The Ohio University That Nearly Died—Then Became the Most On-Fire Catholic Campus in America
What happens when a struggling Franciscan college on the banks of the Ohio River gets a president who believes the Holy Spirit still moves with power?
Meet Franciscan University of Steubenville—a Catholic university in Steubenville, Ohio, that rose from the brink of closure to become one of the most passionately faithful Catholic campuses in the United States. Founded in 1946 by Franciscan friars, transformed in the 1970s under the visionary leadership of Father Michael Scanlan, and now attracting students from across the country and the world, Franciscan University is known for its charismatic spirituality, rigorous theology program, tight-knit household system, and summer youth conferences that draw over 25,000 teenagers each year.
Founded by Friars on the Ohio River
In 1946, the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular founded the College of Steubenville in the small city of Steubenville, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River. The steel mills were still running then, and the city was thriving. The friars established the college to serve the local community and to provide a Catholic education rooted in the Franciscan tradition of joy, simplicity, and devotion.
For its first few decades, the College of Steubenville was a modest regional institution. It served its students well, but it was not widely known beyond eastern Ohio. By the 1970s, enrollment was declining, finances were strained, and the college faced an uncertain future. The cultural upheaval of the 1960s and 70s had shaken many Catholic institutions, and Steubenville was no exception.
The college needed a leader who could chart a new course. What it got was a revolution.
Father Michael Scanlan and the Renewal
In 1974, Father Michael Scanlan, T.O.R., became president of the College of Steubenville. A former lawyer who had entered the Franciscan order, Scanlan brought a combination of administrative competence and charismatic spiritual conviction that would transform the institution.
Scanlan was deeply involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, a movement that emphasized the active work of the Holy Spirit, personal conversion, and vibrant communal prayer. He believed that a Catholic college should not just teach the faith but live it—passionately, publicly, and without embarrassment.
Under Scanlan's leadership, the college underwent a dramatic spiritual and institutional renewal. He recruited faculty who were not only excellent scholars but committed Catholics. He established a culture of prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and charismatic worship that made the campus feel more like a retreat center than a typical American college. And the students came.
By the 1980s, enrollment was growing rapidly. The college became a university. Its reputation spread through Catholic homeschool networks, youth ministry circles, and charismatic communities. Franciscan University of Steubenville had become something rare in American Catholic higher education: a campus where faith was not a legacy label but a living reality.
The Household System
One of the most distinctive features of Franciscan University is its household system. Rather than traditional fraternities or sororities, students form small faith-based communities called households—single-sex groups of students who commit to shared prayer, accountability, service, and fellowship.
Each household has its own name, charism, and spiritual focus. Members meet regularly for prayer, Scripture study, and mutual support. The household system creates a web of deep, intentional friendships that sustain students through the challenges of college life and often endure long after graduation.
For many students, their household becomes a formative experience of Christian community—a model of what life together in Christ can look like.
Theology That Sets Hearts on Fire
Franciscan University's theology department is widely regarded as one of the strongest in Catholic higher education. The program attracts students who are serious about understanding their faith at the highest intellectual level while maintaining deep personal devotion.
Faculty members include prominent Catholic theologians and authors. The curriculum covers systematic theology, biblical studies, moral theology, Church history, and catechetics, all taught from a perspective of fidelity to the Magisterium and love for the Church.
Many graduates go on to serve in Catholic education, diocesan ministry, seminary formation, and Catholic media. The university's theology program has been a pipeline for faithful Catholic leaders for decades.
Summer Conferences: 25,000 Teens on Fire
Every summer, the Franciscan University campus is transformed as thousands of teenagers descend on Steubenville for the university's renowned youth conferences. What began as a single summer gathering has grown into a network of conferences held at multiple sites across the country, collectively drawing more than 25,000 young people each year.
The conferences feature dynamic speakers, praise and worship music, Eucharistic adoration, confession, and small group sessions. For many teenagers, the Steubenville conference is a life-changing encounter with Christ—the moment when their faith becomes personal and real.
Youth ministers, parents, and diocesan leaders across America point to Steubenville conferences as one of the most effective tools for youth evangelization in the Catholic Church today.
A Campus Culture Unlike Any Other
Visitors to Franciscan University often remark on the campus culture. Eucharistic adoration is constant. Students pray the rosary walking across campus. Confession lines are long. Praise and worship sessions fill the chapels. And amid all of this spiritual intensity, there is genuine joy—the Franciscan joy that has marked the order since St. Francis himself.
The university is not without its critics. Some find the charismatic emphasis too intense. Others question whether such a distinctive spiritual culture adequately prepares students for life in the broader world. But the university's graduates consistently report that their time at Steubenville gave them a foundation of faith strong enough to sustain them through whatever came next.
Why This Matters
Franciscan University is proof that a Catholic institution can nearly die and be reborn through radical faithfulness. Under Father Scanlan, a failing regional college was transformed into one of the most influential Catholic campuses in America -- a place that now trains the Church's next generation of theology teachers, diocesan ministers, and youth leaders. The summer conferences alone bring 25,000 teenagers each year into an encounter with Christ that many describe as the turning point of their faith. The household system has produced a model of intentional Christian community that graduates carry into parishes and families for the rest of their lives. If Franciscan University did not exist, the pipeline of well-formed Catholic leaders entering ministry, education, and media would be measurably diminished.
How You Can Support
- Visit their website at franciscan.edu to explore undergraduate and graduate programs.
- Send a teenager to a Steubenville youth conference—it may be the most important weekend of their life.
- Recommend Franciscan to families searching for a college where faith is not just tolerated but celebrated.
- Support the university financially through donations to student scholarships or the annual fund.
- Follow them on social media and share their content to help more families discover this remarkable institution.
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Have you attended Franciscan University or a Steubenville youth conference? How did the experience shape your faith? We'd love to hear your story in the comments!
Franciscan University of Steubenville 1235 University Boulevard, Steubenville, Ohio 43952 Website: franciscan.edu Phone: (740) 283-3771 Facebook: Franciscan University of Steubenville Instagram: @franciscanuniv Twitter/X: @FranciscanUniv DCB Listing: Find Franciscan University on Discover Catholic Business
Sources: Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville Conferences, Discover Catholic Business