Eight members of the Bold Brotherhood group spent five days of their semester break in Columbus, OH, participating in the annual SEEK conference. SEEK is a collaboration led by FOCUS, a Catholic outreach organization that shares the hope and joy of the Gospel with the world. FOCUS missionaries encounter people through friendship, invite them into a personal relationship with Christ, and accompany them as they pursue lives of virtue and excellence.
The regional vocation team was also present at the conference, promoting our vocation. The group included Brothers Paul Avvento, Peter Killeen, J.D. Macioce, and Edward Shields from DENA, as well as Brothers Dylan Perry, Mark Engelmeyer, and Larry Schatz from the Midwest District.
More than 15,000 college-aged participants gathered to encounter Christ and received an inspirational live-streamed message from Pope Leo XIV.
Bold Brotherhood member Samuel Wiley, a student at La Salle Academy in New York City and Manhattan University, woke up early and stood in line to share a prayer intention he felt called to voice.
Reflecting on the experience, Bold Brotherhood participant Anthony Jones from Manhattan University shared, “Being with so many people my age who were seeking to grow spiritually was amazing and affirming.”
James McCormick, an alumnus of Calvert Hall, reflected, “It has given me necessary perspectives in faith that I would never have considered before, especially in how I respond to God’s love, gifts, and presence in my life. I saw it as a way God was speaking to me and pushing me to grow.”
Brother Paul summarized the experience by saying, “The young Church is clearly alive and on fire, and they are looking for examples of people and religious communities authentically living the faith.”
