SEEK (conference)

Last updated
SEEK
SEEK conference logo.png
2025 logo
StatusActive
Location(s)Varies
Inaugurated1999
Most recent2025
Attendance21,000+ (2025) [1]
Organized by Fellowship of Catholic University Students
Website seek.focus.org

SEEK is an annual Catholic young adult conference organized by Fellowship of Catholic University Students. The conference is among the largest regular gatherings of Catholics in the world. [2]

Contents

The most recent conference, held January 1–5, 2025, was held concurrently in Salt Lake City, Utah, Washington, D.C., and Cologne, Germany. [1] Over 21,000 people attended, including 46 Catholic bishops. [1] Speakers at SEEK have included Charles J. Chaput, Benedict Groeschel, Mike Schmitz, Jim Caviezel, Jason Evert, Arthur C. Brooks, Tammy Peterson, and Oscar Solis. [1] [3] [4] [5] [6]

History

The conference had previously been called the FOCUS National Student Leadership Conference. [7] [6] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, SEEK had been held biennially. [5] The 2004 conference, keynoted by Jim Caviezel, was held in Denver, Colorado. [6] The 2008 conference was held in Grapevine, Texas. [7] The 2010 conference took place in Orlando, Florida, and was attended by about 3,500 college students. [5]

The last in-person national conference prior to the pandemic was held in 2019, in Indianapolis, Indiana. [8] SEEK resumed in-person in 2023 at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri; around 17,000 people attended. [8] SEEK 2024 was again held at The Dome in St. Louis, and was attended by about 24,000 people. [9] The main venue of the 2025 conference was the Salt Palace, in Salt Lake City, Utah. [1] It was the first time that the conference had been held in Utah, and the first time that a satellite session was held in Washington, D.C. [2] [10] 17,000 people attended the Salt Lake City location. [2] [11]

In 2025, The Pillar reported that in order to accommodate the large number of participants, planning for the liturgies at SEEK begins over a year and a half in advance of the conference. [12] SEEK 2026 is scheduled to be held in Denver, Colorado, Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Worth, Texas. [13]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Quiñones, Kate (2 January 2025). "Record numbers of young adults flock to Salt Lake City for SEEK25". Catholic News Agency . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Mejia, Garna (3 January 2025). "Catholic conference held in Utah for the first time". KSLTV. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  3. ↑ Figge, Jack (3 January 2025). "'No expectations' — College students return year after year for annual SEEK conference". The Pillar . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  4. ↑ Civantos Barber, Theresa (19 January 2023). "Raised without religion, college student's life changes after SEEK conference". Aleteia . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Thousands of college students flock to Florida FOCUS conference". Catholic News Agency . 6 January 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Beran, Nikki (5 December 2007). "Archbishop Chaput, Jim Caviezel, Scott Hahn to speak at FOCUS Student Conference in January". Catholic Online. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  7. 1 2 McCartney, Libby (28 December 2007). "January 2-6, 2008, Grapevine, TX: FOCUS National Student Leadership Conference". Catholic Exchange. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  8. 1 2 McKeown, Jonah (6 January 2023). "Young Catholics converge at SEEK23: 'I love seeing people fall in love with Jesus'". Catholic News Agency . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  9. ↑ McKeown, Jonah (5 January 2024). "'The world needs you': Students encouraged to continue sharing faith as SEEK24 ends". Catholic News Agency . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Brown, Lauretta (5 January 2025). "SEEK conference in DC features hope, healing and Eucharistic encounter - OSV News". Our Sunday Visitor . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  11. ↑ Quiñones, Kate (5 January 2025). "'A great witness': SEEK25 wraps up in Salt Lake City". Catholic News Agency . Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Figge, Jack (6 January 2025). "Behind the scenes at SEEK: The logistics of planning a Catholic mega-conference". The Pillar . Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  13. ↑ Quiñones, Kate (3 January 2025). "SEEK to be held next year in Colorado, Ohio, and Texas". Catholic News Agency . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
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