Students from Western Kentucky University’s St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center smile while riding a bus to SEEK26 in Columbus, Ohio, which was held Jan. 1-5, 2026. COURTESY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CENTER
SEEK 2026 summons young people to draw close to Christ, discover his plan for their lives
BY OSV NEWS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (OSV News) – Thousands of youth and young adults across the nation were assured of God’s love – and encouraged to respond to his call in their lives – during an annual gathering spanning three cities, with Pope Leo XIV delivering a special recorded message to participants. The SEEK 2026 conference took place Jan. 1-5 at event locations in Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth, Texas, drawing an estimated 26,000 participants in total for talks and workshops on encountering Jesus Christ. The schedule included daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and fellowship. In his Jan. 4 keynote address, Curtis Martin – retiring CEO and founder of conference sponsor FOCUS, an international Catholic outreach which serves at more than 200 college campuses in the U.S., Mexico and Europe, as well as at some 20 parishes – told attendees that God “wants to dance with” them. Those who welcome the transformative power of God’s love can in turn become missionary disciples, able to “go love the world,” said Martin. “Be open to what the Lord has in store for you,” the pope said in a video address to those attending SEEK 2026. Four-time SEEK attendee Angelina Roa, who teaches at St. Rita Catholic School in Fort Worth, told the North Texas Catholic, the Fort Worth Diocese’s newspaper, that the conference was an ideal way to begin 2026, deepening both faith and fellowship. “Going to SEEK starts off the year with Jesus,” she said.
Several students from Murray State University’s Newman Center and campus minister Philomena Hempel pose with a Murray State Racers flag while attending SEEK26 in Columbus, Ohio. COURTESY OF MURRAY STATE NEWMAN CENTER
Two Western Kentucky University students attending SEEK26 in Columbus, Ohio, with a group from the university’s St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Center pose with a Hilltoppers flag. COURTESY OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CENTER
The group of students attending SEEK26 in Columbus, Ohio, from Murray State University’s Newman Center smile for a group photo during the conference. COURTESY OF MURRAY STATE NEWMAN CENTER
