Conference Information
SpeakersMusic MinistryFAQsThemeSchedule
2010 Bayou Host:
Ennie Hickman graduated from Franciscan University in 2001 with a degree in theology and spent eight years in parish youth ministry. Today, Ennie and his family serve as full-time domestic missionaries in Houston, Texas, with ADORE Ministries. With passion and energy to see God’s kingdom come “on earth as it is in heaven,” Ennie has dedicated his life to furthering the New Evangelization. He has spoken at numerous large-scale retreats and conferences throughout the United States, Central America, Eastern Europe, and Africa. He and his wife, Cana, have four children.
 
Speakers:
Most Reverend Sam G. Jacobs was installed as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in 2003 after serving fourteen years as bishop for the Diocese of Alexandria. Bishop Jacobs was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Philosophy and a graduate degree in Education/ Administration from The Catholic University of America. He has served on numerous committees for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. For years, he has been a national speaker focusing on the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
Christopher Stefanick shares the love of the Father with tens of thousands of teens around the country every year at retreats, rallies, and chastity assemblies—but he is most proud that he gets to share that love with his wife and five kids. This 11-year youth ministry veteran served at a parish in the East LA area and is currently director of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver. His recent book, Do I Have to Go?—101 Questions About the Mass, the Eucharist, and Your Spiritual Life, explains the meaning and the mystery of Mass. You can learn more about him at www.chris-stefanick.com.
 
Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, is well known to youth conference attendees from San Diego to Nova Scotia. He spends much of his time helping others come to know God’s love for them through his dynamic preaching, writings, CDs, and other spiritual outreaches. Father Dave has two recently published books, Spiritual Freedom: God’s Life Changing Gift and Hiking the Camino: 500 Miles With Jesus. A graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Father Dave has held several ministry positions at Franciscan. He currently serves as the director of post-novitiate formation for the Franciscan province in Washington, D.C. Father Dave wants you to know he is praying for you and hopes you will be “God’s witness to the end of the earth.”
 
Josh Blaksley’s Christian music journey began in 1992 when he vowed to be "sold out" for Christ and to use his gift of writing music to glorify God. Josh has led praise and worship at World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado, Steubenville Youth Conferences and at Catholic Heart Work Camps and Life Teen Camps. He has contributed songs to several    compilation albums and released his first solo album, Immersed in 2003. Josh currently serves as young adult coordinator and assistant music director at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Alexandria, Louisiana. He travels many weekends to other parishes throughout the U.S. doing concerts, conducting workshops for musicians, speaking at youth rallies and conferences, and leading praise and worship. Josh and his wife, Heather, have two children, Sophie and Sutton.
 
Kelly Pease is a Louisiana native who now lives in Steubenville, Ohio. A gifted musician, Kelly has been writing and recording music for the past 10 years. Kelly travels the country leading worship and sharing the story of God’s faithfulness in her life. In the spring of 2009, she married Joey Lombardi, a full-time missionary for the inner-city outreach, Dirty Vagabond Ministries (www.dirtyvagabond.com) with which she also works closely. Kelly and Joey welcomed their first child into the world in the spring of 2010. She is blessed to share the story of God’s continued faithfulness to her and her growing family.
 

 
Mary Bielski graduated from Marquette University with a double major in theology and psychology. As a volunteer youth minister for 10 years and the founder of All4Him ministries in 2006, Mary travels and speaks around the nation at high school retreats and conferences including Steubenville Youth Conferences, Life Teen: Inspiration, and parish and diocesan rallies. After six years in pharmaceutical sales in South Bend, Indiana, Mary is taking her ministry full time seeking to “Engage, Ignite, and Inflame hearts to live totally for the Lord.” Through humorous skits and energizing presentations, Mary draws youth to the beauty of our Catholic faith, and a deeper love for Christ, the Eucharist, and the call to holiness.
 
Damon Owens is the founder of Joy-Filled Marriage NJ(www.joyfilledmarriagenj.org), a non-profit organization providing training, resources, and support for engaged and married couples. A certified speaker for the Theology of the Body Institute (www.tobinstitute.org) and program trainer for Ascension Press(www.ascensionpress.com), Damon keeps a full speaking schedule at national conferences, marriage seminars, high schools, seminaries, and parish groups on the good news of marriage, sexuality, Theology of the Body, Theology of the Family, and NFP. His message to a youth conference in Orlando, FL this past summer challenged the youth to “recall their greatness” and remind them “their sexuality is dignified and a gift. The greatness of the human person is the dynamism that all youth are called. We need to get out of notion that (faith) is all about following a set of rules.” Damon currently lives in NJ with his wife Melanie, and their seven young daughters Naomi, Leah, Rachel, Therese, Collette, Veronica, and Olivia.

Bob Lesnefsky, whose “rapper name” is Righteous B, is a full-time suburban gangsta. His mad thuggish ways combined with his pas­sion for Christ make this dunny dun the“Cadillac” of Christian hip hop. Bob worked for seven years as a youth minister before recording four CDs, including his newest smash hit album, How A Wound Bleeds.  Bob started a non-profit group, Dirty Vagabond Ministries, for the development of quality urban youth ministry. Bob and his wife, Kate, are the parents of five children. You can peep out his adventures in music and ministry at www.RighteousB.com