Young people attending the conference listen attentively to one of the many speakers at the event. Some chairs in the audience are conspicuously empty.

By Diana Zott
Everest Collegiate Journalism Club
 
May 5, 2010. Clarkston, Michigan. Life. It is such a short word, but holds so much meaning.

Life is given to us by God, and He calls each of us to serve Him in many different ways throughout our lives. Every person God creates deserves life. Every person God creates deserves a chance to experience what He has in store for them. Who would want to annihilate a person’s opportunity to live?

Surprisingly, there are people who believe this is acceptable. As Catholics and Christians, we are called by God to guide these people, and show them that life is a gift, not a burden. We are called to show them that every life is precious. This is why the Prolife Youth Conference was created.

This year, the Prolife Youth Conference was held at Everest Collegiate High School on April 17, 2010.

	Gianna Jenssen (second from right) poses with some of the Prolife Youth Conference organizers.

Organizers said it was extremely successful, and more people attended than ever before.  More than 350 young people registered and more than 550 were in attendance when Detroit Archbishop Alan Vigneron celebrated Mass.

Angela Napalotano, a junior at Michigan State University, led one of the conference breakout sessions for girls. “Thank you for inviting me to be a part of such a wonderful event!” she said. “It was amazing and inspiring being around so many of our youth who are passionate about their faith and beliefs. You did an incredible job organizing this event.  There was something for all age groups. The adoration and confession were wonderful as well. What a beautiful day!”

The conference offered opportunities for youth to learn ways to defend their beliefs in our society and remain strong in their faith, no matter what temptations arise. It was filled with beautiful talks from people who experienced

	(From right to left) Speakers Michelle Yax, Michael Clancy, Jason Jones and Rebecca Kiessling.

the emotional and physical pain of undergoing an abortion and even people who have survived an abortion. Each talk helped those attending to look at abortion from a different angle. There were also talks about how to prevent being in the situation of having to decide to abort or not to abort.  (Click link to see the impressive list of speakers.) Bracelets were available that said “worth waiting for,” along with bookmarks, prayer cards, and more. 
 
After attending this conference, this article’s author can say I now appreciate my faith even more. It brought me closer to Christ, and allowed me to see how much hope there is in our world.  With more Prolife Youth Conferences in the future, we can continue to serve God and save more lives!