P-W's Trinity Pohl Shares a Heartfelt Testimony Following the 2026 Steubenville Trip
From the first day, I could tell Steubenville was going to be an experience. It was a different atmosphere than I had ever been in. The excitement of the people around me was an energy that could be felt throughout the entire room. There were so many people openly praising the Lord in various ways, and every form of worship was accepted. People were called to experience and praise God in many different ways and everyone was free to do so without judgment from their peers.
People lifted their hands in the air, sang from their hearts, and were entirely open to the Spirit of God in whichever way He chose to move them. This openness is something I had never experienced before, but it was something that was easy to embrace because our God is one who deserves to be praised and worshipped by His creation in whatever way He has called us. For some this was charismatic, and for others, it was a stillness. This wide acceptance made my heart open, allowing the Lord to work through me easily, unlike when my mind was stuck in what I thought worship was supposed to look like.
The joy He placed in my heart through worshiping openly was immense and left more room for the Lord to work. It was in this space that the Holy Spirit was able to work more profoundly and reveal Himself more deeply within my heart, moving me to better understand Who the Lord our God is. The Lord revealed to me how inherently holy He is and the great magnitude of Who He is. No words could ever justly describe all that the Lord is and all that He has done. His power is beyond our imagination, His holiness is beyond knowledge, and His vastness is beyond human understanding.
No one is like our God. However, through the open worship of the Lord I came one step closer to understanding how truly awesome our God is. This would not have been possible without an open heart willing to worship and that is something that I intend to bring home with me from this trip. Being open to the movement of God by not fearing judgment has helped me better understand the Father and I am so grateful. I would recommend Steubenville Conferences to anyone who is willing to go and fully immerse themselves in God’s grace with an open heart.
Where? Steubenville’s Main Campus at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio
When? Departing from the Westphalia hall at 9:30 AM on the Friday morning of our conference weekend (the exact date will be solidified this fall). We will be returning to Westphalia the ensuing Sunday around 7:00 PM. Attendees (and their parents) are encouraged to go to the 8:15 AM Mass the Friday morning of our departure.
How? We will be taking a charter bus.
Who? The conference is open to anyone in 8th through 12th grade during the 2026-2027 school year. Seniors graduating this school year (2027) are highly encouraged to attend.
Cost? The final cost per student isn't set in stone until we approach the weekend of the trip, due to ongoing registrations and the final number of attendees frequently fluctuating. It usually winds up being somewhere in the $150-$350 range per student.
Fundraising? We have a sausage sale every summer that lowers the cost of the trip immensely to the teens who help out with it. We also host a fun Trivia Night event for the community. Donation envelopes will also be available in the church for any parishioners looking to donate to specific students attending the trip.
Chaperones: We usually select chaperones from among those who are already working with our teens in some faith-related capacity (whether it be at The Well or in another of our other youth ministry programs). Situations often arise where some of our teens are impacted by the Holy Spirit and need spiritual counsel, prayer or faith-related questions answered. This is why it helps tremendously if our chaperones are already familiar with our teens.
Questions?: Please contact Austin Fox at afox@stmarychurch.net.