The opening night of SEEK26, a conference hosted by FOCUS, drew thousands to Columbus at the beginning of the New Year.
A record of more than 26,000 attendees gathered for the conference held this year at three sites: Denver; Fort Worth, Texas; and Columbus, Ohio, which serves as the primary location and had 16,115 registered participants as of Jan. 2.
The theme, “To the Heights,” was inspired by recently canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young saint who lived a life of holiness and died at age 24.
The conference includes daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation, keynote addresses, workshops and entertainment. SEEK attracts thousands of college students, adults, parish leaders, clergy and missionaries annually.
According to FOCUS, 11,744 students from campuses staffed by its missionaries were registered at the three locations and 2,752 students, an increase of 64% from last year, were attending from non-FOCUS campuses. There was also a 43% increase in seminarians over 2025 and a record 58 bishops were expected to be on hand during the conference.
The five-day event at the Columbus Convention Center this year kicked off on Thursday, Jan. 1 with a 6 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus. Hundreds of priests, deacons, bishops and seminarians were present.
The bishop welcomed thousands of young people, families and individuals from across the country to the Diocese of Columbus.
Pope Leo XIV delivered a special blessing and message to SEEK26 participants. In a recorded video, which drew thunderous applause from the audience, the Pope offered words of encouragement, prayer and hope.
He asked attendees, “What do you seek?” The question was posed centuries earlier by Christ in the Gospel of John.
Pope Leo recognized that many young people traveled to SEEK, restless, perhaps, and searching for meaning, fulfillment and direction in their lives.
He encouraged young adults to consider their vocation and be unafraid to answer Christ’s call.
“Some of you, like Andrew and Simon Peter, may be called to the priesthood to serve God’s people through the celebration of sacraments, through preaching the Word of God, walking with God’s people,” the Holy Father said.
“Others may be called to religious life to give yourselves entirely to God. Others still may be called to marriage and family life.
“If you sense the Lord calling you, do not be afraid. Once again, let me emphasize: He alone knows the deepest, perhaps hidden, longings of your heart.”
In Bishop Fernandes’ homily, he reflected on the Church’s Christmas season, which is celebrated from Dec. 25 to Jan. 6. He pondered how Christ entered the world so a newborn child so its people might be children of God.
“The Mighty God descended from the starry heaven and became a child so that we might go up to heaven, toward the heights, as Pier Giorgio Frassati might say,” the bishop remarked.
He also reflected on Christ’s mother, the Blessed Virgin, who carried God in her virginal womb. The opening day of SEEK26 on Jan. 1 coincided with the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.
“She was the mother who, at the same time, was a disciple, who not only raised her Son but also heard the Word of God and kept it, even during her Son’s rejection and Passion,” Bishop Fernandes noted. “As Mother, she accompanied Him along the road to Calvary, becoming also our mother.”
The evening included two keynote sessions. Speakers Matt Fradd and Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN (Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth) took the stage after Mass.
Fradd, who resides in Florida with his wife, Cameron, and four children, hosts the Pints with Aquinas podcast. He is the author of several books, including “Does God Exist? A Socratic Dialogue on the Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas.”
Sister Josephine, a licensed counselor in Texas, professed final religious vows in 2020. She converted to Catholicism in 2005 and entered consecrated religious life six years later. She formerly worked in the banking industry, serving as a vice president at Bank of America for 10 years.
A lineup of various Catholic speakers are set for the reminder of SEEK26. Two keynote sessions will be held each day of the conference.
Various tracks are offered, including Making Missionary Disciples, which shares a vision for leading individuals to Jesus and His Church, geared toward clergy, youth ministers and religious educators.
Hundreds of booths are present in the conference’s Mission Way, also held at the Convention Center. The space includes booths of SEEK sponsors, vendors and religious orders. Attendees can visit with consecrated religious, purchase souvenirs and speak with Catholic organizations.
FOCUS was founded at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, in 1998, inspired by Pope St. John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization. The Catholic organization has since expanded to 250+ college campuses and parish communities.
More than 1,000 FOCUS missionaries journey in faith with students and parishioners, equipping them for Christ-centered evangelization and discipleship. The organization reaches nearly 60,000 individuals annually.
