Jan 2, 2026 /
19:25 pm
A raucous rock concert by a priest, a special video message from Pope Leo XIV, and prayers for the repose of the soul of the 5-year-old son of a Catholic social media influencer were all part of the opening night of SEEK 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Some 26,000 attendees have gathered through Jan. 5 in Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth for the SEEK 2026 conference organized by FOCUS.
More than 4,500 conference attendees participated in the opening Mass in Fort Worth on the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, concelebrated by Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas, along with three of his brother bishops, including Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth.
Dozens of priests also attended the Mass and helped distribute Communion to the thousands of attendees.
In his homily, in which he encouraged the thousands of young people to go away from the conference praising God for what they “have heard and seen here, like the shepherds of Bethlehem,” Sis told his listeners: “You’re not useless. You’re not insignificant. You are a beautiful child of God. As a child of God, you can influence your surroundings. You can connect with your generation in ways that others cannot. You are just getting started as a missionary disciple.”
An intention during the Prayers of the Faithful was for the repose of the soul of young Micah Kim, the son of Catholic social media influencer Paul Kim. The boy passed away on Dec. 31, 2025, after more than a week on life support following a rare medical emergency brought on by a severe case of the flu.
After the Mass, which was also attended by dozens of priests from all over the country and projected on several enormous screens throughout the Texas ballroom at the Gaylord Convention Center, attendees were treated to a special video message from Pope Leo, who asked: “Dear young people, what do you seek? Why are you here at this conference? Perhaps your hearts are also restless, searching for meaning and fulfillment and direction for your lives.”
The answer is found in the person of Jesus Christ, Leo said.
The evening’s first speaker was Father David Michael Moses, who entered college at age 14, was ordained a priest in 2019 at age 25, and has more than 2 million followers across his various social media platforms.
He walked on stage with a guitar and sang a song he wrote about funny, true stories that happened to him as a priest. Each time he crooned the refrain “Take it from me, I had to learn, if you become a priest, you’re gonna get burned,” the crowd erupted in laughter.
In his talk, Moses echoed Pope Leo’s words, asking attendees: “What are you searching for?”
He continued: “The purpose that you’re searching for is in the things that you are avoiding. What are you avoiding? So many of our unhealthy habits are the avoidance of something, not being willing to face something.”
At the end of his talk, he encouraged attendees to run up to and gather in front of the stage as he belted out a rock song about living a Christian life. He took a selfie from the stage with the young people cheering behind him and ended his performance by doing “the worm” dance on the stage as the crowd went wild.
Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, of the podcast “Abiding Together,” gave the second keynote address. In a soft voice, she began by telling attendees she had been “carrying you in my heart for a while.”
She said: “We don’t just need forgiveness from God. We need union with God. The word ‘union’ expands our hearts and makes our hearts ache because we know that’s what we are made for.”
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Amira Abuzeid is a senior editor for EWTN News with a special interest in bioethics, technology, theology, and religion in public life. She attended Cornell University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in government. She did graduate work in theology at Harvard University and holds a master of science degree in psychology from Divine Mercy University. She also completed the National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics through the National Catholic Bioethics Center. The former editor-in-chief at CatholicVote, she is very interested in how Christians think about and live out their faith in the public square. Amira has seven children whom she adores and lives in Houston, Texas.
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