SEEK24 speakers see ‘radical openness’ to Jesus among young conference attendees

St. Louis, Mo., Jan 4, 2024 / 18:00 pm

Young Catholics attending the SEEK24 conference are expressing an openness to letting Jesus deeper into their lives, several of the headlining speakers told CNA this morning. 

“There’s a sense of radical openness in them that’s pretty amazing,” said Emily Wilson, a Catholic author and YouTuber who has attended the past five SEEK conferences. 

“There’s this receptivity and openness this year that I really think is unique and amazing. They’re so hungry, they’re so sick of the culture,” she said, speaking during a Thursday morning press conference. 

Also at the press conference were Dr. Edward Sri, one of FOCUS’ co-founders, and Father Mike Schmitz, a priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, and podcaster with Ascension Press. 

Just days after hundreds of students lined up for a meet-and-greet with the popular priest, Schmitz said multiple students told him that gaining a deeper appreciation for the Bible through his “Bible in a Year” podcast had “literally saved their families.” He said he has observed many students asking “big questions” and seeking truth, but in the context of an admirable love for the Catholic Church. 

Sri, an author and professor at Denver’s Augustine Institute, said he has noticed that participants in the conference have not been afraid to bring their brokenness, their fears, and their questions to him and to other speakers. 

“Our culture is so broken, and there are so many people that have that brokenness. There’s so much hurt out there. I love this line from Pope Francis: ‘Relativism wounds people.’ It’s not just a bad idea, it ruins people’s lives. But they’re coming to find the truth in Jesus, that God is there in the midst of the suffering,” Sri said. 

The SEEK24 conference has attracted tens of thousands of mostly young people to downtown St. Louis this week for presentations and talks related to the Catholic faith from world-renowned speakers as well as opportunities for Mass, confession, and Eucharistic adoration. On Tuesday evening, FOCUS announced that its 2025 conference will be held in Salt Lake City. 

The conference has so far featured an eclectic mix of breakout sessions and workshops presented by over 100 renowned Catholic speakers. Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News (CNA’s parent company), delivered a talk this morning about the political implications of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and how the Catholic faith can play a role in radically changing secular society. Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Revival, gave a talk on sharing the Gospel effectively while avoiding burnout.

Throughout the conference, several themes have emerged, including a building anticipation for the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress taking place in July. A frequently-seen face throughout the conference has been that of Michelle Duppong, a North Dakotan and former FOCUS missionary who died of cancer in 2015 and whose cause for sainthood was recently opened. Duppong’s parents, Ken and Mary Ann, have been greeting numerous young people throughout the conference who have been inspired by their late daughter’s love for Christ. 

Wednesday evening’s Eucharistic adoration session drew an estimated 24,000 people, including local St. Louisans, to the former NFL stadium attached to the convention center. Before the worship session began, participants heard keynote addresses from Sri and Schmitz. 

“God chose to rescue us, but he did it in the most surprising way... he came as a child,” Sri said in his talk. 

“Only God can perform an infinite act of love. Which is why God became man in Jesus.”

Focusing on the parable of the prodigal son, Schmitz spoke passionately about Jesus’ love for each person and the importance of accepting the mercy that he extends to all. 

“He loves you when you’re unlovable. He wants you when you’re unwanted. He won’t give up on you, even if you’ve given up on yourself,” Schmitz said.

“We make it complicated — it’s not complicated. Everything we believe, everything that Jesus has done for us, everything God wants for you, comes down to this one question: Does God have your permission to love you as you are?”

The conference closes tomorrow, Friday, with a final keynote speech and Mass. On Thursday evening, following a keynote address from Wilson and Father John Ignatius Ezratty, the evening’s entertainment will be provided by the alternative rock band Judah and the Lion. 

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