Karol Darmoros
Record attendance
SEEK 2026 took place from January 1 to 5 simultaneously in three cities: Columbus, Denver, and Fort Worth, Texas. In total, the event gathered over 26,000 participants, which is a 24 percent increase compared to last year. Columbus alone hosted over 16,000 people, becoming the main conference venue.
The meeting was attended primarily by students and young adults, but also by priests, consecrated persons, lay leaders, and bishops. This year, 58 bishops from across the United States were present, and the number of seminarians increased by 43 percent.
Papal message
One of the key moments of the conference was the message from Pope Leo XIV. The Holy Father invited both young people who are meeting Jesus for the first time and those who are deepening that relationship to spend time with Him. Bishop Earl Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus emphasized the great value of the papal words in an interview with Vatican News.
“When the image of the Pope appeared on the screen, there was a powerful enthusiasm. And then the Pope spoke not for a minute, but for five minutes. Many SEEK organizers and FOCUS people told me later that the Pope summarized the meaning of SEEK better than they themselves could have. He sowed a seed in the hearts of many young people, helping them reflect on their own vocation and answer the question: ‘What are you looking for?’ – that question that Jesus asks Andrew and the beloved disciple,” said Bishop Fernandes.
The clergyman also emphasized that the conference breaks down established stereotypes about the condition of the American Catholic Church. “Sometimes people think that the Church in the United States is old, that it is aging and that it is emptying. Meanwhile, what was seen at SEEK shows that the Church is young,” Bishop Fernandes stressed.
The voice of the young
Among the conference participants was Mary Brecount, a student at Hillsdale College in Michigan, involved in the Camp Wojtyla project in Jamestown, Colorado. In an interview with Vatican News, she emphasized the spiritual dimension of the event.
“Young people in the world today carry a deep hunger within them. They long to know the purpose of their existence and the heart of their God. Gathering 17,000 students seeking together something that can truly satisfy is a breathtaking experience. SEEK reminded us that we are not alone in our pursuit of Christ, but are part of a living, faithful, and committed community of fellow believers,” Mary Brecount noted.
Referring to the papal address, she assessed that it was a paternal reminder of the unity of the Church. “We are not merely a passively understood future of the Church. We are its living, breathing, active heart. This moment is not distant – it is happening now,” the SEEK participant observed.
Community and continuation
The SEEK conference is organized by the FOCUS community. It combines catechesis, liturgy, adoration, confession, and meetings dedicated to vocational discernment. The organizers have already announced that the next edition of the conference in 2027 will again take place in Columbus, as well as in San Antonio, Texas.
