Event encourages attendees to build closer relationship to God

By Megan Vantslot

 

For the second consecutive year, Break Ministry, a young adult ministry in the diocese, hosted a SEEK conference at St. Cecelia Church, Iselin, and St. James Church, Woodbridge.
 

The SEEK Conference, held Feb. 4-6, was coordinated nationally by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). Typically, SEEK is held in a major city where thousands of college students and young adults gather in person. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, however, this year (as well as last year), FOCUS adopted a hybrid version of the conference with livestream options for people across the country and the world to tune in with the goal of growing faith, engaging in fellowship, and encountering the broader Church.
 

Over the course of the weekend, about 30 young adults from the diocese’s Break Ministry gathered to participate in talks, Eucharistic adoration, small-group discussions, Mass, confession, prayer, and streamed keynote presentations from distinguished Catholic speakers, including Sister of Life Bethany Madonna, Jason Evert, Father Mike Schmitz, Tina Augustine, and Dr. Edward Sri.
 

In one of the keynote talks, Augustine spoke about the importance of walking with one another in community.
 

“Fellowship is entering into the life of the people around us. It’s entering into the messy parts of life,” she said, adding, “we are not meant to walk alone. We are meant to walk in community!”
 

Break Ministry small-group leader Gabe Galvez spoke about what he and his community experienced during the weekend.
 

“The Lord is showing himself, like always for me, through secondary means, through my brothers and sisters here,” Galvez said. “Being a small-group leader lets me see how they gauge the questions I ask and how they engage each other in conversation. Through this experience, I’m learning that the Lord wants each of us to wrestle with him, and that’s what everyone’s been doing here, including myself. That’s how the Lord has shown me his face.”
 

Other speakers talked of friendship with the Lord. Presenter Hillary Draftz, in sharing her personal testimony, said, “I knew that if God was going to be my best friend I had to talk to him every day.
 

“As hard as life with Christ is, it is absolutely worth it," she added.
 

Many said they were touched by her words, including Break Ministry member Jasmin Alfaro.
 

“What the Lord has been speaking to me is to just really trust him, to dive more deeper into him,” Alfaro said.
 

“Being here made me realize how little time I give to him,” she added. “The question that resonated with me was like, ‘Am I a good friend to God?’ ‘Am I being a best friend to him?’ ‘Is he my best friend?’

 

“So, I want to strive to be a better friend to him.”
 

In addition to hearing wisdom from speakers, and engaging in small-group discussion, the Break Ministry provided opportunities for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the sacrament of reconciliation.
 

Kipsy Quevada, vice president of Ministry Advancement for Break Ministry, who coordinated to bring the conference to the diocese, said, “I have a tendency to checklist my life and to rigiditize my schedule. And when I make a checklist of my life, especially my spiritual life, I lose intimacy with God. So, I want to figure out how to bring back that intimacy and rebuild my relationship with him.”
 

In a similar sentiment, Fabian Duran said he believes God has been speaking to him, that he needs to develop a better and closer relationship with him.
 

“SEEK has really been pushing me to do more,” Duran said. “To be more active in my prayer time and prayer life and not to shut myself up in loneliness or exile, but to enjoy solitude with him.”
 

The impact of SEEK22 empowered attendees to take on the missionary habits of growing deeper in their relationship with God, and to continue forming intentional friendships for the glory of God and the good of the Church.
 

Vantslot is director, diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry