Brace Yourselves: 20,000 Young Adult Vincentians coming your way!
By Kat Brissette, National 2nd Vice President
While 20,000 new Vincentians might be a stretch, the conversations sparked at SEEK25 in Salt Lake City, Utah, hold incredible potential. With a little bit of prayer, patience, and passionate young Vincentians, this could be true!
The SEEK Conference is an annual gathering of thousands of Catholic college students seeking to deepen their faith, explore ways to live it out, and grow as leaders in the Church. SEEK features all of the most renowned Catholic Speakers, and is a time to encounter Christ, connect with peers, and experience transformation through truth, beauty, and goodness. This year, over 20,000 young adults gathered for an unforgettable experience—and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was right there in the thick of it with nine Young Adult Vincentian delegates, a standout interactive claw machine booth, and the privilege of leading an inspiring breakout session.
“It was really fun to see Priests, Nuns, Deacons and Michael Acaldo ripping it up on the dance floor right before Monsignor Shea’s keynote,” remarked Luciano from the University of Connecticut.
“It was super cool to see everyone at Mass and adoration. Everyone was enthusiastic and wanted to be there,” added Laura, one of the SVdP Emerging Leaders, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.
“SEEK was amazing because there were so many people my age there who had lots of different things to share and teach me about their experiences in college or with SVdP, and we were all united in our amazing faith. The amount of energy in every room, whether at Mass, adoration, a talk given by one of the countless speakers, or Mission Way, was inspiring,” remarked Genevieve, one of the SVdP Emerging Leaders, a freshman at Elmira College.
Check out highlights from SEEK and get a glimpse of a day at the conference by visiting our social media at @svdpusa.
A Booth that Inspired: Engaging Young Adults in the Vincentian Mission
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of nine Young Adult Vincentian delegates, the Society had the privilege of hosting a vibrant booth and leading an interactive workshop that captured the hearts and minds of thousands of students. From engaging conversations at the booth to an inspiring breakout session, the Catholic faith and Vincentian spirit was alive and well, and the energy at SEEK was truly electric!
The SVdP booth became a standout attraction at SEEK’s Mission Way. Students stopped by to learn about the Society’s mission and discover how they could get involved. From our claw machine (sourced from a young adult who volunteered weekly at an SVdP thrift store, while in college) filled with awesome prizes to the powerful presence of Vincentian relics of saints like St. Vincent de Paul, St. Louise de Marillac, and St. Catherine Laboure, the booth was alive with conversation and inspiration.
Check out highlights from SEEK and our claw machine booth and get a glimpse of a day at the conference by visiting our social media at @svdpusa.
Together the team came up with 4 key messages:
1. SVdP was founded by college students who were inspired to live out their faith through service – What are you doing to put your faith into action?
2. Young people have been at the heart of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, for nearly 200 years. Many saints and blesseds found their purpose as young adults through the Society – Could this be your path to Sainthood?
3. Catholics are called to serve, and through encounters with the poor, we grow in holiness. Holiness often begins with simple, compassionate acts of love, and ultimate trust in Divine providence. – We can do more!
4. SVdP is practically everywhere, and we can support both new and existing service projects on campuses, creating a lasting impact wherever you may be. Local Vincentians can play an active role by mentoring, hosting workshops, and guiding young adults in their faith and service journey. – What are you waiting for?
“Being a delegate at SEEK was an enriching experience. One of the highlights of our time as delegates in Salt Lake City was working as a team to engage young adults and inform them about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Throughout SEEK, we not only discussed friendship, service, and spirituality with other young adults, but we experienced growing in all three Vincentian essential elements as a group,” Santina a Junior at the University of Connecticut.
Check out highlights from SEEK Day 3 and get a glimpse of a day at the conference by visiting our social media at @svdpusa.
The booth featured a special focus on “Society Saints“—including soon to be Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, Pope St. John Paul II, St. Gianna Mollo, and St. Zélie Martin. These beloved patrons found their way to sainthood through their work with SVdP.
Luciano shared: “One of my goals while working in the booth and having conversations with young adults was making people aware of the ‘incredible’ Saints who were part of the Society when they were our age. It got young adults thinking the same way Frederic Ozanam was thinking when he was challenged to put his faith into action,”
“It was such a great conversation starter, and the students were eager to dive deeper into the history and spirituality of the Society and its members,” added Francis.
Students were inspired to learn that many of these saints were once young adults, serving the poor through the Society. YYAEL even designed t-shirts for each Saint and a quote. If you are interested in ordering some, reach out to us at youngadults@svdpusa.org.
Throughout the week we hosted a Pray It Forward Challenge, inviting participants to leave a prayer intention, and carry someone else’s with them. This was a small act of kindness that everyone wanted to join in on. “We quickly started to hear of people who ended up receiving similar, but specific prayer intentions to their own. Priests, students, and other religious people would come back and share the stories with us. It was such a fruitful reminder that in this crazy world, as alone as we may sometimes feel – we are not. Not only do we have a loving God watching out for us, we are connected within this beautiful, huge Catholic family,” explained Kat, 2nd Vice President.
Putting Faith into Action: A Workshop That Made an Impact
In addition to the booth, SVdP hosted a highly successful breakout session titled “Putting Faith into Action: ‘Go to the Poor, and You Will Find God.'” This session drew nearly 1000 participants and gave students an interactive experience of the tough decisions faced by those living in poverty. Participants reflected on how to grow in holiness while serving others in their communities and on their campuses.
The session was led by National CEO Michael Acaldo, National 2nd Vice President Kat Brissette, and her brothers, Catholic College Students and Social Media Influencers, Francis and John Paul Brissette. The response was overwhelming, with many students expressing excitement to bring SVdP back to campus and getting more involved in their community.
“The workshop was a really great opportunity to expose young adults to the difficulties of living in poverty and to how SVdP serves those struggling within our own communities,” explained Luciano. For many, community service is a mandatory task or a week-long mission trip, but our goal was to share about the opportunities to take service to a new level, serving in their own backyards. “Michael shared about SVdP’s efforts in homelessness prevention, followed by Francis and John Paul leading an interactive poverty simulation. During the simulation, although some students passionately wanted to spend money on getting a gym membership, they quickly recognized the importance of first being able to provide food for a family. The poverty simulation really opened eyes to the struggles people experience and even inspired many young adults to approach us after the workshop to discuss possibilities of starting an SVdP Conference on their college campus,” Luciano continued.
Building Lasting Connections: Engaging Young Adults in the Vincentian Mission
At SEEK, our goal was to inspire college students and campus ministers to connect more deeply with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP). We recognized that while many campuses are already involved with SVdP, there is a growing desire for more substantial engagement. Students expressed interest in starting SVdP conferences on their campuses, joining local conferences to serve the poor, and using their skills in service or employment with the Society. Our Young Leaders highlighted that SVdP can enhance and complement the service students are already doing, offering a meaningful way to put faith into action. Whether you’re an established Vincentian or someone eager to inspire young adults in your community, now is the time to get involved.
“Getting started can be the most overwhelming part, as there is a balance of understanding the intricacies of the Society as well as the intricacies of the campus community itself. It can take up to a year to get things really going on campus, as a balance is found. We are already working with a few locations that we hope to be sharing within the next couple months!” Kat explained.
We encourage both young adults and Vincentians to take action:
● Explore opportunities to connect with Catholic communities on local campuses and partner with or start SVdP initiatives.
● Find unique opportunities for young people to use their time, talents, and skills to serve those in need – young people can make a big impact with SVdP with as little as $5, 5 hours, or 5 friends.
● To learn more about how your SVDP council or conference can create lasting connections with Catholic young adults and college campuses, Kat and the Emerging Leaders team are happy to help. The YYAEL team has been working on materials that are helpful for this process and they would love to send them your way.
For more resources and inspiration, visit our Emerging Leaders Blog:
- 5 Ways YOU Can Make a Difference with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- From Campus to Community: 10 Meaningful Winter Service Projects YOUR Conference Can Do
- Explore the blog: https://svdpemergingleaders.blog/
Next year’s SEEK conference, SEEK26, promises to be even bigger and more inspiring. With three different locations—each offering unique opportunities for encounter, community, and transformation—SEEK26 is a chance for young adults to connect with the Church and each other on a deeper level. The theme for SEEK26 – “To the Heights” – invites participants to follow the example of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, a Vincentian who will be canonized this year.
Let’s continue the tradition of encountering, praying, learning, and serving together—just as the first Vincentians did. The future of the Vincentian mission is bright, and together, we can continue to spread the flame of service and faith across campuses and parishes. If you are interested in learning more about engaging college students and young adults, reach out to us at youngadults@svdpusa.org.