Press Releases
“SEEK24: Be the Light” Featured Record-Setting Attendance in St. Louis; Anticipates Summer’s Eucharistic Congress
Nearly 24,000 attendees invigorated and renewed their faith in the new year!
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 5, 2024 — Founded in 1998, FOCUS, one of the leading Catholic outreach organizations in the world, continues to inspire hope for the future of the Church and confirm that zeal for Jesus is flourishing on college campuses, parishes, and beyond.
SEEK24: Be the Light at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis Jan. 1 – 5, 2024 brought together more than nearly 24,000 souls from across the United States and around the world seeking Him. The SEEK24 Conference attracted college students, parishioners, priests, Bishops and alumni from 50 states, Washington, DC, and internationally.
Forty-four Catholic Bishops attended the SEEK24 conference this year, twice as many as attended last year’s SEEK23 conference, alongside Cardinal Dolan, hundreds of priests, and 450 seminarians, an 80% increase from last year.
SEEK24 photos and videos are on FOCUS Catholic Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with homilies from each daily Mass available on the FOCUS Catholic YouTube page. You can also access images from SEEK24 at the link here.
Sessions inspiring truth, beauty and goodness
More than 100 SEEK24 speakers, such as Fr. Mike Schmitz, Dr. Edward Sri, Msgr. James Shea, Chris Stefanick, Emily Wilson, Sr. Mary Grace S.V., Jeff Cavins, Mari Pablo, Dr. Ryan Anderson, and Hector Molina inspired attendees while inviting them into transformation in Christ. As in previous years, SEEK24 also included Spanish-language talks from popular speakers such as Fr. Rafael Capó, Clara Cuevas and Vicente Del Real and a performance by alternative rock band, Judah and the Lion.
“We are so grateful and humbled to have welcomed nearly 24,000 men and women to SEEK24 in St. Louis,” said Tom Bruner, Vice President of Formative Enterprises at FOCUS. “It was incredible to witness the transformative power of prayer, learning and fellowship rooted in Christ with people from all across the country in this new year.”
“I thought I knew what to expect coming into the week having been to SEEK three times already, but the ways in which my heart and intellect were reoriented and formed again pleasantly surprised me,” said Maggie Gann, senior at Kansas State University. “The consistent throughline of identity trust kept me anchored in the bigger scope of the conference, but with each keynote, concurrent session, impact session, and conversation I had I was able to receive and collect more particular and personal experiences and connections. I’ve been given so much to bring back to my prayer and my campus in the weeks to come.”
If you couldn’t make it to St. Louis this year, you can still experience the best of SEEK24 with SEEK Replay, linked here, offering parishes and small groups the opportunity to encounter the Lord alongside thousands of others.
SEEK24’s Premiere Sponsors were:
Augustine Institute – Sponsor of the Day
University of Mary – Sponsor of the Day
Benedictine College – Sponsor of the Day
Hallow – Sponsor of the Day
Camp Wojtyla
Catholic Medical Association
Christ in the City
Exodus
Seton Teaching Fellows
Society of St. Vincent de Paul National Council
The Dynamic Catholic Institute
A Simple House of Sts. Francis and Alphonsus
Ascension
Knights of Columbus – Sponsor of the Day
National Eucharistic Congress Inc.
Relevant Radio
SEEK25 will occur in Salt Lake City, Utah, from January 1 – 5, 2025
If you have any questions or need additional information about SEEK or FOCUS, please contact Kate Milligan, kate@peschdigital.com
About FOCUS:
FOCUS is an international Catholic outreach organization, serving more than 200 college campuses and more than 20 parish communities. Through Bible Studies, mentorship, mission trips, conferences and partnerships with priests, bishops and parishes, FOCUS missionaries walk alongside students and parishioners in their journey of faith, inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ-centered evangelization and discipleship. Since FOCUS was founded in 1998, more than 1,000 people have entered the seminary or religious orders after connecting with a missionary on college campuses. More than 50,000 FOCUS alumni serve in parishes and communities across the world to continue their lifelong mission of evangelization and leading others to pursue lives of virtue and excellence. focus.org
For more information about FOCUS, please visit focus.org
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