Presented by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), SEEK13 welcomed about 6,300 people— mostly college students— to pray, learn, grow and celebrate together. (SEEK24, by comparison, topped 20,000 attendees.) My friends and I had a blast meeting other young Catholics from all over the country, singing our hearts out during a Matt Maher concert and attending inspiring breakout sessions. I realized that I was a part of something even bigger than my own parish or Newman Center. I was part of the Body of Christ!

The high point for me came one night during Eucharistic Adoration.

Thousands of us were gathered in an immense ballroom. In the back, dozens of priests ministered to long lines of people waiting to receive the tender mercy of Jesus through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession.) I think there was music, but otherwise it was quiet. Jesus, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament, radiated love from the monstrance. As a priest processed through the crowd with the Holy Eucharist, all these thousands of people were completely silent, adoring the Lord.

As the monstrance paused before me, my heart was pierced by the overwhelming love of Jesus. I’m tearing up even now as I write this, remembering that moment. As I reflect on my faith journey so far, I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to experience SEEK and for those who supported our group’s attendance.

In this issue, you’ll read about several young adults and youth who experienced the universal Church through World Youth Day (page 16), the National Catholic Youth Conference (page 18) and SEEK24 (page 20). Seminarian Charles Warner shares his experience of the Church in Nepal and India on page 12. The Holy Spirit is on the move, in small groups and massive gatherings, here in the Diocese of Saginaw and all over the world, as the Lord continues to “draw all people to himself.”

Thank you for reading Great Lakes Bay Catholic.

In Christ,

Danielle