Catholic conference shatters attendance records as 26,000 young people flock to faith event

An annual Catholic conference geared toward young people drew at least 26,000 people across multiple locations, with church leaders saying the overwhelming turnout shows the continued vibrancy of the Catholic Church.

“SEEK 2026 has drawn more than 26,000 attendees across three U.S. cities this year, setting an attendance record and marking a 24% increase over last year, organizers said,” author, theologian, and Catholic convert Scott Hahn said in a Sunday post on Facebook. 

The theme of the 2026 conference was “To the Heights,” a saying beloved by St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, a recently canonized saint, who was an avid mountain climber, and is the patron of young adults and athletes. 

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SEEK is a project of FOCUS, an international Catholic outreach organization, that has a presence on over 200 college campuses and more than 20 parish communities.

In his post, Hahn said a total of 11,744 students from campuses affiliated with FOCUS registered this year, which was a 9% increase over last year, and an additional 2,752 students came from campuses not tied to FOCUS, which he said was a 64% jump from last year. 

Hahn said Columbus, Ohio, drew the biggest crowd with more than 16,100 attendees registered, followed by Fort Worth with 5,907 and Denver with 4,503. 

Fifty-eight Catholic bishops attended SEEK, the largest number in the event’s history, an increase from 46 bishops in 2025. 

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Hahn credited Bishop Earl Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, saying he “played a key role in bringing SEEK to Ohio,” and quoted the bishop who said the size and energy of the conference point to renewed vitality in the Church.

“Sometimes the narrative is that the Church is old and that pews are empty,” Fernandes said. “In our diocese, the Catholic population has doubled in the past three and a half years, and it’s getting younger. We have many young adults who are on fire with the faith, and there’s a lot happening.”

Fox News Digital reached out to FOCUS and Fernandes for comment.