More than 16,000 Catholics gathered in Columbus, Ohio, this January for SEEK Conference 2026, part of a record-breaking year that drew more than 26,000 attendees across three U.S. cities. Among them were priests, seminarians, and staff from the Diocese of Toledo, who joined the national Catholic conference for five days of worship, formation, and mission.
Organized by FOCUS, SEEK is designed to help Catholics deepen their relationship with Christ and grow in confidence as missionary disciples. Each day included keynote talks and breakout sessions on topics ranging from evangelization and stewardship to Catholic bioethics, prayer, and the life of the early Church, along with daily Mass and opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration.
Fr. David Kidd described the week as both energizing and deeply pastoral. “Really good talks today and yesterday on sharing the Gospel with others—especially reaching the unreachable,” he shared during the conference. “So many people want to live in freedom from sin and the shame of sin. One big way to live in freedom is going to the sacrament of confession.”
That desire was especially evident during one of the conference’s most striking moments: a large-scale evening of Eucharistic Adoration and Confessions, when hundreds of priests processed in to serve thousands of attendees seeking God’s mercy. “Just a normal 600+ priest procession,” Fr. David Kidd posted alongside a video of the procession, capturing both the scale and the joy of the moment.
Seminarians from the Diocese of Toledo also took part throughout the week, attending talks, praying alongside fellow Catholics from across the country, and connecting with a wide range of Catholic apostolates. Seminarian Collin Gosche provided daily updates, reflecting on keynote sessions, breakout talks, and the shared life of faith that marked SEEK 2026. He noted that SEEK 2026 opened with a Mass for all attendees, followed by talks from national Catholic speakers and a video welcome from Pope Leo XIV.
The Diocese of Toledo was also present in Mission Way, the conference’s central gathering space for Catholic ministries and organizations. The diocesan booth offered attendees a chance to connect with Toledo representatives, learn more about diocesan life, and explore how God may be calling them to serve the Church.
SEEK 2026 carried the theme “To the Heights,” inspired by St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, whose youthful holiness and joyful faith continue to challenge young Catholics to pursue Christ wholeheartedly. As participants returned home, priests and seminarians alike echoed a common prayer—that the Holy Spirit would continue to deepen faith and set hearts on fire for the Gospel long after the conference ended.
Posted January 5, 2026 at 10:22 am