College students from Archdiocese deepen their faith at SEEK26
“I could have never expected the transformative work Jesus Christ did in my heart when I said ‘yes’ to SEEK26,” said Melanie, a student from Stevens Institute of Technology. She was one of 40 college students from the Archdiocese of Newark who made an 11-hour bus journey to Columbus, OH, to attend the five-day conference organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).
More than 16,000 people attended the event, with thousands more attending concurrent SEEK gatherings in Denver and Fort Worth, TX. Primarily aimed at college students, the faith-building event also welcomes parish groups interested in evangelization and missionary discipleship.
SEEK26 attendees were invited to participate in daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Penance. Keynote speakers addressed topics like the need for forgiveness and healing, facing disappointment, and the challenges of living one’s faith in a secular world, while other sessions focused on vocational discernment, dating, and finding balance in a hectic world. There were also concerts and other fun moments.
5 days that can make a difference
“It was my first time at SEEK, and being with thousands of other young Catholics for Mass and Adoration has inspired me to deepen my faith and trust in God,” said Charles, a senior at Stevens. Students from Kean University, Montclair State University (MSU), and Ramapo College were also part of the Archdiocese of Newark group. They were accompanied by campus ministers and FOCUS missionaries currently serving at MSU.
Fr. Jim Chern, director of the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Campus Ministry, was also present. He told Jersey Catholic that SEEK can make a real impact on young people. “A common concern among those of us who work with college students is whether big events like SEEK make a lasting difference,” he said. “It’s easy to wonder if all the talks, the powerful liturgies, and those moving moments of confession and adoration will stick — or if, once students go home, it all just fades into a ‘retreat high’ and life slides back to normal.”
During the event, Fr. Chern encountered several former students he had ministered to at Montclair State University (MSU). “I ran into alumni now serving as missionaries on campuses across the country and others who are married and working full-time in campus ministry,” Fr. Chern said. In a “particularly moving moment,” he crossed paths with Fr. Elijah DeLello, a recently ordained Franciscan Friar of the Holy Spirit, who graduated from MSU in 2012.
“For me, that’s the real evidence that SEEK’s impact can go far beyond these five days,” Father Chern said.
Finding the path to true fulfillment
A video message from Pope Leo XVI was shown on the first night of the event. In his 5-minute address, the pope encouraged young people to share their faith with others. “Indeed, missionary zeal is born from an encounter with Christ,” he said. “We desire to share with others what we have received so that they, too, can come to know the fullness of love and truth found only in Him.”
The pope also encouraged attendees to ask God what He wanted from them and to be open to a call to the priesthood, religious life, or marriage. “If you sense the Lord calling you, do not be afraid,” he said, adding that “He alone knows the deepest, perhaps hidden, longings of your heart and the path that will lead you to true fulfillment.”
Christian, a sophomore from Ramapo College, said that Pope Leo’s message “helped encourage me to open up to God and listen to His word through the bishops, priests, sisters, and Catholic speakers who would talk to me.”
He said that the events also taught him the importance of having spiritual guidance and “people who can pray for you,” while reminding him of the need to find balance in his life. “I also felt that the evening talks reminded me to share my faith with my friends and family, and not sit on the sidelines,” he said.
Living out faith with joy
One Kean student, Charleze, said she had discovered “a more profound love for the Eucharist” during her days at SEEK and felt “inspired to adore Christ more every day and be more courageous in living out my faith!”
“From the talks to Mass and Adoration, everything was oriented towards union with Jesus,” another Kean student, Reuben, said.
Christian agreed, saying that opportunities to receive the sacraments “opened my heart to God, reminded me about all the good gifts God has given me to share with the Earth, and allowed me to come out as a stronger Catholic.”
He also stressed the fun of the five-day event, which was full of music and “crowds of young people who were singing, dancing, and just filled with joy.”
Sebastian Perez, a campus minister at MSU, said that feeling of joy was “contagious.”
“On the trip back to New Jersey, we opened the floor for students to share the graces they had received during the conference. One by one, they spoke from the heart until nearly all forty had shared,” Perez said.
An invitation to a deeper, more mature faith
Jacob, a student from MSU, said that he would “absolutely” attend SEEK again if he had the opportunity. “It was a great adventure,” he said. “SEEK not only helped me grow closer to the Lord but also taught me more about His callings in my life. I felt I made a deep connection with Him.”
According to Fr. Chern, such an experience can be just the beginning of a journey to a mature faith.
“FOCUS, along with those of us who partner with them on campus, really tries to use this experience as a catalyst for deeper conversion,” he said. “We want students to see that right now, at this point in their lives, they have more opportunities than ever to dive into the richness of our Catholic faith — to ask questions, wrestle with what they believe, and start to discern what God is calling them to do.”
“SEEK isn’t meant to be just a spiritual high; it’s an invitation to something lasting, something that can shape the rest of their lives,” Fr. Chern said.
To view more images of SEEK26, click HERE.
Visit the Office of Campus Ministry to learn more about the Newman Apostolate in the Archdiocese of Newark and all the college campuses it serves.
Featured image: College students from the Archdiocese of Newark traveled to Columbus, OH, from Jan 1 – 6, for the SEEK26 conference. (Photos courtesy Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Campus Ministry)
