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An annual Catholic youth conference has drawn at least 26,000 people in several locations, with church leaders saying the massive turnout shows the community’s continued vibrancy. Catholic Church.
“SEEK 2026 attracted more than 26,000 participants in three U.S. cities this year, setting an attendance record and marking a 24% increase from last year, organizers said,” author, theologian and Catholic convert Scott Hahn said in a statement. Sunday post on Facebook.
THE theme of the 2026 conference was “To the heights”, a saying dear to Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, a recently canonized saint, who was an avid mountaineer and the patron of young adults and athletes.
An annual Catholic youth conference has drawn at least 26,000 people in several locations, with Church leaders saying the massive turnout shows the continued dynamism of the Catholic Church. (Getty Images)
SEEK is a project of FOCUS, an international Catholic outreach organization, present on more than 200 university campuses and more than 20 parish communities.
In his message, Hahn said a total of 11,744 students from FOCUS-affiliated campuses enrolled this year, representing a 9 percent increase from last year, and an additional 2,752 students came from non-FOCUS-affiliated campuses, which he said represents a 64 percent increase from last year.
Hahn said Columbus, Ohiodrew the largest crowd with more than 16,100 registered attendees, followed by Fort Worth with 5,907 and Denver with 4,503.
Fifty-eight Catholic bishops participated in SEEK, the largest number in the event’s history, up from 46 bishops in 2025.
SEEK is a project of FOCUS, an international Catholic outreach organization, present on more than 200 university campuses and more than 20 parish communities. (boonchai wedmakawand via Getty Images)
Hahn credited Bishop Earl Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, saying he “played a key role in bringing SEEK to Ohio,” and cited the bishop who said the size and energy of the conference contributed to renewed vitality in the Church.
“Sometimes they say the Church is old and the pews are empty,” Fernandes said. “In our diocese, the Catholic population has doubled in the last three and a half years, and it’s getting younger and younger. We have a lot of young adults on fire with the faith, and there’s a lot going on.”
Fox News Digital has contacted FOCUS and Fernandes for comment.
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In his article, author, theologian and Catholic convert Scott Hahn said a total of 11,744 students from FOCUS-affiliated campuses enrolled this year, representing a 9 percent increase from last year, and an additional 2,752 students came from non-FOCUS-affiliated campuses, which he said was a 64 percent increase from last year. (iStock)
