Area college students return from SEEK24 conference ready to evangelize (Video)

Over 20,000 people, including 450 seminarians and 500 priests, gathered at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Minn. from Jan. 1-5. They attended talks on the Catholic faith from renowned speakers and had the opportunity to participate in Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, and encounters with Christ with other young Catholics who share their beliefs.

Among those who attended the annual Catholic SEEK conference were over a dozen young people and clergy from the Archdiocese of Newark, including Catholic college students from Kean University, Ramapo College of New Jersey, and Montclair State University.

The conference, hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) for the second consecutive year in St. Louis, was the largest SEEK conference yet, according to Father Jim Chern, Director of the Newman Center at Montclair State University.

Two Kean University students, Kayla S. (right) and Kathleen B. (left) explore the vendor hall at SEEK 2024. At the conference, hundreds of vendors facilitate connections between students and religious orders, educational and service opportunities, as well as various Catholic organizations, enhancing their faith formation.

“It seems to get bigger and bigger every year,” said Father Chern, who attended the conference with the students. “Seeing that many people at a Catholic conference completely shifts the students’ worldview and sparks a desire to spread the faith.”

This year’s conference saw a 28% surge in participation, according to a report in the Catholic News Agency.

Father Chern said, “The dynamic talks equip college students for dealing with a wide range of issues, including mental health, depression and anxiety, dating and relationships, chastity, and discernment of personal vocations from a Catholic perspective.”

Isabella Torres, a senior and the Newman Catholic Club Secretary at Ramapo College of New Jersey, attended the conference for the second time. Her journey of faith formation began at last year’s SEEK Conference. This year, she seized the opportunity to renew her vigor for Catholicism and learn new strategies for sharing her faith with others.

Torres expressed that the conference “set her on fire to do God’s will at Ramapo.” Eager to share the insights she gained, she launched a discipleship group at Ramapo College for her female classmates.

Torres and her fellow attendees have embraced the call to become missionaries on the Ramapo College campus.

“We’ve taken the chance to grow and relinquish our challenges to God,” Torres said, emphasizing the initiative to expand the club on campus and lead their own Bible studies. The campus club also plans to increase visibility through more frequent tabling, aiming to engage in conversations with a wider audience and foster meaningful discussions.

Joseph McDermott, another Ramapo College student and a first-time attendee of SEEK, said that the conference helped him realize how easy evangelization can be. The conference inspired him to connect with strangers, engaging in prayer and friendly conversations about faith.

“I realized that there’s not much I need to change in my life to live out my faith every day,” he said.

Reuben Phillip, a Kean University post-baccalaureate student, attended the conference along with other members of the Kean University Newman Catholic Club.

“I think SEEK was just an incredibly amazing experience for me,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect going in, and then when I got there and just saw how packed the stadium was, I was just so in awe of how many people my age are striving to know the Lord. It was a truly edifying experience.”

Phillip said that the conference has renewed his passion for evangelization. “I now have a renewed heart for ministry and serving my community,” Phillip said. “I am returning with a greater fervor for the Bible study I lead, and helping other men and women encounter the Lord in the way that I have.”

Phillip, who is currently earning an advanced degree in psychology, said that his experience at SEEK has also reinforced his career goals. After speaking with a Catholic therapist at the conference, Phillip said “My desire to incorporate faith into my future practice has been solidified.”

For those who were unable to attend the conference this year, keynote addresses and talks are available for free on the SEEK website. Anticipation is already building for the 2025 conference, which will be held dually in Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City.

As SEEK Conference alumni return to their campuses and communities, their newfound passion for faith is poised to ignite positive changes and inspire others on their spiritual journeys.

Featured image: Attendees pray during the SEEK24 conference at America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis Jan. 3, 2024. More than 23,000 participants attended the Jan. 1-5 conference held by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. (OSV News photo/courtesy FOCUS)