Novice Amberina (left) and Vocation Director Sister Maria Victoria Cutaia joined thousands of fellow Catholics at SEEK 2025 earlier this year in Salt Lake City.
Benedictine Sister of Perpetual Adoration Vocation Director Maria Victoria Cutaia, OSB and Novice Amberina joined thousands of fellow Catholics for SEEK 2025 earlier this year in Salt Lake City.
SEEK is hosted by FOCUS, a Catholic outreach organization, and welcomes parishioners, chaplains, religious men and women, college students, families and others to take part in presentations, prayer services, women’s group sessions and more.
“Each year, SEEK becomes more refined, and I love the opportunity to connect with people where they are in their faith,” said Sister Maria Victoria, who serves as the Congregation’s vocation director.
Days were packed with opportunities for prayer, learning and connection. Daily Mass was a highlight – standing among so many believers, lifting their voices in worship, was a reminder of the vastness of the Church.
At their organizational booth in Mission Way, Sister Maria Victoria and Novice Amberina met young adults curious about religious life, sometimes sharing their own discernment journeys.
“It’s always a gift to listen,” Sister Maria Victoria reflected. “These conversations help us understand where people are in their faith and how we can support them.”
Novice Amberina also had the opportunity to visit with the priest from her college alma mater and with a high school friend whom she hadn’t seen in over 20 years. It was a joyful reunion and a reminder of how God weaves lives together in surprising ways.
The evenings at SEEK were just as moving. The night adoration session, with confession available, left a deep impression on Novice Amberina. She felt humbled to witness so many people seeking Christ’s mercy.
“Over 3,000 confessions were heard that night,” she marveled.
Of course, SEEK also had its lighter moments. When Novice Amberina spotted a rock climbing wall at one of the booths, she couldn’t resist the challenge. Later, she laughed as she recounted the experience.
“I will admit it got the better of me,” she said. “It provided me with the insight that I have quite aways to go in the trust department, which makes me laugh because I thought I had already conquered that proverbial wall. I also found that I need to work on praying with a heart open to His strength instead of relying on what my mind distracts me with. My spiritual advisor also brilliantly pointed out, ‘It was a great lesson in that it’s OK to fall. God calls us to humility, not pride.’”
Sister Maria Victoria and Amberina reflected on their time at the conference and the opportunities it provided.
“It’s not every day you get to pray with thousands of people,” Sister Maria Victoria said. “Being here, sharing our way of life and walking alongside these young Catholics – it’s a beautiful reminder of why we do what we do.”
Both women know that the seeds they planted at SEEK 2025 will continue to grow in ways only God could foresee.
“SEEK provided so many incredible opportunities to see and experience Christ through others,” Novice Amberina said. “It’s so beautiful and vitalizing to see the energy and faith of these younger Catholics. Sharing information about our monastery with them was a wonderful opportunity to help spread the word about religious life.”
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