Thursday: The Conference Begins!

 St. Catharine College, the conference venue, is beautiful, and it was a beautiful day.

Fr. Tim O'Connor gave us a meditation on the privilege of serving the youth.

Soon the guests began to arrive.

Sara checking the groups in

 Our religious and priest friends also began arriving......

Nashville Dominicans: Sr. Mary Olivia, Sr. Amelia, Sr. Mary Josephine

Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker: Sr. Cecilia and Sr. Elizabeth Ann

Sister Servants from Alabama: 

Sr. Louise Marie, Sr. Joseph Marie, Sr. Mary Anthony, Sr. Marie Therese

Unfortunately I didn't get photos of the men's communities: 

Dominican Friars and Fathers of Mercy, mostly. And some diocesan priests from here and there.

The dining room ladies always make us feel extra welcome.

Sr. Joseph Marie talking to the youth about the Angelic Warfare Confraternity

Fr. Joseph Aytona (Fathers of Mercy) urges the teens not to follow the crowd, 

and tells some of his own vocation story

Attentive audience

Meanwhile, our new statue of Our Lady of Ignite was being readied for the outdoor rosary procession.

For many of the youth, this is their first time taking part in a procession.

The procession ended our first day with prayer and song. 

Here we are walking alongside one of the dorms.

This is our conference Eucharistic adoration chapel at night.

Our Lady's statue (not visible in the photo) was brought here after the procession and placed on the left side, facing Her Son in the Eucharist.