DRAPER — The 2026 Utah Catholic Conference brought more than 1,200 of the faithful from parishes and missions across the state to the Skaggs Catholic Center on Sept. 19 for a day of worship, faith formation and fellowship.
The theme for the event, “Sacred Heart: Heart of the Mission,” brought attention to the “burning love in Christ’s heart for all humanity, which can renew us in the way we care for one another, especially for those in need – the poor, the sick, the vulnerable – and accomplish many acts of mercy,” Bishop Oscar A. Solis said, speaking in English and Spanish as he welcomed attendees to the opening Mass.
Many of the diocesan priests concelebrated the Mass, and the faithful filled the pews of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church to overflowing.
“What a great joy to see the people of God gathered as one community to celebrate the greatest mystery of our salvation – the celebration of the Holy Eucharist,” the bishop said as he began his homily, which focused on the event theme.
Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided at the opening Mass for the Utah Catholic Conference. IC photo/Marie Mischel“The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a wonderful manifestation of God’s love,” Bishop Solis said, adding that the devotion is “the heart and source of our mission. It is the fire that sustains every act of service, leadership and evangelization in this vast state of Utah. When we speak of the Sacred Heart, we speak of a heart that not only loves but sees – it sees and looks upon us with tenderness, with mercy and compassion.”In Utah, where Catholics form a small part of the population, “this matters deeply,” he said. “Many of our parishioners live their faith quietly, sometimes feeling isolated or misunderstood. Many of our youth navigate a culture where faith is not always the norm. Many of our leaders – even our priests, deacons and parish ministers – carry so much and heavy responsibilities in communities spread across great distances. But there is something that is consoling to know. The Sacred Heart sees all of this – your sacrifices, your hope, your discouragement as well as your disappointments. It sees the hidden acts of love that keep our parishes alive, and from that love flows the mission of evangelization.”
That burning love also sends the faithful into the community “to witness, to invite, accompany and to engage with one another,” he said.
The Sacred Heart heals, too, and does this by entering into wounds such as “families struggling with division, youth wrestling with anxiety and identity, refugees and immigrants navigating uncertainty,” he said, adding that this healing is done through God’s presence, the Eucharist and by parishes, which can be “a place where people encounter the healing balm of the blood of Christ.”
In addition, the Sacred Heart unifies the community in one mission despite the diversity of backgrounds, languages, cultures and experiences, he said. This mission pushes the faithful to minister to people who live in the margins, where God’s love is most needed. “It means welcoming everyone, recognizing the dignity of every person in their life, walking with each other who feel distant from the Church, and building bridges among one another. When we do this, we make our Church stronger. Not only stronger but a more visible presence of God in our midst, and our mission will flourish and bear fruit.”
Following the Mass were two keynote addresses, one in English and the other in Spanish. In addition, there was a youth track for those in grades 6 through 12. All three presentations focused on the Sacred Heart.
Dr. Michael Barber, professor of sacred Scripture and theology at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, presented the keynote address in English. Father Dempsey Rosales Acosta, executive director of the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, Chicago, gave the address in Spanish. (See https://dioslc.org/news/ucc-spanish-presentations-focus-on-building-the-church-marriage.) Cooper Ray, a retreat facilitator and a published artist with Spirit & Song, led the youth track. (See https://dioslc.org/news/utah-youth-deepen-faith-at-annual-catholic-conference.)
Bishop Oscar A. Solis chats with youth from St. George Parish in St. George, who wore bandanas with their patron saint. IC photo/Laura VallejoAmong those who attended the conference were 45 people from Saint George Parish in St. George, who left at 3 a.m. to catch a bus for the 300-mile drive to Draper.The parish was able to secure funding for the bus from the diocese, “which was a big help to encourage more people to come,” said Edna Escobosa-Lloyd, a member of the parish’s youth ministry, who organized the trip.Originally, only the youth from St. George were going to attend the conference, but then members of their families wanted to go, Escobosa-Lloyd said, and from there members of the young adult group joined them, as did a few members of St. Paul Catholic Center in Hurricane and others from Park City.
Many people from St. George have never attended a Catholic conference, said Escobosa-Lloyd, explaining that she and others from the area often attend similar events in Las Vegas because it is closer than Salt Lake City. Having the bus allowed them to attend the Utah Catholic Conference, which offered faith formation and fellowship. It also was an opportunity for the young people to interact with other Catholic youth, she said, adding that she hoped it would motivate the teenagers “to live their faith more truly.”
Those attending the conference had a variety of workshops to choose from. These were grouped into various subjects such as comprehensive faith formation, Life, Justice & Peace, Marriage & Family Life, vocations, youth and young adults, Catholic schools, stewardship, Hispanic ministries, liturgy and worship and liturgical music. In addition, there was a workshop for clergy on soteriology – the theology of salvation – given by Barber immediately after he presented the keynote address.   
This “session for clergy and seminarians offered a rich and very practical reflection on what Catholics mean when we speak about salvation,” said Father Christopher Gray, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine. “Drawing especially from St. Paul, he emphasized that salvation is entirely the work of God’s grace, but that grace is not passive: it conforms us to Christ, draws us into communion with his Church, and enables us to participate in Christ’s saving work.”
Fr. Gray said one particularly helpful insight was a reference from the book Paul and the Gift by John Barclay, that “grace is a gift. It is not something we earn or can claim as our due; God takes the initiative and gives himself to us freely. At the same time, in the ancient world a gift was not understood as something casual or inconsequential. A gift created a relationship and called forth gratitude and a response from the recipient. God’s grace is free, but it is not cheap: the gift itself enables us to respond with thanksgiving and with lives transformed by what we have received.”
Fr. Gray said he “especially appreciated [Barber’s] presentation of salvation not simply as a single moment or something reserved for the life to come, but as the ongoing work of grace by which we are made more and more like Christ. It was excellent material for us as priests – not only for our own spiritual lives, but for preaching the Good News more clearly to our people.”
The conference was worthwhile, agreed Marie Franco, a St. Vincent de Paul parishioner who was attending the event the first time. She was overwhelmed when “the doors opened at the end of Mass and there was just a flood of people,” she said, adding that she had difficulty choosing which workshops to attend.
Franco organizes the parish’s vacation Bible school and is also involved with faith formation, so in the morning she attended the youth track. For the afternoon she was considering some of the adult workshops, including “Building the Domestic Church: A Parish Vision,” which was presented by Father Sebastien Sasa, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in West Valley City, and “Inside Assisted Living,” presented by Philip Hofstetter.
The conference was “overwhelming in a good way,” she said. “It’s really nice to meet like-minded people and to network with other parishes and other leaders.”  
Father Dempsey Rosales Acosta, executive director of the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University, Chicago, presented the final keynote of the 2026 Utah Catholic Conference, which was bilingual. He also offered one earlier in the day in Spanish. A keynote in English was give by Dr. Michael Barber, professor of sacred Scripture and theology at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. All three talks were about the Sacred Heart of Jesus. IC photo/Marie MischelThe conference ended with a bilingual keynote given by Fr. Rosales Acosta, who spoke about how the Sacred Heart sends the faithful out as missionary disciples with three characteristics: a heart of compassion, a heart of courage and a heart of communion.Following this presentation, Bishop Solis commissioned 31 lay ministers from various parishes as Worthy and Suitable Catechists. These ministers have undergone specialized training and are now authorized to celebrate the minor rites of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.
This year’s Utah Catholic Conference drew about 500 more people than last year’s. Nikki Ward, superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools, who helped organized the event, attributed this success to “the hard work and support of the diocesan staff, keynote speakers, workshop presenters and vendors. Bishop Solis’ enthusiasm for the Utah Catholic Conference encouraged pastors to support the event with parish representation, which contributed to the increase in attendance. … Together, everyone contributed to a beautiful and meaningful day of faith formation for our Utah Catholic community.”