Is Steubenville the Catholic Center of America?

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I just love Scott Hahn (and of course Kimberly and their lovely children- not that I know them, but having read and listened to them so much, I feel like I do!) , and by default, I feel a real affinity for Fransican University of Steubenville, even though I’ve never been there. It seems to be the “epicenter” of faithful, orthodox Catholicism in America. If you have a Steubenville bumpersticker or T Shirt, those in the know will instantly recognize you as an orthodox Catholic. I so want to go there, almost on a pilgrimage (alot more doable than, say Rome or the Holy Land!). Does anyone here have any experience there or any comments on this? Thanks!
 
A friend of mine is going there this fall. He says most of the students are on fire for God. They have 3 Masses a day which are extremely reverent and many stay afterwards to pray. Steubenville is probably the most Catholic university in the nation. He’s even tried thinking of reasons not to go, and he can’t think of one, except that it is far away, which is a bad reason.

If you’re driving one day and see a car just covered in Steubenville stickers, it’s probably him:D
 
My husband was raised in the Steubenville area. At one time, it was the ‘laughing joke of the neighborhood’ a total party school. THEN the Lord sent Fr. Scanlan, and life has never been the same. We lived there until 1986, in fact we just sold our home there this year. The Lord has a sence of homor as we live about two miles from EWTN. Anyway, it is truly the lifeblood of the valley for sure, kind of taking it over. Glory to God! What is little known is that when communism fell, the Pope sent the clergy to Steubenville for renewal, especially the bishops. Though we are Eastern Catholic, the university played a big part in our growing in the Lord. I use to spend my summers volunteering at the conferences. I remember when there was only one tent for the priest and deacons conference and the Lord told them to ‘spread their tents’. Then came the Charismatic Conference and well the rest is history.

So yeah, in many ways, it is a center of orthodoxy in the Roman Church.

I remember one year taking a bunch of teen from here to a conference up there and it rained, boy did it rain. But…the rain was only when the kids were end the tents. During one of the sessions I had to go check on something and I looked above the tent for whatever reason, and as from heaven, there was a huge golden cross in the sky. So who knows…

Ahh yes, the word Pani in my name on here - it means deacon or priests wife in Slavonic, yeah, my husband is a deacon, a result of life in Steubenville.
 
How wonderful! Thank you everyone for your comments! It is so hard to believe it was a “party school!” What a blessing though that we have a place where young people are “on fire for God.” Where there is a robust orthodoxy, faith grows and flourishes. Where the faith is watered down, people fall right off the wagon… what’s the point if the Church is no different from the rest of the world? So I thank God for this “springtime” of orthodoxy. He is so good! And I am so grateful for places like Steubenville. I really hope to visit there some day… perhaps a conference. Now if only I could convince one of my kids to go there…:rolleyes: ! I’ve been telling them that the world needs good priests and nuns!
 
I’m going to Franciscan University in the Fall.
Just got back yesterday actually from a visit.
I’ve been there twice. First trip was the best weekend of my life and actually had the best day of my life (so far save for my reversion back to the faith) there.
When I come on campus, I feel home. It is hard to explain. I feel like they all understand what I’ve understood for so long. Christ really IS the center of everything i.e. the Eucharist is the heart of Catholicism.
For the first time in my life, going to a weekday Mass there (on my first trip) I really fealt that I truly understood the “Body of Christ” as the Church is. All worshipped intensely, all shared the same faith, all petitioned God the Father in the same voice with the same mind, all worshipped Him as Christ, the Spirit is not just present on campus… He is the entire life of the campus.
Is it the epicenter of Catholic America?
I would go so far as to say that it is a major oasis.
If you ever get a chance to visit or go to a conference, I encourage it. It changed my life, now I’m going to be transferring there. 3 people are going in the fall and live 2500+ miles away!
It is worth it, truly. The avg. distance for travel for college students to travel away from home is 100 miles. Most people’s avg for Steubenville is like 300-400 miles I think they were saying.
It is worth it.
I could go on. I won’t. Rest assured, when Christ comes in glory, life will be much like it is at Franciscan University.

God Bless
Mordocai
 
I was there two weeks ago over the weekend at the Catholic charismatic conference. I was deeply stirred by it. I thought during the holy hour they had saturday, when the eucharist was processed through the crown in the field house, that if heaven is like that it will be something to look forward too. The conference was charismatic and so would not be for everyone. I agree that the university is orthodox, but I found this only part of its worthiness. I will retire in a few months, and if I wasn’t going to move to my wife’s home place, I would seriously consider moving to Steubenville, Ohio.
 
We all agree then that Steubenville is a wonderful place to visit and experience. What does everyone think of the new “Ave Maria Town” they are building in Florida for Ave Maria University? It was supposed to be a “Catholic Town” built around the church and school. Of course the ACLU threatened to sue if such a thing were true… a “Catholic town…” how utterly offensive! I was so excited when I heard about it, but then all the flap about the lawsuits and discrimination and everything, and I realized, with separation of Church and State, can you legally have such a thing as a Catholic Town? Unless it was completely private property and was more like a private “club” (which calls to minds those walled off “compounds” that cults have, like the Branch Davidian in WACO and those super fundamentalist Mormon polygamists in Colorado City). Anyway… it sounded good for a glorious minute!🤷
 
mdgspencer said:
I was there two weeks ago over the weekend at the Catholic charismatic conference. I was deeply stirred by it. I thought during the holy hour they had saturday, when the eucharist was processed through the crown in the field house, that if heaven is like that it will be something to look forward too. The conference was charismatic and so would not be for everyone. I agree that the university is orthodox, but I found this only part of its worthiness. I will retire in a few months, and if I wasn’t going to move to my wife’s home place, I would seriously consider moving to Steubenville, Ohio.
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I was at the Holy Hour on Sat. night, too, but was not able to attend the Conference. It was the most awesome Holy Hour I have ever been to! I too had the image of all the Saints and Angels around the Heavenly throne praising God, like in the Book of Revelations. I could picture it in my mind.

I sometimes go down for the Festival of Praise on Sat. nights during the school year with my friends. Awesome. The kids are so inspiring. I truly believe that many new leaders of our Church are going to come out of that University, and they will be a great blessing.
 
I live in the Diocese of Stubenville and I must say it is a great Diocese and I have been to Stubenville once and the downtown part of Stbuenville isnt great but the University part is wonderful. They are actually building a brand new Cathedral in Stubenville, they’re combining 3 Churches into one so its going to be a beautiful Cathedral im sure. Like I say, the downtown part of Stubenville isnt great but the other parts are very pretty and they have a great (possibly more than one, im not sure) Catholic school system up there. The Catholic Churches up there are absolutely beautiful. But I dont think any Church is more beautiful than ours ( I know im attached to my parish) but there really are some beautiful Catholic Churches up there, especially St Peters.
 
I am gonna be a freshman at steubenville, and it does seem to be the center. Bring it up in almost any Catholic church or to any priest and they know what you are talking about. In other news, I attended the Nation right to life teen convention this june, and the first two guys I talked to and hung out with the whole time were both going to steubenville eventually. Isn’t it crazy. One is gonna be a freshman like me and the other one is a year behind us. That just shows how orthodox and pro-life steubenville is. 👍
 
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