Christ Our Life speakers named

Since its debut in 2010, the Christ Our Life Catholic Conference (COL2024) at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA has grown exponentially with new ways to draw in thousands of Catholics, based on the year-round commitment of a core steering committee and hundreds of parish outreach volunteers, affectionately referred to as COL “Go To” folks. 
 
Now for the first time ever, all youth tickets—those typically sold for people ages 23 and younger—will be free of charge for recipients. That’s because of the extensive fundraising commitment made by Joe Lane, Sr., who serves as the volunteer COL director of development. While typically approximately 500 youth tickets are sold at $15 each—at a value of $7,500—Lane will seek out donors who support bringing more young people to the conference.

 “They are, after all, the future of our faith,” said Lane. “I’m confident that many donors will recognize the value of this endeavor.”
 
Echoing this belief, Ellen Miller of Indianola who along with Marilyn Lane of West Des Moines, serves as co-founder and co-chair of the Christ Our Life Catholic Conference, said, “We know the future of our faith is to catechize, support, and energize our youth. While the conference, its world-class speakers and the sacraments, remain aimed at entire families, we’ve chosen to hold breakout sessions with several of the speakers whose topics in these youth sittings will directly to appeal to where they are at in their young lives. We are pouring on even more effort to connect with youth ministers, (religious education) instructors and parishes to encourage our young Catholics to participate.”
 
COL2024 has grown from a regional gathering to an international event that will include worldwide livestreaming once again in addition to in-person attendance. The event also offers Mass, eucharistic procession, adoration, benediction and the sacrament of reconciliation.
 
The eighth biennial (every two years) event will be held Sept.28 and 29, 2024 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. This will be the third time that the conference will offer the choice of in-person or livestream tickets. 
Speakers include: Fr. Robert Spitzer; Fr. Craig Vasek; Sr. Josephine Garrett; Msgr. Stephen Rossetti; Jeff Cavins, and Jason Evert; along with Mary’s Meals’ Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow and his wife Julie, and Steve Angrisano. 

Tickets can be purchased online now at Christ Our Life Catholic Conference 2024 (givebutter.com). The price for adults, whether in-person or livestream,  is $30. Even though youth can attend in-person or online for free, for attendance purposes, a ticket must still be obtained through the website. Priests, Deacons and Religious also can participate at no-cost yet they must obtain a ticket.