BRINGING HOPE TO THE CHURCH: SEEK23

By BERNADETTE MERCURIO

By MARY FELLERS

Over J-term break, I had the opportunity to participate in a TREC (Think-Reflect-Engage-Connect) trip through the Spiritual Life Department. I became interested in the Arizona-Mexico border trip because being from the Midwest, it’s a culture I’ve never experienced before. While in college, we have time and opportunities like these to see distinct parts of the country and world that might not be available to us once we graduate. I also wanted to learn more about immigration issues. It’s a hot political topic and I found myself avoiding taking a stance because I wasn’t educated enough. Now, I can say I have witnessed these issues firsthand, and I want to share a little of what I experienced.

First, a lot of preparation went into this trip before we began traveling to Arizona-Mexico. We had several pre-departure meetings to prepare for the location, what we would witness, and the service we would provide migrants. I, along with my companions, felt nervous and anxious about what to expect. Thankfully, we were given packets of information about Kino Border Initiative (the Catholic Jesuit organization we partnered with for the trip), watched several videos, and had discussions about what to expect and/or fears we were having. In addition, we also had the option to attend “Spanish Conversation” nights to help us learn a little bit of Spanish. (I wish I had taken advantage of this more).

The trip lasted about a week, and it was one of the most eye-opening, yet emotionally draining, weeks of my life. Disclaimer, I learned that not everyone must have a huge emotional reaction to what they are witnessing. I am not one that always shows my emotions, and it’s been a slower process since I returned home. I also don’t have a personal story of immigration; it hasn’t touched my life as closely as some of my companions. However, this trip was still an emotional experience for me, and my heart has been broken by what I witnessed. My written words can never hold as much meaning or emotion as the experience of being present with migrants at the border. However, I still want to share my experience in hopes that it encourages some of you to go outside of your comfort zone to educate yourself and support those around us.

The Catholic conference known as SEEK23 hosted by FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) took place from January 2-6, 2023, in St. Louis, Missouri, with about 40 Loras students in attendance. Ruben Botali, Noah Reid, and Morgan Morano shared their experiences. They all attended previous SEEK conferences, with Morgan leading the count at about five conferences under her belt. When asked about similarities between previous conferences, all three noted that the structure stayed the same. Keynotes, impact sessions, Adoration, and mass consistently occurred, however, the content varied from year to year. Also, there were smaller, regional SEEK conferences during the pandemic, making the staggering 17,000 attendees at SEEK23 an impressive number.

The first big takeaway from this trip for me is that it humanized the immigrant’s experience. By talking to migrants at the Kino shelter in Mexico, I learned that most people are fleeing some type of violence, whether it’s family, work, government, or drug cartel related. These people have nowhere else to turn, no other options. Most people are seeking a safe place, somewhere to call home because their original home isn’t safe anymore. Yet, if you asked a migrant about their hometown, they usually talked about it with so much love and longing. They didn’t want to leave, but they had to.

Think about the place where you grew up. You probably have fond memories of the landscape, family, and memories you made there. Migrants at the border are no different. They are people like anybody else, just from a different part of the world, facing situations that a lot of us can only imagine.

Another takeaway from my trip is that applying for legal passage is almost a joke. Did you know that immigration logs are backed up by over 20 years? In different situations, cases from the late ’90s are only just being heard today. Imagine trying to immigrate to America at the age of 30, waiting 20 years... to MAYBE be considered at the age of 50. That’s if your record is completely clean and you have a reliable person here in the US to sponsor you, among other requirements. Some of the barriers to immigration include poverty and criminal histories, situations that many Americans looking for jobs are non-discriminated against when applying for certain positions.

Furthermore, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a law called Title 42 which deals with public health, social welfare, and civil rights was passed by former President Donald Trump. The title is intended to protect the country from the spread of harmful diseases, however, in this case, its extended enforcement is causing more issues for migrants at the border. The policy continues to be renewed which is barring migration of any asylum seekers, or those seeking shelter in a foreign country from

A desire for personal growth and connections also influenced Reid’s decision. “At first, I was getting pestered by FOCUS missionaries,” he said. “Something [inside] told me, ‘You haven’t been on a retreat on a while.’ So finally, I just broke down and was like, ‘Fine. I’ll go.’”

FOCUS missionaries run the show, and Morano revealed that it takes committees a lot of time and energy to execute a SEEK conference. There are multiple committees assigned to specific duties.

“I was a part of the VIP speaker committee,” Morano stated. “It was a blessing to work with speakers and treat them as fellow human persons. […] I just appreciated being able to see them in their humanity.” It did take away from her time spent with the college students though.

So, what made them go back for another SEEK experience?

“I know I don’t create time for God, straight up. Knowing that I would go to a place where my only focus would be God was really attractive,” Botali said, after thinking for a moment.

Speakers seemed to be a highlight, with Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jason Evert, and Fr. Joshua Johnson, just to name a few. “Seeing them that close was just a reminder that they’re also, like, human beings,” Botali said. “[… Fr. Mike Schmitz] was very close to me!”

The attendants mentioned feeling overwhelmed and excited at first.

Their fruitful experiences brought them closer to other people and God, especially during Adoration and confession.

Nonetheless, seemingly mundane moments still held great value. Reid said, “Waiting outside Sugarfire Smokehouse, we ended up starting, like, a flash mob, even getting the workers involved, even getting song requests from them. Just living out that true joy was really cool.”

Ruben mentioned that he walked into the stadium while people sang Gregorian chants. That moment struck his heart because he realized how small he was, and even amid everyone, God still loved him.

The location usually changes, but next year SEEK24 will once again be held in St. Louis, Missouri. Morano says, “I just encourage any student who desires to grow in their faith to check out SEEK and talk to a missionary or a student who has [attended].”

Hopefully these interviews encourage others to learn more about the conference. See you at SEEK24!