Sold-out TPUSA conference to hold Eucharistic adoration during breakout session

A Dec. 20 breakout session at a conservative organization’s sold-out annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona, is set to include a period of Eucharistic adoration — an act of devotion one advocate says is key to renewal in the country.

The AmericaFest (AmFest) conference held by Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is set to be held at the Phoenix Convention Center from Dec. 18-21. This year’s conference is dedicated particularly to TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. 

“Though our hearts are heavy, we do not grieve as those without hope,” TPUSA states on AmFest’s website. “Charlie’s legacy endures in his family, in Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, and in every person he inspired to live with conviction.”

The speakers at AmFest this year include U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Erika Kirk, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, Secretary Sean Duffy, Riley Gaines, Jack Posobiec, and Kristan Hawkins.  

Cindy Ketcherside, co-chair of Arizona Right to Life’s Catholic Action Network committee, told CatholicVote in a Dec. 10 phone interview that this year, AmFest will have at least 30,000 attendees. This is a significant increase from last year’s conference, which had more than 20,000 attendees, according to Colorado-based Berthoud Weekly Surveyor.

Ketcherside also explained how Catholic Action Network became involved with AmFest and the plan to include Eucharistic adoration at the conference. 

The Catholic Action Network partnered with TPUSA to boost Catholic Republican voter engagement in the 2024 election, Ketcherside said. 

“In 2024 working with Turning Point Action, the Catholic Action Network was able to take the disengaged Catholic Republicans who only voted 20% of the time in the 2020 presidential election to an 85% voting [block] in the 2024 election,” Ketcherside said. 

Because of the success, Catholic Action Network will be presenting on these 2024 efforts and plans for 2026 during an AmFest breakout session Dec. 20. The session will also include a panel discussion about keeping Catholic voters engaged in the public square, Ketcherside said. 

She added that a Catholic priest, Father Will Schmidt, and TPUSA’s Jack Posobiec will be on the panel. CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt is also set to be on the panel. 

The session will include 30 minutes of Eucharistic adoration, an addition Catholic for Catholics started at AmFest in 2024 for its session. 

Last year’s adoration was very successful, leaving the 300-seat space with standing-room only, Ketcherside explained. Because of Catholic Action Network’s success during the 2024 election cycle, TPUSA asked the network to host a Catholic session about those efforts and include Eucharistic adoration again. She said Catholic Action Network is expecting a full capacity this year as well, adding that the session will be held in a room that can hold up to 500. The a capella men’s sacred music group Floriani will lead the music. 

Ketcherside emphasized that bringing Christ in the Eucharist to the middle of a major conservative and political gathering is crucial for renewal in the country.  

“I think that we all need to focus on Jesus,” she said, adding that focusing on Him enables Catholics to truly understand their call to make a difference in society. Catholics must lead the efforts to bring Christianity “back into America,” Ketcherside emphasized. 

If people let go of their morals and values, the culture can fall to the wayside, and politics follows suit, she warned. Catholics must strive to influence the culture for the better, especially bringing faith back into public life. 

Catholics cannot turn away from engagement in the public square and politics, she emphasized. 

“If we make a difference in our culture,” she said, “we will then make a difference in America and our society and our children.”