By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
Catholic Diocese of Salina
Sometimes it’s difficult to follow with an encore for an event that was a smashing success in its debut.
But that’s exactly what the Diocese of Salina is planning for this year’s Eucharistic Conference.
It will offer a special opportunity to grow in faith and community while learning that “You matter,” the message delivered by keynote speaker Father John Riccardo from Detroit, Michigan.
The Second-Annual Eucharistic Conference is set for Saturday and Sunday, August 9 and 10, at Fort Hays State University in Hays.
Registration for the weekend, which includes lunch on Sunday, is currently at an early-bird price of $40 per person through Tuesday, July 1. The price will increase slightly after the early-bird special deadline.
Registration can be found online at https://salinadiocese.org/office/eucharistic-conference-2025/. Anyone unable to access the registration forms through this method should contact their parish, which will assist with the registration process.
This year’s conference will highlight the theme of the Jubilee Year of Hope for 2025: “Hope Does Not Disappoint,” and feature numerous engaging speakers known for their powerful insights and teachings, deepening your understanding and devotion to the Eucharist.
One of those highlights will be Fr. Riccardo.
“The God who created the universe thought the world would be incomplete without you,” is Fr. Riccardo’s message. “You are the result of a thought of God. He willed you, He loves you, and He has a purpose for your life.”
After serving 23 years as a parish priest, Fr. Riccardo founded Acts XXIX to proclaim the gospel in an attractive and compelling way and to equip clergy and lay leaders for the age in which God has chosen us to live.
“You are not here by chance. The God who created the stars also created you, intentionally, lovingly, and for a purpose. Your dignity isn’t something you earn. It’s something you’ve been given,” Fr. Riccardo says. “You were made in the image of God, and that means your life matters – eternally. When we let that truth in – that we’re loved by a God who would rather die than lose us – it changes everything. It heals wounds. It gives meaning. And it calls us to live differently, with courage and hope, because we know who we are and whose we are.”
Rev. Gerald Vincke, bishop of the Diocese of Salina, is excited to have been able to secure such a renowned speaker for the conference.
"It is my desire that everyone attends this conference and listens to Fr. John Riccardo's beautiful message of God's love for each of us,” Bishop Vincke said. “We all need to hear this message, sometimes more than we realize. In the midst of our daily struggles, distractions and doubts, it's easy to forget just how deeply we are loved by God."
Another couple of favorite portions of the inaugural conference last year were Adoration Under the Stars in the FHSU Quad, this year set for 9 p.m. Saturday, and the 4 p.m. Mass on Sunday. Both of those are free and open to the public.
There will be several additions and a few changes to this year’s schedule.
Sunday’s finale, the Mass offered by Bishop Vincke, will be in the newly air-conditioned Gross Memorial Coliseum instead of outdoors.
The main portion of the conference is on Saturday and Sunday. However, the committee has added some extras this year.
The pre-conference schedule, free and open to the public, will begin with a Runnin’ Revs game Friday evening on the main floor in Gross Memorial Coliseum. The Runnin’ Revs is a group of diocesan priests and seminarians who play local and area high school athletes a couple of times a year at various locations around the diocese.
Other pre-conference events include tours of the recently renovated Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hays and the Basilica of St. Fidelis, also known as the Cathedral of the Plains, in Victoria.
Included on this year’s list of speakers will be Megan Robl, executive director of Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas, and hometown favorite Grant Ginther, a graduate of Thomas More Prep-Marian who just finished serving as a FOCUS missionary at the University of Oregon.
Some breakout sessions are geared more toward men, women or youth; others are for a general audience of all ages. A complete list of speakers can be found at https://salinadiocese.org/office/eucharistic-conference-2025/
The breakout schedule will be updated Monday, July 7.
Pre-conference schedule
Friday, Aug. 8
6 p.m. – Runnin’ Revs game, Gross Memorial Coliseum
Saturday, Aug. 9
8 a.m. – Daily Mass, Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Hays
9 a.m. – Coffee and rolls, IHM basement
10 a.m. – IHM church tour
1:30 p.m. – Basilica of St. Fidelis church self-guided tour, Victoria
3 p.m. – Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas tour, Hays
Conference schedule
Saturday, Aug. 9
5 to 7 p.m. – Registration, GMC, Gate2
7 p.m. – Opening session, keynote speaker Fr. John Riccardo
9 to 10 p.m. – Adoration Under the Stars, FHSU Quad
10 p.m. – Young Adult Gathering, CCCC
Sunday, Aug. 10
8 to 9 a.m. – Registration, GMC, Gatge2
9 a.m. – Opening session, keynote speaker Fr. John Riccardo
10:45 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. – Three breakout sessions
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Lunch break
3:10 p.m. – Mass Presentation, GMC
4 p.m. – Closing Mass, GMC