STEUBENVILLE, OHIO — Franciscan University of Steubenville hosted its 30th annual Religious Vocations Fair on Friday, welcoming representatives from 50 dioceses and religious communities from across the country to campus. The fair offered students and visitors a chance to encounter priests and religious brothers and sisters who have dedicated their lives to Christ and to learn more about discerning their own vocations.

This year’s fair featured a wide range of men’s and women’s religious orders, providing what event coordinator Lucia Bortz, a 1980 Franciscan alumna and personal vocation coach, described as “a beautiful cross-section of the Church’s many charisms.” Bortz, who has coordinated the event for 20 years, works with Koinonia, the priestly discernment household at Franciscan University, to organize and host visiting religious.

New communities at this year’s fair included the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, the Order of St. Augustine from Villanova, Pennsylvania, and the Missionaries of Charity Brothers, founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta, who recently opened a new house for men in Cleveland.

Representatives came from as far as California, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Texas, alongside many from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

For some students, the fair offered a personal encounter with religious life.

Magdalene Gallagher, a junior, said, “This fair is a beautiful way to encounter people who have devoted their entire life to the Lord. The fair helps me keep my heart open, recognizing that if God calls, I’ll be better able to answer.”

Others, like Mark Paluselli, a sophomore actively discerning religious life, found the event a valuable opportunity to explore different communities.

“It’s important to be able to talk to so many different religious orders. Getting a diverse view of all these communities really helps me discern where my heart is being called to be,” he said.

Among the many groups represented were the Glenmary Home Missioners, who serve rural American counties without an active eucharistic presence. Father Aaron Wessman, vice president of the Glenmary Home Missioners, noted that several Franciscan students have gone on to discern with their community after meeting them at the fair.

The Franciscan Friars Conventual, represented by Father Manny Vasconcelos and Brother Nick Romeo, described the event as the start of their “vocational season,” which continues through major Catholic gatherings like the National Catholic Youth Conference and SEEK.

Father Nathan Ford of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius praised the University’s hospitality and organization. “Of all the college fairs I’ve been to, it’s the most well-organized and welcoming,” he said. “It’s a really good event, and I wish it lasted longer.”

For three decades, Franciscan University’s Religious Vocations Fair has helped students open their hearts to God’s call and continues to be a powerful witness of the Church’s vitality and diversity.

To view photos of the fair, click here.