religious sisters often attend free. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on standard SaaS infrastructure: Cvent for registration and ticketing, Stripe for payments, Salesforce for CRM, Mailchimp for email, and Google Analytics for web analytics. Digital channels include the steubenvilleconferences.com website, a YouTube channel, and a Facebook page.

Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: the Steubenville Ambassador Program mobilizes volunteer advocates, Group Leader networks engage youth ministers and parish leaders to organize group attendance, and regional hosting partnerships with Life Teen, Partnership for Youth, and various archdioceses/dioceses distribute the conferences geographically. The organization operates with approximately 5 dedicated employees under the Franciscan University parent, and its mission 'Go, Rebuild the Church' drives organic evangelization-led demand generation.

Name

Steubenville Conferences

Legal name

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Website

https://steubenvilleconferences.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Steubenville Conferences is a Catholic faith-formation program operated by Franciscan University of Steubenville since 1975, hosting 6 adult and 19 youth conferences annually across the U.S. and Canada, plus the Franciscan LEAD immersion and Night of Joy livestream, serving Catholic adults, teens, and clergy through event-based evangelization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Conference & Faith Formation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religious Orders & Monastic Communities (Monasteries, Convents) (BPAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Catholic conferences
• Faith formation retreats
• Youth ministry events
• Catholic spiritual renewal
• Clergy retreat programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Steubenville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: Primary revenue stream from tiered conference registration fees. Pricing varies by conference type and attendee category (general adult, young adult, religious/deacon, priest). Additional revenue from optional housing and meal plan add-ons.
2. Housing and Meal Plans: On-campus dormitory housing and meal plans offered as add-on purchases. Pricing varies by accommodation type (shared/private, shared bath/private bath).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Steubenville Conferences operates a portfolio of annual Catholic conferences hosted at Franciscan University of Steubenville and at regional locations across North America. The organization delivers six adult conferences and 19 youth conferences featuring Catholic speakers, Eucharistic adoration, worship, fellowship, and sacrament-based spiritual formation experiences for individuals and groups. Revenue is generated primarily through tiered registration fees plus optional on-campus housing and meal plan add-ons.

Product overview

Steubenville Conferences operates a portfolio of Catholic conference products hosted by Franciscan University of Steubenville. The organization offers six adult conferences: Power & Purpose Conference (spiritual renewal), Priests, Deacons, Seminarians Retreat (clergy renewal), St. John Bosco Conference (ministry training), Applied Biblical Studies Conference (Scripture study), Defending the Faith Conference (apologetics), and GLORY: Women's Gathering (women's spiritual formation). Additionally, Steubenville Youth Conferences provide regional weekend experiences for high school teens across 19 locations nationwide (including four Main Campus events and 15 regional sites), while Franciscan LEAD offers a five-day leadership immersion for teens. A free livestream product called Night of Joy provides online Easter celebrations. The Ambassador Program enables outreach representatives to promote and recruit for adult conferences, and Group Leader Resources support youth ministers in organizing conference attendance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Franciscan LEAD: A five-day, Christ-centered, prayer fueled immersion in Catholic principles of Leadership, Evangelization, and Discipleship inspired by the life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi.
• Night of Joy

Products and services

• Power & Purpose Conference An adult Catholic conference focused on experiencing the Holy Spirit's power and healing, helping attendees discover their life's purpose and live in freedom and joy through Eucharistic adoration, prayer teams, inspiring talks, and fellowship. Scheduled June 12-14, 2026 in Steubenville, OH.
• Priests, Deacons, Seminarians Retreat A multi-day silent retreat for priests, deacons, and seminarians providing quiet space to pray, reflect, and be renewed in Christ's presence through fraternity and shared prayer. Scheduled June 15-19, 2026 in Steubenville, OH.
• St. John Bosco Conference A conference for catechists, teachers, youth ministers, and leaders to renew their spirit in Christ and be equipped with proven tools for ministry, featuring multiple tracks for different ministry areas.
• Applied Biblical Studies Conference A conference featuring world-renowned Scripture scholars where attendees can grow in knowledge of the Bible, learn to pray with Scripture, and encounter Christ in Word and Sacrament.
• Defending the Faith Conference A conference that equips attendees to know the truth of the Catholic faith, engage culture with confidence, and share the Gospel with love and conviction through trusted Catholic scholars and apologists.
• GLORY: Women's Gathering A women's gathering focused on communing deeply with God and with women of all generations, featuring inspiring talks, worship, guided prayer experiences, and breakout sessions. Religious sisters attend free.
• Night of Joy A free online livestreamed event celebrating the power of Easter through uplifting talks, powerful worship, and moments of prayer led by Catholic priests and speakers, including Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, and Father Jonathan St. André, TOR.
• Steubenville Youth Conferences Weekend-long youth conferences where teens experience a life-changing encounter with Christ through speakers, worship, adoration, confession, and fellowship. Held at multiple locations nationwide including four Main Campus events (Main Campus 1-4) and 15+ regional locations (Atlantic, Atlanta, East, Florida, Joliet, Lone Star, Mid-America 1, Mid-America 2, Northwest, Of The Rockies, Rochester, San Diego, South, St. Paul, West). On-campus: $275; Off-campus: $250.
• Franciscan LEAD A five-day, Christ-centered, prayer-fueled immersion in Catholic principles of Leadership, Evangelization, and Discipleship inspired by the life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi for high school teens.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million lives transformed since 1975
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered regional, core and strategic.

• Archdiocese of St. LouisregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArchdiocese of St. Louis hosts the Mid-America 1 regional youth conference in Springfield, MO.
• Life TeencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLife Teen is a key hosting partner for multiple regional youth conferences including Atlanta, East, Florida, Lone Star, San Diego, and West locations. They serve as the organizational channel for bringing youth to Steubenville conferences.
• Partnership for YouthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for Youth hosts regional youth conferences at Joliet, Rochester, and St. Paul locations, serving as the local organizational partner for these regional events.
• Archdiocese of Halifax-YarmouthregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArchdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth hosts the Atlantic regional youth conference in Halifax, NS, Canada.
• Spiritus Ministries NorthwestregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpiritus Ministries Northwest hosts the Northwest regional youth conference in Spokane, WA.
• Archdiocese of DenverregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArchdiocese of Denver hosts the Of The Rockies regional youth conference in Denver, CO.
• Diocese of AlexandriaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiocese of Alexandria hosts the South regional youth conference in Alexandria, LA.
• Life Restoration MinistriesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerLife Restoration Ministries, founded by Jake & Heather Khym, is a hosting partner for GLORY: Women's Gathering. Focused on human formation, evangelization and creating opportunities to encounter Jesus.
• Franciscan University of SteubenvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteubenville Conferences is an official program of Franciscan University of Steubenville. The university provides the campus, facilities, and institutional support for the conferences. Located at 1235 University Boulevard, Steubenville, OH.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Life Teen: Life Teen is a Catholic youth ministry organization that both partners with Steubenville Conferences (hosting multiple regional events) and operates its own competing youth conferences and retreats. Direct overlap in Catholic youth conference programming and shared distribution.
• NET Ministries: NET Ministries runs Catholic youth retreats, parish missions, and discipleship training across North America, directly competing with Steubenville for teen attendees and youth ministry partnerships in Catholic dioceses.
• Partnership for Youth: Partnership for Youth is a channel partner hosting regional Steubenville conferences (Joliet, Rochester, St. Paul) and runs its own Catholic youth retreats and events. Both partners and partial competitor in the Catholic youth conference space.

Emerging players

• FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students): FOCUS runs Catholic campus outreach and discipleship programs, primarily serving college students — adjacent to Steubenville's adult conferences — and shares the Catholic missionary formation audience with overlap in the young adult segment.
• Theology of the Body Institute: The Theology of the Body Institute offers Catholic formation programs, retreats, and conferences centered on St. John Paul II's teachings. Comparable to Steubenville's adult conferences (especially Applied Biblical Studies and Defending the Faith) for Catholic adults seeking deeper teaching.
• Exodus 90: Exodus 90 is a Catholic men's fraternal program with live kickoff events and retreats. Direct overlap with Steubenville's adult men's conference (Power & Purpose) audience and similar retreat-based formation model.
• Catholic Answers: Catholic Answers runs Catholic apologetics media, conferences, and live events. Closely comparable to Steubenville's Defending the Faith Conference in content focus and Catholic adult audience.

Broad incumbents

• Dynamic Catholic: Dynamic Catholic is a larger Catholic content and formation organization known for parish programs and Best Lent Ever. Broadly serves the same Catholic adult audience using content, events, and digital channels, with overlapping attendee demographics to Steubenville's adult conferences.
• World Youth Day (WYD): World Youth Day is the Catholic Church's flagship international gathering for young people, hosted every few years in a host city. It competes for the same Catholic-teen spiritual formation narrative and travel budgets, though at a much larger and less frequent scale.

Others

• Franciscan University of Steubenville (Catechetical Institute): The Catechetical Institute is Franciscan University's online formation platform, the parent organization of Steubenville Conferences. It extends the same mission through digital catechetical content and resources, overlapping adult-formation audience and content IP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Steubenville
• YouTubeyoutube.com/steubenvilleconferences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steubenville Conferences