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Thirty parishioners from Pope St. John Pope II Parish in Idaho Falls attended SEEK25 in Salt Lake City, Jan. 1-5. In the past, SEEK was geared entirely toward students but now serves all parish adults. (Courtesy Photo/Gisselle Montalvan)
By Philip A. Janquart
ICR Assistant Editor
More than 17,000 young adults and parishioners from around the U.S. descended on Salt Lake City for SEEK25, held January 1-5 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.
SEEK is a five-day conference organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) that, according to the organization’s website, draws Catholics “deeper into relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. “
Young adults, chaplains, Religious, parishioners and parish priests worshipped together, learned about their faith, experienced genuine fellowship and united as members of the Body of Christ.
“My SEEK experience was nothing short of divine—not the way most people use it to describe a wonderful thing, but ‘divine’ as in touched by Him,” said Tara Drexler, a Pope St. John Paul II parishioner from Idaho Falls. “Every single day had at least one moment when I was overcome by His presence and had to just stop to let Him embrace me.”
NOT JUST FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Though traditionally geared toward college students, parishioners of all ages have increasingly attended the annual conference. This year, an estimated 4,000 non-college-age Catholics participated in the event in Salt Lake City. SEEK is considered one of the world’s largest regular gatherings of Catholics.
“There were between 250 to 300 people from Idaho who showed up,” Diocese of Boise Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry Andrew Furphy told the Idaho Catholic Register (ICR.) “About a hundred of them weren’t college students.”
Furphy, a former FOCUS missionary, caravanned to Salt Lake City from Boise with a group of college students, while others, including adult parishioners, made the trip on their own.
“Originally, the purpose was to bring students to the Lord, and there is obviously still that component, but I would say, in the true sense of evangelization, we all need to be evangelized,” Furphy said of the conference. “Recently, parish ministry has been getting more and more traction. FOCUS now has missionaries in the parishes, working with adults and postcollege young adults, like their missionaries on campuses.”
SEEK conferences now offer a track called Making Missionary Disciples geared to parish participants, helping them evangelize more effectively. The parish track includes sessions that address topics like marriage, family life, prayer and more.
Father Nelson Cintra, parochial vicar at Pope St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls, brought 30 parishioners to SEEK25.
“When I learned that FOCUS had added a Making Missionary Disciples track for parishioners, parish priests, lay leaders and adults in any stage of their faith journey, I immediately became interested and started promoting it to my parishioners,” he said in an email. “We held informational meetings and fundraisers, and at the end, our group was composed of about seven teens, five young adults, 18 adults, and a baby!”
“All of us had a positive experience, and I’ve been inspired to hear all of the ways in which God revealed Himself to us during those five days. Now that we’re back in Idaho Falls, we are discussing ways that we will bring our transformation back to our parish: perhaps a SEEK Watch Party, perhaps small-group Bible studies, but most importantly, an increased dedication to grow in intimacy with the Lord and in authentic friendships with one another. Will we go to SEEK26 in Denver? God-willing!”
Markie Price, a student at Western Governers University, takes a “SEEK-selfie” with Bishop Peter F. Christensen and Dir. of Religious Education Jessica Gallegos of Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Pocatello. (Courtesy Photo/Markie Price)
SEEK25
A day at the 2025 SEEK conference included dedicated prayer, Adoration, scripture and the Sacraments. Participants had the opportunity to break into small groups for discussions on various topics and enjoyed live concerts, contests and other FOCUS-sponsored activities.
“In the afternoon, there were the breakout sessions, so you got to choose your adventure,” Furphy explained. Talks included a range of diverse topics, from Church teaching on marijuana to dealing with trauma. “They had multiple sessions, so SEEK is really meant for all age groups, not just college students,” Furphy said.
Keynote speakers and special guests were a highlight of the conference. Renowned Catholic speaker Father Mike Schmitz, presenter of the Ascension Press “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” podcasts, helped the SEEK conference seem like a rock concert at times, as the vast crowd broke into cheers and shouts of delight. Those who enjoy Father Schmitz’s online presence may not know of his role as Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Duluth, Minn., and as chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Other keynote speakers included well-known Catholic theologian and bestselling author Dr. Edward Sri, who has contributed to many Ascension Press and Augustine Institute faith formation film series. He is a founding leader, along with Curtis Martin—another SEEK25 speaker—of FOCUS, where Sri serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.
Sister Miriam James Heidland, a former Division I collegiate athlete and member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), was another speaker who quickly captured the undivided attention of thousands during the conference.
Sister Miriam, who holds a master’s degree in theology from the Augustine Institute, has been featured on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) series “The Journey Home” and is routinely a guest on various radio programs. She speaks on topics such as conversion, authentic love, forgiveness and healing.
Videos of individual keynote speakers can be found at ondemand.ewtn.com/Home/Series/ondemand/video/en/seek25.
Randall Lillie from Pope St. John Paul II Parish in Idaho Falls noted that SEEK combines personalized experiences with small group sharing and large group arena events with keynote speakers and trained staff who share their own testimonies that uplift. Lillie said the SEEK speakers “teach true Christian values and principles to help anyone seeking a closer relationship with God in their life.”
Fellow Pope St. John Paul II parishioner Robin Villarreal underscored the contrast between the energies at the conference, going from robust enthusiasm to quiet introspection.
“What a privilege it was to attend SEEK25,” she said. “Sharing a space with predominantly young people, as well as clergy and Religious, was a great way for me to usher in the 2025 Year of Jubilee—even though my contemporaries were fewer.”
Villareal explained how well SEEK ushered in the Jubilee Year. She found SEEK attendees to be “pilgrims of hope,” the term used by Pope Francis in the papal Bull of Indiction, Spes non confundit (Hope does not disappoint), that announced the start of the Jubilee Year. She said, “It was evident in the earnest reception of the messages given in the packed talks, the kindness of the attendees toward one another, and the heightened level of the Spirit shown by the fervor of the crowds at the keynotes, and even the reverence at the Masses which were amazingly quiet despite the attendance of 17,000 souls.”
Serena Fenske from Boise adds her name to a SEEK25 graffiti board. (Courtesy Photo/Mikaela Cowman)
Villarreal noted the top takeaway from her experience was humbly standing in line with 5,000 others seeking the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
“During the actual waiting time, I started feeling anxious and annoyed, and thought about my aching feet and back,” she said. “But God took that opportunity to reframe my thoughts.” Villareal was drawn to consider the five “Rs” that were a theme of the conference.
“I found appreciation for the time: to honor my relationship with God, to reevaluate and acknowledge my rebelliousness, to hunger for the reconciliation found in Confession, to become a re-creation with others soaked in the zeal of saying ‘yes’ to the love of God, and to rekindle the natural response of action and evangelization.”
“God amazingly and lovingly guided the experience of a long line into becoming a symbol of making my own pilgrimage,” she said.
J.L. Rangel, another Pope St. John Paul II parishioner, commented on the conference’s unifying effects.
“I left SEEK with a renewed desire to grow my relationship with the Lord,” he testified. “While sitting in on great talks, I was moved by how the presenters lived their identity to the fullest, embraced life and loved those around them. Spending the start of the new year with so many Catholics gave me a chance to say more fully, ‘Lord, I am listening.’”
Kaitlin Gotch, also among the group of Pope St. John Paul II parishioners, shared her personal experience with God and her joy in sharing with fellow Catholics.
“SEEK was a gift to me on a personal level,” she said. “In the quiet and stillness deep within the noisy roar of joy in the Lord, I was reminded that God is ever-present. In the still or the chaotic, in the silent or the bold, in the broken or transformed, Christ comes to us, and He came to me. I will treasure the gift of the lessons I learned.”
One of the big takeaways for Furphy was the return trip to Idaho.
“One of my favorite parts was the drive back … because of the conversation,” said Furphy, who has now turned his attention to the 2025 Idaho Catholic Youth Conference (ICYC) this spring. “It was four and half hours, and it was a good time to ask, ‘What stood out to you?’ You start asking questions and having a conversation, and that’s an important part of any conference, the follow-up and processing what you heard.”
Future SEEK conferences are planned for Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; and Denver, Colo., all scheduled for Jan. 1-5, 2026.
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