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Love Begins Here (LBH) provides middle and high school teens with the opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ through a week of local service in a joyful, Catholic community. Inspired by the life and witness of St. (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, LBH invites teens to serve those in need within their own homes and communities, continuing Christʼs work on Earth with humility and love.
Founded in 2009, LBH began with 56 missionaries from the Diocese of Madison serving their local community. In 2017, the Diocese of Green Bay joined this mission, hosting its first local mission experience with five parishes and over 200 middle and high school missionaries completing 1,900 hours of service.
The impact of LBH is profound and far-reaching. Each mission emphasizes “small acts of kindness with great love,ˮ embodying the spirit of St. Teresa of Calcutta, the patroness of the program. Through acts of kindness, participants become Godʼs hands and feet, bringing His love to the world.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.
Local, overnight mission trips for middle school students (rising 6th - graduated 8th).
The cost is $150 for students. Chaperones are free!
Upcoming Trips
Group Registration is open now. Parish Youth Ministry or Religious Education leaders
will be able to sign up for the number of spots your parish would like to reserve.
Questions: Traci LaCrosse or Tommy Nelson | Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LBHGB
We boldly take the initiative to bring love to our neighbors, evangelizing with patience and joy. We recognize that closing our eyes to our neighbor blinds us to God. We encounter Him in those we serve. By putting God first in all we do, we live to serve others. The things of this world come last. We find ourselves and come alive when we make a sincere gift of ourselves to our neighbors.
We work on a small scale with a larger perspective. No task is too small in the eyes of the Lord when filled with great love. We aim for perfection in our work, knowing it belongs to the Lord.
We are missionaries who work with passion, bringing God's love to our brothers and sisters who hunger. Love, to survive, must be nourished by sacrifices–especially the sacrifice of self. We refuse to settle for comfort or complacency because we know each person is infinitely loved. We are the ones who enjoy life most, leaving security on the shore to spread the joy of the Gospel.
To Make a Donation to Love Begins Here
By Mail:
Send a check payable to:
Love Begins Here
Catholic Foundation
PO Box 22128
Green Bay, WI 54305-2128
Thank you for your blessed generosity!
By Credit Card:
Call Janet Wagner at the Catholic Foundation at 920-272-8199.
Faith in Action, Fun in Motion! Start planning for a retreat where the excitement of faith takes center stage!
Our office invites you to join us as we return to the Steubenville Conferences this summer! We will be attending Steubenville Rochester, July 11-13, 2025.
A non-refundable $50 deposit per ticket is required before we can purchase conference tickets.
Cost of the Trip: $460 per person
Funding assistance through the Raising Vocations Collection via the Catholic Foundation will be applied for on behalf of any participant in the diocesan trip.
Additional funding is available for participants attending a conference independently of the Office of Youth Evangelization. To apply, click the Grant Funding Request button on the side and complete the form.
The trip is open to all high school students, including graduating seniors. Parishes must provide VIRTUS trained and background checked chaperones (aged 21 or older) to accompany students on the trip.
If your parish has questions or would like support in planning its own trip, please contact Tommy Nelson in the Office of Youth Evangelization.
For the past 40 years, high school youth from across the United States have had their faith awakened and their hearts set on fire through a personal encounter with Jesus at a Steubenville Conference. This summer, over 54,000 teens and their leaders will participate in this movement of grace at one of 19 conferences. For more information, visit SteubenvilleConferences.com.
Steubenville is a city in Ohio that is home to Franciscan University of Steubenville. The university started these conferences on their campus 40-years ago and now sponsors satellite conferences across the nation.
Each parish that brings students is asked to provide chaperones from their community. We believe strongly that relationships are central to faith growth, so we encourage parishes to bring parents, adults, or young adults from their parish, as well as youth ministers, religious education coordinators and directors, or pastors. Each group is responsible for providing its own adult chaperones.
Our safe environment policy requires one adult chaperone (age 21 or older) per eight minors. At a minimum, groups must provide one adult male chaperone for male minors and one adult female chaperone for female minors. All chaperones must be VIRTUS trained and pass a background check through their parish or school group.
Yes, chaperones must meet the following criteria:
The Steubenville Youth Conferences are open to high school students entering 9th–12th grades or those who have just graduated. To attend, teens must have completed at least 8th grade.
