Over 26,000 college students and 58 bishops took part in SEEK 2026, three conferences that took place simultaneously from January 1-5 in Ohio, Colorado, and Texas. The conferences were organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), an apostolate founded in 1998.
“When the image of the Pope appeared on the screen, there was an overwhelming surge of enthusiasm,” Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, said of the papal video message to SEEK 2026. “Many SEEK organizers and members of FOCUS later told me that the Pope summarized the meaning of SEEK better than they themselves could have.”
“He planted a seed in the hearts of many young people, helping them reflect on their own vocation and respond to the question, ‘What are you seeking?’—the question Jesus asks Andrew and the beloved disciple,” Bishop Fernandes added.