Pope Leo XIV surprised attendees at SEEK 2026 with a videotaped message encouraging young people to seek after fulfillment they are looking for through personal encounter with Christ.

“‘What do you seek?’ Jesus asked the disciples this question because he knows their hearts,” the Holy Father said, reflecting on the Gospel of John.

Jesus knew the disciples were restless for God and longing for meaning, he said.

“Today, Jesus directs the same question to each one of you. Dear young people, what do you seek? Why are you here at this conference? Perhaps your hearts are also restless, searching for meaning and fulfillment and direction for your lives.”

“The answer,” Leo continued, “is found in a person.”

The pope’s video message was played at the end of opening Mass for the some 26,000 SEEK26 attendees gathered across Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth, Texas. The SEEK conference, Jan. 1 through Jan. 5, is organized by FOCUS.

“The Lord Jesus alone brings us true peace and joy and fulfills every one of our deepest desires,” the pope said, noting that just like the disciples, each SEEK participant has “the opportunity to spend time with the Lord,” whether for the first time or in a moment of deepening relationship with him.

“Be open to what the Lord has in store for you,” he said. “The two disciples were initially with Jesus only for a few hours, but that encounter changed their lives forever.”

Pope Leo further noted the Gospel showcases what it means to be a missionary, pointing out that “Andrew could not help but share with his brother what he had found” after meeting Jesus. “I pray that as you leave this conference, all of you will be moved by this same missionary zeal to share with those around you the joy that you have received from a genuine encounter with the Lord,’ he said.

The pope called on participants not to be afraid of the Lord’s calling, emphasizing that “he alone knows the deepest, perhaps hidden longings of your heart, the path that will lead you to true fulfillment.”

‘How many messages did you send?’

In Columbus, Bishop Earl Fernandes introduced Leo’s message after Mass on opening night with a joke about his various attempts to request the presence of Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the U.S, to deliver a message on behalf of the Holy Father.

After numerous emails, written letters, and visits to the Vatican, Fernandes said he did not receive an answer till just before Christmas. “People say, ‘Well how many messages did you send?’ and I answered, ‘I don’t know, six or seven,” he joked, and was met with a burst of laughter.

“I did get a response, which we will show you now,” he said, and Pope Leo’s message appeared, to many cheers, across the screens in the auditorium.

The night also included keynote speeches by popular Catholic apologist Matt Fradd and Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN.

This article was originally published on CNA.