Twenty-five years removed from launching its flagship Rise Up conference, Catholic Christian Outreach continues to draw impressive numbers of young adults to the annual event, many still hungry for the life-changing New Year's gathering and encounter with Jesus.

This year, those young adults will congregate at Le Centre Sheraton in downtown Montreal for the 25th annual Rise Up under a theme taken from  Deuteronomy 7:9 — “A New Generation.” As explained by CCO’s  media marketing manager, Andrew Nobauer, the theme’s emphasis toward young adults stepping out of uncertainty into ownership of their faith is exactly the experience the conference hopes to facilitate.

“We really see right now as the time for young people to rise up in their faith as there's so many things that are against us in the world in one way or another. Whether it’s things not in line with the Church or just not aligned with living a vibrant, authentic, loving, joyful life, we see this as an opportunity for that new generation to stand out and take their place as leaders, evangelists and as men and women who are the next generation that the Church and Pope are calling to,” he said.

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This year, the missionary organization is expecting over 800 young Catholics from 18 to 35 to make their way to Montreal for the four-day event full of worship, praise, keynotes, workshops, liturgy, prayer and fellowship.

While Nobauer highlighted the popular conversion night of Dec. 30, featuring Eucharistic Adoration and Procession, an altar call, a lecture from CCO co-founder André Regnier and extensive confessions among the conferences premier offerings, he still believes the overall encounter those present receive is the main allure of Rise Up.

“One of the major highlights is  knowing that people have placed Jesus at the centre of their life.  We feel called to continue because we feel this is part of what God wants us to do and that we’re in alignment with His will for this movement,” he said.

Nobauer’s history with Rise Up extends back to 2006’s event in Quebec City. Now having been involved in close to 20 offerings, and having met his wife through the conference, he hopes the mix of peer invitation, transformation and authentic encounter continue the same way as it has for him for so many years.

“I think we still have the capacity to be a place where you're impacted by the Lord directly, but that you also bring your friends back the following year. The call of the Church has always been that we would reach out and bring people in and it's through bringing people in and then sending them back out that life comes from,” he said.

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Joining Nobauer from Dec. 29 to Jan. 1 are Cardinal Gérald Lacroix of Québec, Fr. Troy Nguyen of St. Francis Xavier University Chaplaincy, CCO missionaries Holly Leonard, Benjamin Turland and Megan Andres and Catholic leader Matthew McKinnon, all set to speak to audiences over the duration of the conference.

As with past years, day 3 will close with a special New Year’s Eve banquet, where attendees are invited to dress up and celebrate with a festive dinner and dance as the calendar rolls over into 2026.

The next morning, attendees will be able to participate in a further Holy Hour, Rosary prayer and concluding Mass before entering into the new year renewed and alive in spirit.

Through all the keynote sessions, moments of shared fellowship and opportunities for encounter, Nobauer attests the overarching message of Rise Up as one being unchanging over its quarter century.

“Jesus is the same today, yesterday, 25 years ago, forever. He is the answer to which we are all looking, and that hole in our heart can only be filled by one person,” he said.

“I think we are all looking for an authentic relationship and encounter everywhere, be it on social media, in relationships, maybe in what we're learning, but at the end of the day, our hearts are made for God and at Rise Up, you will encounter Him. You will see Him come and move the lives of those around you, and in your own life.”

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It is that recurring encounter that has drawn Nobauer to Rise Up for the past two decades.

“ I never grow tired of watching somebody come to know the Lord and seeing lives change, that’s really what it's all about. People encounter the person of Jesus; they encounter forgiveness, this profound freedom and joy, and hopefully, more will experience that this year as well,” he said.