The Gospel of Jesus Christ "is the most beautiful love story ever told," Chris Stefanick told an audience from eight parishes that packed the Caterpillar Performing Arts Center at Five Points Washington for the "Reboot LIfe" event on April 27. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

WASHINGTON — Chris Stefanick made two things perfectly clear to a sold-out audience — many of them students preparing for confirmation or recently confirmed — at the Caterpillar Performing Arts Center at Five Points Washington on April 27.

The first he demonstrated by picking up an electric guitar and playing it for them. “Your parents’ generation’s music is so much cooler than yours,” he told them and their loud appreciation indicated that they knew this to be true.

The truth of his second point also earned their applause.

Chris Stefanick takes a selfie with some of the students from St. Patrick School in Washington. (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

“I’m here tonight to propose to you that the Catholic faith is the love that’s bigger than you. It’s the love we came into this world looking for. It’s the most beautiful love story ever told,” Stefanick said. “It’s the best news in all of history and nothing in the world compares remotely to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Stefanick brought “Reboot Live” to central Illinois at the request of St. Patrick Parish in Washington and St. Monica Parish in East Peoria, which use his “Chosen” program to prepare their students for confirmation. Collaborating with them was St. Mary of Lourdes in Germantown Hills, St. Mary in Metamora, St. Joseph in Roanoke and St. John in Benson, St. Luke in Eureka, and Blessed Sacrament in Morton.

Organizer Muriel Graham said there were 1,050 tickets available and all of them were spoken for early in April.

(Learn what Stefanick considers the “Seven Habits of Holy People”) 

He was greeted like a celebrity by the students, but Stefanick is real, according to Chris Kapraun, who teaches religion and prepares the students for confirmation at St. Patrick in Washington along with Father Steve Willard, pastor.

“It’s not all about him. He doesn’t have a t-shirt out there with his picture on it,” she told The Catholic Post. “He tells it like it is — you have to be responsible for your faith. Don’t wait until you’re older. You need a relationship with God now. They can relate to that.”

MADE FOR CHRIST

Co-author and presenter for “Chosen,” Stefanick is the founder and president of Real Life Catholic. He is the former director for youth, young adult and campus ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver and speaks to more than 50,000 teens, young adults and parents every year.

Former model Leah Darrow told the crowd “your life may be the only copy of the Gospel some people will read.” (The Catholic Post/Jennifer Willems)

Performing throughout the event was recording artist Jon Niven. The audience also heard from former model Leah Darrow, who told them how she came back to the practice of the faith.

“My life matters. Your life matters, because your life may be the only copy of the Gospel some people will read,” she said. “We’ve been made for greatness, because we have been made for Christ.”

“It’s easy to feel small in this world, to feel insignificant,” Stefanick acknowledged, but he reminded them that all the stars in all the galaxies in space cannot compare to how wonderfully made their bodies are or the soul, intellect and will God gave them.

“God had you in mind before the ‘big bang.’ He had you in mind when he created space and time,” he said. “He had you in mind on the cross. He had you in mind when he rose from the dead.”

Stefanick urged them to believe that their Catholic faith, “this love story,” is real and emphasized that there is nothing they can do to stop God from loving them.

EDITOR’S NOTE: More photos from this event have been posted to The Catholic Post’s site on Facebook.