Celibacy, and SEEK-USA congress, in the January issue of Omnes magazineSEEK24. Thousands of young Catholics take St. LouisThirst for God, wealth of youthFrom January 1 to 5, St. Louis (Missouri) became a youth capital. Thousands of university students and young professionals attended one of the largest Catholic events: SEEK24.
For five days, the Catholic organization FOCUS succeeded in creating a community of young people. The venue in the city of St. Louis was filled with formation talks, Masses, spaces for the sacrament of confession and a Eucharistic adoration with thousands of attendees.
Along with the activities organized by FOCUS, many sponsors of the event came on site to talk to attendees. Omnes was one of them. For three days, those who came to the 1816 booth were able to engage in conversation with residents of the Holy Land. Live dialogues focused on the relationship between Jews, Muslims and Christians, the importance of delving into the Bible or the daily lives of people in the land of Christ.
SEEK24, for what?
But what is the purpose of such an event? What is it about SEEK that makes so many young people come to the call?
SEEK has a short and simple motto: "Be the light". And that is the focus of the meeting. SEEK wants to remind Catholics that they are "the light of the world," as Christ explained. Catholics have a clear mission: to evangelize, to bring God's love to every corner of the Earth.
Events like the one in St. Louis allow the young people to somehow load their backpacks and then go out to the university campus with all the resources to be authentic missionaries. For several days, university students and young professionals live an intense experience of community, of love for the Eucharist and the sacraments, of inspiring conversations... And they return home as lighted lamps.
Among those who addressed the attendees were such well-known names as Father Mike Schmitz, influencer Emily Wilson and Dr. Scott Hahn. On the other hand, some of the sponsors of the event were the "Hallow" app, The organization of the National Eucharistic Congress, the "Ascension" group, Regnum Christi and the St. Josemaría Institute.
At the end of the meeting, the youths have a mission, as Brock Martin,one of the organizers, explained to Omnes. After "a powerful encounter with the living and active Jesus Christ," their job is to take that encounter home and live "as missionary disciples with a new fervor."
The baton is now in the hands of SEEK24 attendees, so that everything they experienced from January 1-5 will bear fruit in their homes, their jobs, on campus, and around the world.
