Dear people of Jackson!
I’d like to invite all of you to the SEEK2021 conference this coming February 4-7, Thursday-Sunday!
Every year, my organization, FOCUS, puts on a huge national/international conference, with some of the biggest Catholic speakers and best Catholic artists, representatives from dozens of religious orders, many bishops, priests, and deacons, and thousands of lay people (especially college-aged lay people). It’s a huge thing, and one of the highlights of my year.
Due to COVID precautions, we won’t be hosting the same kind of huge conference that we’ve done in years gone by. The temptation has been to focus on the things we can’t do this past year, but here I want to invite you into what we can do.
- While we won’t gather in large numbers right now, we can gather in smaller groups.
- While we won’t be traveling long distances to a conference center, we can travel to a friend’s house.
- While we won’t be surrounded by thousands of strangers for five days, we can find some five or ten friends and spend a long weekend with them, getting to know them better, and getting to know our faith better.
- While we won’t be seeing in-person speakers, we can stream live content from our living rooms with these groups of friends and family members.
- While we won’t have a night of adoration of our Lord with thousands of people from all over the world falling on their knees…well, actually I’m pretty sure we can still get Jesus to show up for adoration with anyone in Jackson who wants to adore Him, and we can do it at the same time people from all over the world will be falling on their knees.
SEEK this year is a small group, digital experience. The same caliber of speakers—Fr. Mike Schmitz, Bishop Robert Barron, Dr. Edward Sri, Sr. Bethany Madonna, Francis Chan, and more—and the same call—to commit our lives to Christ, to be built up in our faith, and to be sent out on mission—but streamed from the comfort of our living rooms or at the Parish Center, with friends, family, and neighbors.
Faithful Catholics, lapsed Catholics, Christians, or non-Christians—whoever the hosts and other attendees can invite, are all welcome for a life-changing moment happening here in Jackson and across the world. The conference attendance fee is $50 per person; scholarships are available! Contact my wife, Crystal, at crystal.gizelle@gmail.com.
More details and the registration form can be found on the parish website, www.saintjohnjackson.org!
I hope you are able to experience SEEK with us this year!
In Christ,
Joseph Gruber
Parish Missionary