August 6, 2024

Local youth minister leads at Steubenville East

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

Lisa and Ron Saloio pose for a picture outside of the MassMutual Center in Springfield, July 28, after the Steubenville East Conference (IObserve photo/courtesy Joe Austin.)

SPRINGFIELD – Longtime youth minister, Lisa Saloio, from St. Elizabeth Parish in Ludlow, was the site coordinator for the Steubenville East Conference, held at the MassMutual Center, July 26-28. Close to 1200 participants attended the youth retreat from across New England and from as far away as Pennsylvania. Life Teen partners with Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, to host the Steubenville Catholic Youth Conferences held in different regions of the country each summer. The weekends include inspiring talks, praise and worship music, reconciliation, Mass and Eucharistic Adoration.

“I was hired by Life Teen in March as the site coordinator for Steubenville East. I have been involved with youth ministry since my oldest was in high school some 20 years ago. The first event I ever took youth to was a diocesan event at UMass Amherst the day JPII died,” Saloio said. She and her husband Ron have raised six children and have four grandchildren. The couple has worked in youth ministry together.

“As our children grew older, Ron began to help out more and more with the program. Now just about any event we attend, he is a part of.  He took over the leadership of our group during the conference this year,” she said of the teenagers from St. Elizabeth Parish who attended Steubenville East. Many groups gathered each evening after the music and Eucharistic Adoration in the lobby of the MassMutual Center or back at their hotels to talk about the day and have pizza.

“Probably the hardest part of working the conference this year was not being able to spend the time with our group. Those crazy, late night small group times are my favorite part of youth ministry,” she said.

As site coordinator, Saloio was the liaison between Life Teen, the MassMutual Center, the volunteers and all of the groups attending from the Diocese of Springfield and beyond. She helped to coordinate the traveler’s Mass, which kicked off the weekend at St. Michael’s Cathedral, on Friday, July 26.

This is the third year in a row that Steubenville East has been held in Springfield. The theme this year was “Illuminate,” based on the scripture verse from John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

“Most of my own children have attended Steubenville conferences. My oldest attended out at LaSalette, in a tent, in the rain. She came home on fire for the Lord,” said Saloio.

“We’ve been a Life Teen parish for over 10 years. My younger daughter graduated from Franciscan University in 2020, so I have had experience with both organizations. I had no idea what I was getting into, and if it weren’t for amazing volunteers, new and returning, the conference would not be possible. But many people have had the experience of having attended a Steubenville conference in their youth, and they want to give back,” she said.

More than 175 teens and chaperones from the diocese participated in the weekend.

“I’ve known Lisa for a longtime. She and her husband (Ron) are the real deal when it comes to youth ministry,” said Joe Austin, the director of the Office of Missionary Discipleship. “She and her youth group have been attending the conference for many, many years and now she is running the conference while also still sending a group to the conference. I find that to be really inspiring. She really believes in the mission of the conference,” he said.

Austin, whose office oversees youth ministry, said many of the volunteers this year were from western Massachusetts.

“Now it’s become so imbedded in our diocese that the very people helping to run the conference are from our diocese. Lisa is from our diocese, so many volunteers, so many young adults. They’re from Encuentro, they’re from Young and Catholic, from other youth ministry efforts, but just a sea of young adults from our diocese, so it was kind of cool to see.” 

Saloio is still the youth ministry for St. Elizabeth Parish. She said the Steubenville East experience is life-changing for the teens that attend.

“It’s interesting, because I was not seeking another job. I thought I was just helping them out, like I was a last resort kind of thing for them. I had no idea Steubenville East was even looking for a site coordinator. I guess I said yes because I love the Steubenville Conferences. I love the transformation that takes place in the lives of teens when they’ve attended. Even if it’s not long lasting, and just comes to the surface during the weekend. The way they are able to open up to the Holy Spirit is just amazing and it gives me hope for the next school year,” she said.