Pope Leo urges SEEK attendees to encounter Christ, live with missionary zeal

Pope Leo XIV urged young Catholics at the SEEK26 conference, according to a video released Jan. 2, to pursue a personal encounter with Jesus and live out their faith as missionaries.

The Pope said it was a joy to greet those at SEEK, which is an annual Catholic conference organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) that brings together college students and young adults for worship, formation, and evangelization. The 2026 gatherings are being held Jan. 1–5 in Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; and Denver.

Reflecting on the Gospel of John, Pope Leo focused on Jesus’ first recorded words to the disciples: “What do you seek?” 

This question, he said, speaks to hearts that refuse to settle for routine. 

“[The disciples] were restless — in a good way,” he said. “They did not want to settle for the normal routine of life. They were open to God and were longing for meaning.”

Pope Leo directed the same question to those gathered at SEEK. 

“Dear young people, what do you seek? Why are you here at this conference?” he asked, suggesting many are “searching for meaning and fulfillment, and for direction” in their lives.

“The answer is found in a person,” he said. “The Lord Jesus alone brings us true peace and joy, and fulfills every one of our deepest desires.”

The Pope said the first disciples wanted more than secondhand knowledge of Jesus. 

“It was not enough for someone else to tell them that Jesus is the Lamb of God; they wanted to get to know him personally by spending time with him,” he said. 

He encouraged the attendees to be willing to have a similar encounter with Christ at SEEK — one that naturally leads to mission.

“Be open to what the Lord has in store for you!” he said.

As the Pontiff noted, “The first thing Andrew did afterwards was go and tell his brother Simon, ‘We found the Messiah.’” 

Missionary zeal, he added, “is born from an encounter with Christ.”

Pope Leo also urged young people to discern their vocations without fear. 

“Do not be afraid to ask him what he is calling you to,” he said. 

Some may be called to the priesthood, others to religious life, and others to marriage,  he said. 

“If you sense the Lord calling you, do not be afraid,” he said. “Once again, let me emphasize that he alone knows the deepest, perhaps hidden, longings of your heart, and the path that will lead you to true fulfillment. Let him lead and guide you!”

Since the conferences begin on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Pope entrusted participants to her intercession, praying that their hearts “will truly find rest in the one whom we are seeking.”