Young people at the 2023 SEEK conference in St. Louis. | Credit: Photo courtesy of SEEK
Dec 31, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
The annual SEEK conference is set to simultaneously get underway Jan. 1–5 in three U.S. cities: Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth, Texas.
“To the Heights!” is the theme of this year’s conference, which is organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). The theme was inspired by the recently canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.
“As St. Pier Giorgio reminds us, we are called to the heights — to live lives of holiness, joy, and mission. SEEK is a time for renewal, for community, and for reigniting our passion to share Christ with the world,” said FOCUS founder Curtis Martin.
According to the organizers, the gathering will bring together tens of thousands of Catholics to “encounter Christ through prayer, adoration, [and] the sacraments” as well as take in inspirational talks and performances from an extensive lineup of Catholic speakers and entertainers.
Bishop Earl Fernandes, who presided over a Mass at a SEEK conference in St. Louis three years ago, was so inspired by his experience there that he returned home with the desire to bring SEEK to the Diocese of Columbus.
“Our team at the diocese has worked very hard to bring SEEK here,” Fernandes told ETWN News, “and we hope to show the new, young face of the Church, ablaze with hope and enthusiasm for Christ, the Church, and the Gospel.”
“My hope is that young people will have a life-changing encounter with Christ and will broaden their experience of the Church in the United States,” he continued.
“Columbus is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and our Catholic population has nearly doubled in my three and a half years as bishop. I’m hoping that this will be a mini World Youth Day for us and be a catalyst for evangelization.”
Fernandes is scheduled to celebrate the opening Mass and give talks to seminarians as well as priests in attendance at the conference.
In an email this week to conference attendees, the conference organizers wrote that “SEEK promises to be a transformative experience on so many levels — and the most important thing to remember is to let the Lord lead the way.”
“God longs to speak to you and make himself known to you in an ever-growing, ever-deepening relationship. We invite you to say a prayer before you leave and offer up this special time at SEEK to God, inviting the Holy Spirit to move in you throughout the week. Pray that he will give you the courage to respond boldly to his call and the strength to journey ‘To the Heights!’”
EWTN will offer live coverage of the SEEK 2026 conference beginning Jan. 1, streaming on YouTube and EWTN Plus.
