LIFE TEEN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

JUNE 23-27, 2025
BENEDICTINE COLLEGE // ATCHISON, KS

The Life Teen Leadership Conference is a dynamic, prayerful, and impactful week of talks and activities that help teens become the leaders and disciples that God is calling them to be. We believe in empowering this new generation with practical leadership skills, but not without first teaching them how to be a disciple. Teens will have time to adore the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration, participate in powerful worship, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, gain practical leadership skills, and meet other teens from across the country who are committed to discipleship and evangelization.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This event is for rising juniors and seniors along with their adult chaperones. All teens must attend as part of a parish group. Many parishes use it as an opportunity to form and train youth leaders who serve in leadership roles within the parish. The event is designed for teens to attend only once, not multiple years, so each year you can bring a new group of teens to raise up as leaders. We recognize that young leaders are only as strong as the community that surrounds them, so we give youth ministers and priests ample time to be with their group throughout the week. Invest in the future of the Church – invite your upperclassmen to a life-changing week at Benedictine College.

MINISTRY TEAM

Mari Pablo
MARIO PABLO
MARK HART
MARK HART
RANDY RAUS
RANDY RAUS
Jill Bagshaw
JILL BAGSHAW
Sarah Houde
SARAH HOUDE
Dr. Andy & Sarah Swafford
DR.ANDY & SARAH SWAFFORD
Ricky Vazquez
RICKY VAZQUEZ
Joel Stepanek
JOEL STEPANEK
Miranda Baniewicz
MIRANDA BANIEWICZ
Jose Rodriguez
JOSE RODRIGUEZ RIVERA
Fr. Edwin Leonard
Fr. EDWIN LEONARD
Fr. Dan Beeman
Fr. DAN BEEMAN

LOCATION: BENEDICTINE COLLEGE

LTLC is held on the beautiful campus of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Plan your itinerary to fly into/out of the Kansas City Airport (MCI). The college is approximately 45 minutes from the airport. Life Teen does not provide transportation from the airport to the college. Parishes are responsible for arranging their own transportation.

At arrival, enter through the main entrance and park near the John Paul II Student Center. There is a Student Center loop for bus drop off. Check-in will take place in the Student Center. Further instructions on housing locations and parking will be given at check-in. Click here for an interactive map of campus.

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE TIMES

Check-in is on Monday, June 27, from 11:00am-2:00pm, with the first session beginning at 2:30pm. It is approximately a 45 minute drive from the airport to Benedictine College. Lunch is not included on Monday. Please plan your flight times accordingly. If, due to flight options, you need to arrive a night early, please indicate that when you register. The fee for early arrivals is $65/person and includes Sunday night accommodations as well as breakfast & lunch on Monday. Check-in for early arrivals will be Sunday, June 26, from 7:00-10:00pm. LTLC ends on Friday, July 1, at 11:30am and does not include lunch on Friday.

Check back soon for a full schedule.

ACCOMODATIONS

Accommodations are provided for all groups on campus at Benedictine College. Males and females are housed separately. Therefore, if you are bringing male and female teens you MUST have a male and female chaperone. The required ratio of chaperones to youth is 1 chaperone for up to every 8 youth of that same gender. Priests are housed in their own private dorms with other priests.

Pillows are available for all participants but pillowcases, sheets, blankets, and towels are not provided. If your group is unable to fit bedding in your luggage, alternative arrangements can be made. To inquire about fees and request to have bedding provided, contact Mary Zitelli at [email protected]. Bedding arrangements must be made no later than May 15th.

"I wish each one of my seminarians could have experienced this while in high school. The Life Teen Leadership Conference lays a firm foundation for the faith of young people."

- Fr. Edwin Leonard, Vocations Director, Diocese of Dallas

PAPERWORK AND REGISTRATION POLICIES

Find all the information below regarding paperwork and registration policies for your group.

Cost:
Rate: $560/person

Deposit Amount:
$100/person (applied to total cost)

Deadline for Payment of Deposit:
2 weeks after registering online

Deadline for Payment of Final Balance: May 15

  • If the deposit has not been paid online by credit card, a deposit check must be received in the Life Teen offices no more than 2 weeks after the date you registered online in order to secure spots.
  • Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable to the final balance.
  • Final balance payments must be received in the Life Teen offices by May 15, 2022 or a $25 price increase per spot will be applied.

Payment Methods:

  • To use existing credit towards this event, please select that option during the registration process.
  • Checks should be made out to Life Teen and mailed to:
    Life Teen
    ATTN: LTLC 2022
    P.O. Box 117299
    Atlanta, GA 30368-7299
  • To submit a credit card payment, click this link to view and pay your balance. You will need your group leader first name, last name, email address and confirmation code to log in. Once logged in, you will be able to put in your credit card information and submit your payment.
  • Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable to the final balance.
  • Parishes may drop unneeded spots until May 15th. The $100 deposit will be forfeited, but the remaining balance will not be owed.
  • Spots may be dropped by emailing Mary Zitelli at [email protected].
  • Parishes will be responsible for payment in full for all spots not dropped by May 15th.
  • All youth must attend as part of a group with a group leader and chaperones.
  • Chaperones must be gender-specific (i.e. if 4 girls and 2 boys are attending, there must be at least 1 female AND 1 male chaperone).
  • The required chaperone to youth ratio is 1 chaperone for every 8 youth of that same gender.
  • Chaperones must be 21 years of age or older and provide proof of completing your Diocesan Safe Environment requirements.
  • Cost for chaperones to attend is the same as youth. Chaperones should be included in your group’s number of spots.
  • The minimum group size required is at least 3 people, made up of 1 chaperone with 2 teens (all of the same gender).
  • In prior years, we have allowed chaperones to be responsible for teens from other groups in order to meet the gender-specific chaperone requirements. That will not be permitted this year. Each registered group must meet the gender-specific chaperone requirements within their own group.

All paperwork is due May 15, 2022. Paperwork information and downloads can be found below.

Mary Zitelli, Events Registration Coordinator
[email protected],
800-809-3902 ext. 231

Sarah Houde, Director of Events
[email protected],
800-809-3902 ext. 201

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Life Teen is committed to keeping the health and safety of our event participants and staff a top priority. We are monitoring the continuously changing pandemic situation and working with each of our venues to ensure all required safety protocols at the time of the event are met. Specific plans will be communicated closer to the event date.

In order to make this experience the best one possible for your teens, we recommend a maximum of 16 teens, 8 of each gender. But you know your parish and your teens best, so we ultimately leave that decision up to you! Remember, for up to every 8 male teens, you must have at least 1 male chaperone and for up to every 8 female teens, you must have at least 1 female chaperone. The minimum group size required is at least 3 people, made up of 1 chaperone with 2 teens (all of the same gender).

In prior years, we have allowed chaperones to be responsible for teens from other groups in order to meet the gender-specific chaperone requirements. That will not be permitted this year. Each registered group must meet the gender-specific chaperone requirements within their own group.

After May 15, you can only make substitutions of the same gender and age category (chaperone or youth) due to housing arrangements. If you have questions regarding this, please contact Mary Zitelli ([email protected]).

Due to limited dorm space, we are not usually able to provide private rooms for chaperones. If you are the only chaperone of your gender attending from your parish, you might be paired with a chaperone of the same gender from another group.

Yes, you have two options to get your teen registered for the conference. You can form and register a small group comprised of yourself, your teen, and some of his or her friends. In that case you would be the group leader. We require a minimum group size of 3 and all groups must comply with the chaperone requirements. The other option is to find out if there is a parish in your area attending the conference and then you can contact the youth minister at that parish to see if they’d be willing to take your teen as a part of their group. Contact Mary Zitelli ([email protected]) to see if any groups from your area are registered.

We would love for you to concelebrate! We ask that you please bring your own vestments (alb & stole). And be sure to submit your Letter of Good Standing ahead of time.

We do have a very limited amount of scholarships available for teens to attend LTLC. If you have a teen in great financial need, please download this scholarship application and submit it.

Youth participants must be rising juniors or seniors. All chaperones must be 21 years of age or older. All participants must be registered as part of a group with a group leader taking responsibility for adhering to the payment, cancellation, paperwork, and event policies.

  • Bible
  • A good pen
  • Rosary
  • Bedding (pillows provided)
  • Bath towel
  • Umbrella or rain jacket
  • Sweatshirt/sweater
  • Cell phone charger
  • Extra spending money for the Life Teen store and snacks

The food served at the conference is cafeteria-style. If you or anyone in your group has a food allergy we need to be aware of, please let us know. There is a section on the participant liability form that allows you to share this information with us. In order for allergies to be accommodated by the college, that information must be submitted via the participant liability form no later than May 15. We always do our very best to accommodate your needs; however, it never hurts to bring some snacks just in case.

Kansas is warm and often humid during the summer. It’s hot during the day and pleasant at night and in the mornings. Dress to be casual and comfortable. The main room/breakout rooms can get chilly so bring a sweater or sweatshirt. While the main room is air conditioned, some dorm rooms are not.

There is internet available by ethernet cord in each dorm room and wireless in the student center. Internet is not available in the main room.

Yes, the Life Teen Store will have lots of great product for you to purchase!

We will have very basic first aid (band aids, Tylenol, Tums, etc.) For any major needs, participants will need to go to the local urgent care or hospital. The group leader should bring first aid supplies as well.

Yes, we will have a digital audio download of all keynote and most breakout talks for sale at the conference. The digital download will not contain music that is played at the conference. Group leaders can purchase the download on site. Cost is $60.

The expiration date on all existing credits from previously cancelled events was extended to December 31, 2022. This means you can use your existing credit for any Life Teen event, camp, resource, or subscription until the end of 2022. If you choose not to attend the conference this summer, be sure to use your credit for something else as it will expire at the end of 2022. As a reminder, your credit is equivalent to the amount of money paid and is not specific to the event you were registered for or the number of spots you had registered for. If you are unsure whether or not you have remaining credit or the amount of your credit, please contact Mary Zitelli at [email protected].

If, due to unforeseen circumstances, Life Teen cancels the event, any deposits paid will become credit and any final balances paid will be eligible for a refund.

Mary Zitelli, Events Registration Coordinator
[email protected], 800-809-3902 ext. 231

Sarah Houde, Director of Events
[email protected], 800-809-3902 ext. 201