<\/p>\n
Houston-area youth join in prayer at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Houston-area youth hold signs as they start their weekend at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Houston-area youth hold banners from their different parishes as The Archdiocesan Youth Conference official kicks off their weekend hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
A rosary sits on a stand as vendor sell catholic items and trinkets to Houston-area youth gatherd at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Houston-area youth gather at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Houston-area youth hold signs as they start their weekend at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Houston-area youth gather at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Clips with bible versus, saints and positive affirmations are clipped onto peoples name tags as other parishes\u2019 youth tag each other with clips throughout their time at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Jewelry engraved the Virgin of Guadalupe, and apparition of Mary, is played out for purchase as Houston-area youth attend the The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Priest from Houston-area parishes pray the rosary inside the chapel at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference as students start their first sessions of the conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Houston-area youth hold banners from their different parishes as The Archdiocesan Youth Conference official kicks off their weekend hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Father Viet Nguyen, a parochial vicar at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, speaks to students attending The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Nearly 2,000 Catholic youth<\/a> packed a downtown Houston hotel this weekend for a three-day conference featuring an influencer priest; workshops on the Holy Spirit, social media, and social justice; and attendees from 88 Houston-area parishes who say they are part of a revival.\u00a0<\/p>\n Young Americans have been drifting away from Christianity for decades \u2014 though recent surveys have found that trend has plateaued<\/a>. But in interviews at the conference, young people repeated the refrain that \u201cthe church is alive,\u201d confident that they were part of a resurgence in Catholicism in the U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n In March, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston reported its\u00a0highest number<\/a> of new members in 15 years.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n READ MORE: Pope Francis mourned across Houston<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMy faith is the literal center of my life,\u201d said Aidan Cronin, a 17-year-old senior from a Katy church. \u201cThe youth are coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n The theme for the Archdiocese\u2019s 70th annual conference was \u201cpeace be with you all.\u201d Those were the first words spoken by Pope Leo XIV at his inaugural public appearance as the first American-born pontiff.\u00a0<\/p>\n The conference at the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel runs from July 31 to Aug. 2.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Rev. David Michael Moses, who moonlights as a content creator, kicked off the teaching on Friday with a sunny, compassionate keynote on prioritizing and finding peace in God. The Houston-raised priest has garnered over 18.2 million likes on TikTok and over a million followers on Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n Houston-area youth dance before they start their weekends at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n Moses spoke the kids\u2019 language, telling a full grand ballroom to \u201cstop looksmaxxing and start peacemaxxing,\u201d to eager applause. His point was to stop focusing on self-optimization and earthly priorities. He pointed to the biblical story of Martha, who was too caught up in her own stress and busyness to listen to God. Moses said that God wanted the youth to prioritize Him and find peace in His plans, not fixate on their own worry or imperfections.<\/p>\n The conference\u2019s first night ended with a student testimony from recent high school graduate Victoria\u00a0Taboada-Palau, who talked about how she neglected her relationship with God and obsessed over schoolwork and grades to cope with family turmoil.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Texas Catholic schools could get big boost under $1B voucher plan<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A Catholic retreat helped her stop putting God on \u201cdo not disturb\u201d mode, she said. Amid the struggles of life, she encouraged her peers to remember God still loves them and is there for them.<\/p>\n After her talk, the crowd of young people recited prayers for God\u2019s protection and forgiveness as a priest and seminarians in white robes carried relics and incense through the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n Darek Aguirre, a 16-year-old Spring junior, said in a Friday night interview that his first day there had left him feeling \u201cweightless.\u201d Though he loves his school friends, many of them don\u2019t share the Catholic values that are a core part of his identity. A lot of the time, he feels the need to suppress parts of himself or stay on the defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the conference, Aguirre can let his guard down. \u201cI\u2019m just able to dance and sing and yell; it\u2019s just all out of love for others, all out of love for God,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just feels comforting and welcoming, and like I found a home.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: More than 30K school voucher applications submitted on day one of Texas launch<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Trina Tang, a 17-year-old Houston senior, said a moment during her first year at the conference cemented her commitment to the Catholic faith. While watching the communion ritual there in 2024, she was filled with both tears and joy and became certain that the bread and wine were truly Christ\u2019s body and blood, as Catholicism teaches.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t explain it until you feel it,\u201d she said. \u201cI could die today, and I could swear on my life that Catholicism is the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Houston-area youth join in prayer at The Archdiocesan Youth Conference hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in the Hilton Americas in Houston, Friday, July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n Jacob Lujan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n Brian Henritze, who oversees the Archdiocese\u2019s youth ministry, said the emotion kids experience is an important part of the conference \u2014 but not the whole point. \u201cIf we can’t take that emotional experience and connect it to a lived reality, to a lived practice, to a lived relationship, that’s where I think we can fall short,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The litany of workshops during the second day of the conference, Henritze said, ensures youth supplement the fun and emotion with theological and practical takeaways. The full list of workshops includes sessions on sainthood, evangelization, choosing a career, dating and relationships, and the specific experiences of Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Black Catholics.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The conference wasn\u2019t the only gathering of Christian youth in the Houston area this weekend. Grace Woodlands, a megachurch led by Pastor Steve Riggle<\/a>, hosted more than 160 youth for its fourth annual Anthem Youth Conference on Friday and Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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