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Youth invited to ‘take God’s love to heart’ at 2026 conference
- Philip A. Janquart
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
By Philip A. Janquart
ICR Editor
Over 1,500 youth from across Idaho attended the annual Idaho Catholic Youth Conference in Boise, held March 13-15.
“ICYC ’26 was a great blessing for our diocese, with powerful moments of testimony, powerful talks, incredible praise and worship, beautiful liturgies and an amazing evening adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament during Exposition,” Andrew Furphy, director of youth and young adult evangelization for the Diocese of Boise, told the Idaho Catholic Register (ICR).
Youth also took advantage of opportunities for reconciliation, attended Mass and were invited by keynote speakers to see Jesus’ love through His Crucifixion and the sacraments of the Church, while being encouraged to bask in the gaze of his infinite love for them.
Bishop Peter Christensen opened the event Friday evening at the Boise Centre with a personal address that concluded with a blessing over the conference.
In his brief talk, he shared a humorous but pointed Lenten story he had heard years earlier from another priest. The story was intended to challenge how Catholics approach sacrifice during the season.
He recounted the story of a priest who, returning from a meeting, was walking through a rough Chicago neighborhood after dark. The priest was confronted by a young man brandishing a knife and demanding money. His demeanor changed immediately, however, when he noticed the priest’s Roman collar.
“Oh, no, no, no … Father, I can’t rob you,” the young man said.
Relieved, the priest offered him a cigar in gratitude, but the man refused.
“I can’t take that … I gave up smoking for Lent,” he explained.
The story ends with a wry observation highlighting misplaced priorities:
“Did you ever think about giving up robbing for Lent?” the priest quipped.
Bishop Peter then asked the youth present, “What did you give up for Lent? That’s the question,” inviting them to consider a different approach to the season.
“I’ll tell you what: tonight, and this weekend, let’s not give up anything,” he said. “We’re going to take to our hearts the knowledge that we belong to God.”
Emphasizing human dignity and God’s love, Bishop Peter encouraged attendees to remain open to that message, echoing themes shared by keynote speakers throughout the conference.
“We are God’s children, all of us. We belong to God,” he said. “Keep your ears, keep your eyes, keep your hearts open to that knowledge. The Lord will show you. You belong to Him. He loves you like no other.”
Quoting St. John Climacus, also known as John of the Ladder, he reflected on repentance as an act rooted in trust rather than self-reproach.
“To repent is not to look downwards at my own shortcomings, but upwards at God’s love,” he said, adding, “It is to see not what I have failed to be, but what by the grace of Christ I might yet become.”
Bishop Peter concluded his remarks by leading the assembly in prayer and reminding them of God’s constant presence.
“My brothers and sisters, you are loved,” he said. “Just open your heart, accept the gift and live it.”
Jesus’ love
Father Rob Galea hails from Malta and is an Australian missionary priest and international speaker. He shared his personal testimony of conversion, recounting a troubled adolescence marked by addiction and rebellion.
“I lived my whole life from when I was 13 years old until I was 17 years old as an addict,” he said. “I ran away from home when I was 13 years old, and I returned when I was 17 years old. But when I returned, I was in an absolute mess.”
He described attending a youth gathering similar to the conference, where he initially felt disconnected.
“I hated every person in that room because there was no way that those people could be so happy and so joyful,” Father Rob said.
That perspective changed, however, after hearing a speaker talk about Jesus.
“I don’t remember a thing he said, but I remember feeling and thinking, ‘I want to know Jesus like he knows Jesus,’” Father Rob said.
That desire led him to begin praying.
“I said, ‘Jesus, sit down. I want to talk to you,’” he recalled. “And that was the beginning of where my life started to turn around.”
Ordained into the priesthood in Malta at St. Julian’s Parish Church in 2010, Father Rob said his relationship with Jesus remains central to his daily life.
“I wake up every morning, and I say, ‘Jesus, good morning,’” he said. “I speak to Jesus as though He’s my best friend.”
At the same time, he acknowledged ongoing struggles in faith.
“Sometimes I feel close to Him. Other times, I feel a million miles away,” he said. “There are times I believe, but there are also times I doubt.”
He emphasized that faith does not require complete understanding.
“I don’t need all of the answers. I just need to know that God is there, walking with me every step of the way,” Father Rob said.
God created everything
Reflecting on the vastness of creation, he pointed to the scale of the universe as a way to understand God’s greatness, describing the size of Earth in relation to the sun, another star called “Morpheus” that dwarfs our sun, and the possibility of a multiverse.
He said that despite God’s immeasurable power and greatness in creating such massive and complex systems, what He loves most are the smallest of all His creations—us.
“Sometimes we just don’t understand how big and how great God is,” Father Rob said. “But I realize every day that God is great because He loves a messed-up person like me.”
Despite humanity’s smallness, he said, God’s love gives each person profound value.
“The greatness of God is that He decided … to have a relationship with us. I’m not as impressed that God created the universe … but I’m impressed that God of the universe … would come into this world and die for me.”
Say “Yes”
In a subsequent talk on Saturday evening, Father Rob encouraged participants to move beyond awareness of God’s love and make a personal response.
“Once we discover the love of God … it also requires a decision from us,” he said. “Now we have to make a decision to let God love us.”
He stressed the importance of silence and being receptive in prayer.
“You cannot be all that God has called you to be if you don’t let God love you,” he stressed.
Drawing on Scripture, he referenced the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man.
“The Bible says that Jesus looked at him and loved him,” he said. “This is what Jesus does. He looks at us, and He loves us. And all we need to do is to say yes.”
Walking toward the groom
Using the image of a wedding, he compared the Christian life to a bride walking toward the groom, who represents Christ.
“Jesus waits for us … but the thing is, we’re so busy. We’re so distracted by our own lives,” Father Rob related.
He then challenged participants to consider what distracts them from God.
“What are you flirting with in your life? What is distracting you from the groom?” he asked.
Despite human weakness and distraction, Father Rob emphasized Christ’s constant love.
“He still looks at you and thinks you’re the most awesome thing on this planet,” he said.
“There’s nothing … that can ever stop Him from loving you. But you can walk away from that love.”
God’s mercy and invitation
Father Rob, pointing to St. Peter’s denial of Christ, highlighted God’s mercy.
“Jesus meets him where he’s at … and He asks him, ‘Do you love me?’” he said. “All I’m asking is one thing: let me give you a hug. Let me love you.”
He concluded by inviting participants into prayer and Eucharistic adoration.
“Just stop and let Jesus, the groom, love you,” he said. “Will you let Him love you?”
