What better way to start the new year than amongst
over 20,000 happy Catholics?
We Little Friars and Little Nuns did just that by attending the annual SEEK conference in St Louis this year. A few of us, including myself, had never been in the same place with so many members of the general public, let alone with so many young people eager to discover God’s plan for their lives and their place in the Church. All within the course of 5 days and within the bounds of one stadium, tens of thousands received Holy Communion, went to Confession, and grew a little or a lot in the Faith. It was a new experience.
SEEK was a unique opportunity– as it is every year– for us to introduce ourselves and our charism to a wide variety of people from across the country and beyond.
I had never been
politely stopped and asked to explain
who I was so many times within an hour
as I was at the conference.
It was beautiful to see just how interested so many people are in every aspect of the Catholic faith, and the special interest so many young people have in the consecrated religious life of the Catholic Church. All questions were welcome! It was a joy to share a little bit about our community’s background and mission with so many people.
I also enjoyed the opportunity which SEEK afforded us to get to know other religious communities, mission groups, and individuals within the Church. I was happy to meet up with and unexpectedly run into a few people I already knew, and was excited to be introduced to a whole throng of people and organizations I had never met before. Christ is at work in His Church in so many ways!
All this to say, SEEK 2024 was a powerful witness to just how alive the Catholic Church is today, and I’m grateful to have attended. I hope to see just as many and more people in attendance this coming year, and hope that the effects of this conference will continue to bear fruit for everyone who participated.