
2 minute read
SEEK
Seek AND YOU WILL Find
Students from the St. Lawrence Center participated in the annual SEEK conference put on by FOCUS in Kansas City. FOCUS has been serving at St. Lawrence since 2010 and they have worked to build up their SEEK attendee numbers over the last few years.
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“We were able to bring 150 KU students this year,” FOCUS Team Director, John Michael Lucido said. “It was by far the most students that we have ever had at a conference. It was a great weekend and we had great talks from Catholic speakers, great entertainment, and just fun for the college students. The crescendo on Saturday night was Adoration and Confession because we want students to experience Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.”
While there were many new faces in the crowd, there were some students who were returning for the conference. Anna Ramage, a senior in human biology was returning for her third conference to take on a leadership role this time around. “I wasn’t expecting to have a powerful encounter with Jesus but I did,” Ramage said. “I felt so loved by the girls in the group I led and felt the Lord through them. Your first ‘yes’ to Jesus is just the start. The transformation really does not end there. During Adoration, I was able to look back and see how much Jesus has changed my heart.”
These conferences are only held once a year but they are not the stopping point for students at KU. They are the leaping point for many. Kyler McGlachlin, a junior in mechanical engineering has experienced this in his own life.
“It can be a life-changing experience,” McGlachlin said. “I know it was for me. It was so many people who were trying to live the same lifestyle I was and it was really incredible. Jesus is really present and the Holy Spirit is working because so many people are gathered in His name.”
Following the SEEK conference, many would agree that there is a vibrant energy at the center. Students and staff have a desire to reach new students and help them find a diverse community at KU.
“There is a place for every student at St. Lawrence and there is an opportunity to find a group of likeminded people,” Lucido said. “Our community is diverse and is a great example of the Catholic Church being universal and we get a great taste of that at St. Lawrence.”