SEEK 2026 draws record attendance, with largest crowd in Columbus, Ohio

Jan 3, 2026 / 10:05 am (CNA).

SEEK 2026 has drawn more than 26,000 attendees across three U.S. cities this year, setting an attendance record and marking a 24% increase over last year, organizers said.

Attendees have gathered through Jan. 5 in Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth, Texas, for the SEEK 2026 conference organized by  FOCUS. As of early Friday, Columbus drew the largest crowd with over 16,100 registered, compared with 5,907 in Fort Worth and 4,503 in Denver.

Organizers reported growth across nearly every category of attendance. A total of 11,744 students from FOCUS-affiliated campuses registered this year, a 9% increase over last year when the conference was held simultaneously in Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C. An additional 2,752 students attended from non-FOCUS campuses — a 64% jump from 2025. 

The conference also is seeing record participation among Church leadership. Fifty-eight Catholic bishops are attending SEEK this year, the most in the event’s history, and up from 46 bishops last year. Attendance among seminarians has also grown by 43%.

‘Like a mini-World Youth Day’

Bishop Earl Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, who played a key role in bringing SEEK to Ohio, said the conference offers a visible sign of vitality in the Church — particularly among young adults in his diocese and beyond.

“I’m hoping this will be something like a mini-World Youth Day for our diocese,” Fernandes said. “Here we have seminarians, bishops, college and university students, and disciple-makers. Many people are very interested in becoming missionary disciples.”

Fernandes said the strong turnout at this year’s conference challenges claims that the Church is outdated or unable to engage younger generations.

“Sometimes the narrative is that the Church is old and that pews are empty,” he said. “In our diocese, the Catholic population has doubled in the past three and a half years, and it’s getting younger. We have many young adults who are on fire with the faith, and there’s a lot happening.”

The growth seen at SEEK, he added, reflects a deeper hunger among young people for meaning, community, and encounter with Christ.

“My hope is that, both here and around the country, young people are strengthened by seeing others who are enthusiastic about their faith, who have had a personal encounter with the Lord, and who are beginning to think about their vocation,” Fernandes said.

Creating space for young people

Fernandes highlighted the crucial role of Church leadership in making young people feel welcomed and empowered to serve.

“When younger generations say there is no room for them in the Church, part of the issue is the leadership,” Fernandes said. “Sometimes the same people serve in roles in their churches for decades without making space for young people. Our job is to create space for young people to say ‘yes.’”

Columbus’ central location in the eastern region of the U.S. situates it “within reach of a huge portion of the country,” only hours away from other major cities such as Cincinnati, Lexington, and Indianapolis. According to Fernandes, “that accessibility matters,” as organizers announced Jan. 2 that next year’s SEEK conference will return to Columbus and expand to a new location in San Antonio, Texas.

‘What do they have that I don’t?’

The conference theme “To the Heights!” draws inspiration from St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Catholic known for his joyful witness and service to others who was canonized this past September alongside St. Carlo Acutis. Fernandes said their example speaks directly to challenges facing young adults today, including loneliness and mental health struggles. 

“With those problems in mind, the question for those at this conference is how this fraternity built up spills over when they return home,” he said. 

He pointed to peer-to-peer evangelization as a key factor in sustained growth, citing the Ohio State University Newman Center in his diocese, where there has been an increase of students entering the Church each year. 

“When someone has a life-changing encounter with Christ, others notice,” Fernandes said. “They ask, ‘Why are they joyful? What do they have that I don’t?’”

Desiring for participants to maintain that Christ-like joy, Fernandes expressed his hope that SEEK will be “a catalyst.” 

“When these young people return to their campuses and communities,” he said, “they go back on fire with the faith.”

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/268835/seek-2026-attendance