SEEK25 conferences in the United States and Germany inspire young Catholics to share their hope in Jesus

SALT LAKE CITY (OSV News) — The enthusiasm in the air was palpable as more than 17,000 Catholics descended on the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City Jan. 1-5 for SEEK25.

This year’s SEEK conference, hosted annually by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), also had a satellite conference attended by more than 3,000 people in Washington from January 2-5, and another in Cologne, in Germany, in which nearly 500 people participated from December 31 to January 2. This was the first year that SEEK was held in three separate locations – and the first in Europe.

“The adventure of research is no stranger to Utah,” said Most Rev. Oscar A. Solis, bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. He presided over the conference’s opening Mass, at which he was joined by 489 concelebrant priests from across the United States. In his homily for the opening Mass of SEEK25, Bishop Solis highlighted the historical importance of Utah scholars, from indigenous peoples to early Catholic explorers and pioneers, as he welcomed conference participants.

During SEEK, participants had the opportunity to participate in daily liturgies, engage in Eucharistic adoration, and receive the sacrament of reconciliation. They also heard profound messages from inspiring speakers, such as those shared by Father Mike Schmitz of the Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year podcasts.

God’s children need him, even though often in their words and actions they ask him to leave them alone, Father Schmitz said. The podcasting priest was the keynote speaker Jan. 2 at the SEEK25 conference in Salt Lake City. Through original sin, he said, all humanity inherits a brokenness that can only be overcome by Jesus Christ.

“Sin is when I say, ‘Listen God, I know what you want. I don’t care, I want what I want,’” Father Schmitz said. When people sin, he explains, they attempt to find happiness without God – but true happiness can only be found in Him.

Conference participants were also taught and inspired in their faith. The Making Missionary Disciples piece had presenters ranging from Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minn., to Trent Horn. Bishop Cozzens serves as chairman of the board of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., while Horn is a convert to the faith and works for Catholic Answers as a staff apologist.

Collectively, presenters explored the SEEK25 theme “Follow Me” over the course of 42 impact sessions.

Topics covered in the sessions included gender identity, sexual breakdown and social narcissism, drug use and the rise of artificial intelligence. Other sessions focused on relationships: healing when broken, support and the sacredness of life and marriage. Still other sessions provided tools that lay leaders could use in their home parishes, with sessions on presenting the gospel, teaching individuals to pray, training missionary disciples, leadership and the priesthood.

The presenters also highlighted what the Church has to offer today; how the Savior heals; love your neighbor; the pure love of Jesus Christ; as well as what the examples of the saints, the Virgin Mary and the life of Christ can teach the faithful.

Campus ministry and seminary tracks were also offered.

At the Mission Way conference, hundreds of vendors connected students with religious orders, education and service opportunities, and other Catholic organizations.

Mallory Griffin, a freshman at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, came to SEEK for the first time. Griffin said she has seen the church’s ministries on her campus thrive and wanted to be part of the larger SEEK experience.

“With projects like SEEK and different ministries on college campuses, I think it’s definitely attracting a lot more young people” to the Catholic Church, she said.

For Utah Catholics, being among so many faithful was impressive.

“Our church is much bigger than we could imagine,” said Rigo Tellez, a student at Weber State University from Logan, Utah. “I think a lot of us fall into this trap (of thinking) that it’s like the little thing we do on Sunday, and that’s all we do – but there’s so much more richness to that.”

Throughout the conference, alongside the formal program, participants met occasionally, prayed, and studied the scriptures together. For some, these experiences changed their lives.

Father Steve Mateja, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit, brought a group of about 40 Oakland University students and campus ministry staff to SEEK25. Among his group were non-Catholics: four Protestants and two self-described atheists, he said.

“Yesterday, a child turned to me in a small group and said: ‘I want to become Catholic. Can I be baptized?’ » said Mateja. “That’s why we do this. It’s about bringing children to Jesus Christ, helping them experience the encounter that will give them life, not just for a day, not just during a conference, but to accompany them beyond this, in this relationship with Christ.

FOCUS was founded in 1998 to promote such meetings, founder Curtis Martin said at a SEEK25 press conference.

“In my experience, the vast majority of Catholics never have the opportunity to share their faith, are never able to talk about the importance of Christ,” he said.

Martin referred to his experience with SEEK in Cologne. “There were people from many countries in Western Europe, and it’s a dark and difficult place there,” he said. “And I’ll tell you: When you’re in a dark cave and you light just one candle, it’s a game changer.”

He highlighted the evangelizing impact that millions of college-age young people can have today, especially on the handful of people close enough to them to notice and follow their choices.

“It’s called discipleship: I follow you as you follow Christ,” Martin said.

As SEEK25 wrapped up its Jan. 2-5 conference in Washington, Archbishop Nelson J. Perez of Philadelphia spoke at the closing Mass about how the Feast of the Epiphany – celebrated on Jan. 5 in the United States this year – shows “the source of our hope”. » in Christ at the beginning of the Jubilee Year of the Church’s hope.

“What does hope look like?” » asked the archbishop to the several thousand gathered participants.

He recalled that while he was bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, he spoke with a group of doctors at the Cleveland Clinic. One asked him: “With everything that is happening in the world – and, frankly, in the Church – do you have reason to hope?

“I told him, ‘Doctor, I gave my life to a faith that believes that a dead man comes to life,'” he said. “That would be a yes.”

He emphasized to the assembled young people that “at the heart of what it means to be a Christian disciple” is the belief that Jesus died and rose from the dead. And “because he did it, so will we, and therein lies our hope.”

Archbishop Perez added that despite the beautiful Christmas nativity scenes so often depicted in holy cards and living nativity scenes, Mary and Joseph actually experienced much trouble and trouble as they carried out God’s will in the amid dangers like the massacre of the innocent by King Herod.

“In the midst of this is Emmanuel, “God is with us,” reminding us not to let our hearts be troubled; have confidence in him,” he said.

The archbishop pointed out that in the Gospel account of the visit of the wise men, it is said that they “returned by another way” after their meeting with the Child Jesus.

“We could go back to where we came from, but I know that grace has touched you; and you and I will also go another way,” he said, with “a changed heart.”

Archbishop Perez offered a parting thought to the young adults returning to their universities after the conference.

“Never, ever underestimate the power of God’s spirit working in you, through you and despite you,” he said.

The Mass concluded FOCUS’ first-ever Washington satellite event, which was sold out and held with a virtual connection to the main SEEK conference in Salt Lake City.

FOCUS also announced that SEEK26 will take place at three locations in the United States: Columbus, Ohio; Denver and Fort Worth, Texas – January 1-5, 2026.

Bishop Earl K. Fernandez of the Diocese of Columbus said during a Jan. 3 news conference that he is excited for his diocese to host SEEK next year.

“As a diocese, I don’t think we can react; we have to be proactive,” he said. “And I see SEEK bringing a lot of energy, spiritual energy to our diocese, elevating our entire diocese.”

Co-author Linda Petersen writes for OSV News from Salt Lake City. She is an editor at Intermountain Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. Co-author Lauretta Brown is culture editor for OSV News. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @LaurettaBrown6.

Read more Colleges

Copyright © 2025 OSV News

Print