By Philip Shefveland
College students from St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud Technical and Community College, Saint John’s University, College of St. Benedict and University of Minnesota Morris joined with young adults from around the Diocese of St. Cloud to attend the SEEK25 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan. 1-5.
SEEK is organized by FOCUS, a national ministry serving college campuses. Over 80 college students, young adults, and high schoolers attended with a parish or school from the diocese, not including students from the diocese attending with a different college. In total, over 17,000 people attended the conference.
I had the opportunity to attend this gathering and it was a gift to witness firsthand the energy and joy of a convention center packed with Catholic college students and young adults. Serving as the campus ministry director for a smaller midwest university, our young people are rarely given the opportunity to experience the wider Church. Talking to all the various ministries and listening to the inspiring talks, they see that God is not just found in their home parish or at their Newman Center. SEEK creates so many connections as our students discern how God is calling them to bring their faith into the world.
The week in Salt Lake City included daily Mass, workshops, keynotes, eucharistic adoration, confession, praise and worship and a concert by Christian artist Forrest Frank, along with countless networking opportunities from the dozens of organizations present at “Mission Way,” SEEK’s vendor fair.
Father Derek Wiechmann, pastor of Christ Church Newman Center, which serves SCSU and SCTCC, attended the conference as well. He said, “What was most impactful for me was walking alongside the students and young adults that were in our group. Each of them had an encounter with Jesus Christ through prayer, the talks and each other. I am excited to witness what these young people will bring to this world.”
Jacob Vogel, a student at St. Cloud State University and Peer Minister at Christ Church Newman Center, told me he was energized by “getting to meet lots of different people from around the country that share the same beliefs.” Adoration on Friday night with thousands of people praying together was a particular highlight for him.
Next year, there will be three SEEK Conferences happening at the same time: Columbus, Ohio; Denver, Colorado; and Fort Worth, Texas.
Please continue to pray for the young people of our diocese as they return from SEEK energized and full of the Spirit!
Philip Shefveland serves as Director of Campus Ministry at Christ Church Newman Center and Director of Discipleship for the All Called to Christ Area Catholic Community in St. Cloud.