PHOTOS: Archbishop Aquila Opens SEEK26 in Denver with Mary, Mission and a City Full of Hope

As the annual FOCUS conference began on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Denver archbishop encouraged the thousands gathered to ponder with Mary and grow in faith, identity and mission.

(Photo courtesy of FOCUS)

As one year closes, another begins. And this year has begun with a bang, as thousands of faithful descended upon the Mile High City on Thursday from across the United States for FOCUS’ annual SEEK conference.

This year’s conference, hosted simultaneously in Columbus, OH, and Fort Worth, TX, aims to bring participants “to the heights” of devotion to encounter God, self and community. With FOCUS’ headquarters in the Metro area, the historical connection to Pope St. John Paul II’s visit for World Youth Day 1993 and the top-tier natural panoramas, the Mile High City seemed the perfect place to gather to consider that lofty goal.

Beginning the conference, Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila celebrated an opening Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. In his homily to the thousands gathered — bishops, priests, deacons, religious, college students, young adults and more experienced Catholics — Archbishop Aquila invited all to deepen their encounter with the Lord Jesus through his mother Mary.

“Tonight, the words are spoken over all of you,” he said, pointing to the feast’s first reading from the Book of Numbers. “[God] desires to bless you not only in your hearing of the Word, but also throughout the next four days of opening your hearts to ponder, to reflect on the Word that is spoken to you, of being firmly convinced that that word is trustworthy, that that Word is inviting you into deeper union with Jesus Christ and deeper intimacy.”

(Photos courtesy of FOCUS)

The dynamic of personal pondering is key, the archbishop said, as seen in the life of Mary, who throughout her life “pondered in her heart” the mysteries of God. As her children, attempting to be faithful disciples, we too must prayerfully ponder in our hearts. The more each does so, the more deeply he or she encounters his or her own dignity as a beloved child of God, the archbishop noted.

“In truth, you are sons. God sent the Spirit of his Son into your heart, so that you can cry out, ‘Abba, Abba.’ You are no longer a slave, but a son and an heir to God,” Archbishop Aquila said. “If we ponder that within our hearts and open our hearts to that truth of who we have become in Baptism, we will only grow in a deeper encounter and deeper intimacy with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit, putting our confidence in them. And pondering in our own hearts what it means to be a disciple, what it means to be a beloved son, a beloved daughter of the Father, to receive our true identity. Not an identity founded in the world, but an identity that is given, bestowed upon us by a God who loves us and wants us to be with him forever.”

Indeed, even the Holy Father encouraged those gathered at SEEK26 across its three locations with this truth in a special video message.

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

Rather than seek answers and fulfillment in work, degrees, accomplishments or successes, added Kelsey Reinhardt, president and CEO of CatholicVote, later in the evening, we ought to find our identity in “nothing other than the love of the Father, nothing other than the dignity of the title ‘son’ or ‘daughter.’

“He wants only what’s good for you,” she said in her keynote. “And because he’s goodness itself, that means he wants a relationship with you. We are made for relationship with others, but more importantly, with God who breathed existence into us.”

By drawing near to the Mother of God — and our mother, too — on her feast day, on day one of SEEK26 and every day, this identity becomes all the clearer.

“My daughters and sons, [God] calls you to behold Mary as your mother because she will always lead you to deeper intimacy with Jesus and with the Father,” the archbishop said in his homily.

For those gathered, the blessed reminders were electrifying, leaving the atmosphere abuzz with excitement for what God would accomplish, especially through the intercession of his Mother, who was celebrated so prominently at the conference’s start.

“There's something powerful to see so many people gathered to praise the Lord and to spend four days desiring to encounter him,” said Justin Hintz, a first-time SEEK attendee from St. Joan of Arc Parish in Arvada, noting that Denver is only one of three locations. “It's just beautiful to see people with that kind of faith. I’m looking forward to an encounter with the Lord and what that means for me and my evangelization, when I take that back to my family and to my friends. What could that mean for just changing people's lives?”

“I'm excited to go ‘to the heights’ along with thousands of other people here in the archdiocese,” added Tanner Kalina, a Denver Catholic columnist, FOCUS alumnus and SEEK26 speaker. “And I'm excited to have my wife here and our parish and to see the Lord's work in their lives.”

Throughout the throng of thousands were smaller communities, hailing from various college campuses, parish communities and ministry initiatives across the country. Perhaps key to the SEEK experience, these smaller groups and communities bring a personal touch to such a massive gathering.

“I had recently been looking for ways to be more intentional with my faith, and it really worked out that SEEK was coming to Denver,” said Ania Szeszko, a first-time SEEK attendee who was invited by her small group leader. “I’m looking forward to spending time with others from my bible study at SEEK and strengthening our relationships while listening to wonderful speakers share snippets of inspiration.”

“My first SEEK was my senior year of college with my Hillsdale Catholic crew, and I love having a few days where everything revolves around the sacraments — that was really beautiful — and the opportunity to connect with my community. I look forward to that every year, even now, post-grad with Cabrini Teaching Fellows,” added Reilly Demara, three-time SEEK attendee and a teacher and Cabrini Teaching Fellow at Assumption Catholic School in Denver.

Of course, the most personal touch of all is the profound, personal intimacy into which the Lord Jesus invites each participant. Though among thousands, Jesus speaks to each heart as if there were only one: come to the heights.

“My dearest brothers and sisters, that is God's deepest desire for each one of us: to know and to receive the love of the Father, of Jesus and the Holy Spirit,” the archbishop concluded. “So I encourage you, over the next four days, to ponder in your own heart, and reflect in your own heart. When you go into Eucharistic Adoration, bring that grace to encounter Jesus. Bring to him whatever weighs on your heart or on your soul. … Know that he means the words and the blessing that he gives: the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”