Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

On January 5, a group of 29 college students from Louisville braved winter weather to attend the SEEK25 conference in Salt Lake City. Hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS Catholic), the event attracted 17,000 participants.

Trey Hankee, a Louisville native and one of the attendees, shared his experiences. Despite not being raised religiously, he is preparing to enter the Catholic Church. "I've always been a bit of a skeptic," Hankee said. The conference "opened his eyes" and helped him "build that connection to God." He noted that hearing stories from speakers showed him faith is "something you can put your trust in."

Hankee highlighted the challenges of attending due to travel expenses, which required significant fundraising efforts. Each student aimed to raise about $1,500 with help from FOCUS missionaries. Despite initial doubts about reaching this goal, Hankee remarked, "I was proved wrong. God does provide."

The return journey tested Hankee's faith further when he was stranded in Minnesota due to flight cancellations. A friend-of-a-friend offered him shelter and companionship during this time. Reflecting on these events, he stated, "Through trust and through him (God) providing, it all happened."

Other students shared their impactful experiences at SEEK25 as well. Samuel Rhodes from the University of Louisville described being moved during a Mass hymn performance: “It truly felt like that Mass was as close to Heaven as I could be.”

Abby Kaufman from Bellarmine University led first-time attendees and expressed how even leaders need spiritual encounters: “That hit me really deeply.” Amelia Glikin emphasized the encouragement she felt seeing others passionate about their faith.

Kaufman also mentioned feeling isolated on campus but found community at SEEK: “When you go, you don’t feel alone.” She plans to host "SEEK replay nights" for continued engagement.

Satellite conferences were also held in Washington and Cologne, Germany. The next SEEK26 conference will take place January 1-5, 2026, in Denver; Columbus, Ohio; and Fort Worth, Texas.