ST. ALEXIUS YOUTH PARISHIONER PROFILE: Julia Marthaler Striving to Live the Faith, Each and Every Day

With so many pressures and temptations in the world, it doesn’t always seem so easy to live our faith in daily life. Living out the faith every day as a high school student can be especially challenging. But St. Alexius parishioner Julia Marthaler finds ways to practice and live her faith as a senior at Sauk Centre High School.

Julia has spent a lot of her junior high and high school years attending youth group activities. This past summer, parish staff member Rachel Bosl led a group to the Steubenville Youth Conference in Rochester, Minn. When Julia was invited to attend, she didn’t hesitate. Steubenville Youth Conferences, which are held all over the United States, are an opportunity for our high schoolers to encounter Jesus in a personal way during a dynamic weekend of music, speakers, Mass, and adoration. The theme for this year’s conference was “Restored,” which was based on Psalm 80:4, “O God, restore us; light up your face and we shall be saved.”

“The time we spent in adoration was the most powerful part of the trip,” Julia says. “I also enjoyed listening to the messages of the speakers.

“We had a good group of kids who were open to experiencing what the Lord had for them,” Rachel adds. “The praise and worship, along with adoration and a Eucharistic Procession, meant Jesus was not only on the stage but came up real close to each person, allowing an intimate moment between Him and them.”

Julia has also attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in 2019. She says attending a Steubenville Youth Conference is a good way to see if NCYC might be a good fit for you.

As for her role models in the faith, Julia cites her grandparents, Darlene Marthaler and Kathleen Dueker. They have always lived out their faith, no matter how tough life was.

Julia invites all teens of our parishes to get more involved in their faith by attending Youth Group or a future conference.

“Youth group is a fun way to connect with God and meet other people in the parish,” Julia says.

This year, Julia is taking post-secondary studies through Ridgewater College. Next year, she plans to attend North Dakota State University to study crop and weed science. Julia also plays on the tennis team. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and reading.

Julia (right) and her sister Savanna Marthaler