8 Jesus youth @ WyD

12 ReXBAND 20 GRACESGO LIVe IN euRoPe ON THE

NeWsWAtCh 26 GLoBAL

OCTOBER 2011

a missionary movement at the service of the church

HOla Madrid!
CAPTURING THE SPIRIT OF WORLD YOUTH DAY IN THE CITY OF MADRID
esta es la juventud del PaPa (this is the youth of the PoPe). echoing throughout madrid, this chant was a constant reminder to all those Present for miles around that world youth day had indeed descended on sPain. here was the testament that what Pope john Paul ii had initiated in the mid 80s was now a vibrant youth gathering. Between 15th & 21st august 2011 the city came alive with nearly 2 million enthusiastic pilgrims from 193 nations converging to sing, dance, pray, reflect and above all, celebrate their catholic faith, making it the 3rd most attended world youth day (after manila in 1995 and rome in 2000).
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HEarT Talk
the year-long jubilee celebrations and the jubilee conference was a wonderful opportunity for me to witness the myriad ways and meet the numerous people god used to lead the jesus youth movement for over 25 years and to offer thanks together with them. from the moment the mantle of responsibility fell on me in the wake of the conference, my prayer made in fear and trembling has been this that i may be given the grace to rely solely on god and not on the wealth of my experience or my talents in order to lead the movement that god has brought thus far according to his will. the present growth of jesus youth as a movement can be attributed to committed leaders who have surrendered themselves fully to god. one such leader god has used thus to build the movement is manoj sunny, who from 1996 when he was made all kerala co-ordinator and through his terms as national and international co-ordinator, has been working full time for jesus youth as well as other missionary endeavours of the church. such committed leaders are shaped through the wise, step by step conduct of various catholic faith formation programmes organised periodically. these formation programmes that mould missionary leaders are the strength and hallmark of the movement. it was when my new responsibility took me across nations where i met jy leaders and witnessed their activities and lifestyle first hand that I understood more fully that jesus youth and its faith formation programmes are a part of gods plan and that he expects much of us even today. recently i met a jy leader from kerala working in a gulf country at a job that demands hard physical labour for a meagre salary, who is an inspiration to many, for the joyful gratitude he expresses to god despite his back-breaking work and the limitations of the labour camp; for the way he walks miles in the scorching sun to attend mass and to visit other labour camps to share his experience of the love of god. he said that it was the jy formation programmes that gave him a sense of mission and great hope in the midst of trials. such programmes have formed many lay missionaries who are equipped to reach out to those places where priests and religious are not permitted entry. at a time when sects and cult groups that go against the teachings of the church are mushrooming both within and without the church, jesus youth is able to instil in young people of several nations, a great love for the church and a deep interest in church studies. as a result there are many today who pursue such studies seriously. a young mother of three with a masters in english literature who is doing a full time theology and philosophy course in a seminary and her husband who encouraged her to pursue such a full time course at a time when people opt for professional courses that will fetch them well-paid jobs say, that it is the jy formation programmes that instilled in them a love and commitment for the church and for serious study. there is now an increasing number of young people doing theology courses within the movement like the two senior jy leaders with Post-graduate degrees who are now doing a theology course for lay people in the Pontifical Urbano University in Rome. while many say that vocations to religious and priestly life are on the decline, i believe that jesus youth gives us great hope. hundreds of young people in the movement (many of them after having completed their higher education and getting established in their careers) are discerning their vocation thanks to the jy formation programmes. i advised one such young man recently to persevere in his studies and go on to become a good priest, to which he replied with such great depth of conviction that i raised my heart yet again in gratitude to god for this movement of which i am a part. undoubtedly, god has entrusted the present line of leaders and jy service teams at all levels the great responsibility of continuing to provide such catholic faith formation programmes to many and of forming many more missionaries in the years to come. Before i conclude, let me extend my gratitude and appreciation to the former international co-ordinator george devassy and his team for what god has accomplished through them. i also earnestly request all your prayers for the present international team, that we may receive the grace to lead this movement in keeping with gods mighty plan. raiju varghese jesus youth international co-ordinator

how can a young Person Be true to the faith and yet continue to asPire to high ideals in todays society? in the gosPel, jesus gives us an answer to this urgent question: as the father has loved me, so i have loved you; aBide in my love (jn 15:9) if you aBide in the love of christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setBacks and suffering, the source of true haPPiness and joy. faith does not run counter to your highest ideals; on the contrary, it elevates and Perfects those ideals. dear young PeoPle, do not Be satisfied with anything less than truth and love, do not Be content with anything less than christ.

HOMILY OF HiS HOliNESS BENEdiCT XVi AT THE PRAYER VIGIL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, CUATRO VIENTOs AIR BAsE, MADRID, 20 AUGUsT 2011

COVEr STOrY
Hola Madrid!

contd. from page 1

their faith in the church. some case studies have shown that a significant portion of young men and women entering religious life cite the international event as an experience that contributed to their vocations. at madrid, some young pilgrims listened to a group of iraqi bishops and seminarians about the persecution they face and went on to express their support for one another, sang and prayed together and left with a bigger picture of the world. understanding the catechism of the church is another motive for some youngsters. By getting closer to the signs and symbols of the catholic church, like the sacraments, eucharistic adorations and via crucis, the participants get an opportunity to dispel any myths they may have of the church and have a personal and tangible experience of the splendour of the church. veteran vatican-watcher john allen argued in a talk last april at dePaul university, Chicago, that the most significant trend in catholicism today is the recovery of traditional markers of catholic identity, practice, and language by engaged young catholics. these are the young catholics at world youth day: young men and women who seek to know their faith more deeply and evangelise the culture in which they live. a fourth purpose for many is to get reconciled with the church. Pope Benedict Xvi makes repeated reference to the sacrament of reconciliation, emphasising the need to be reconciled to god. this was evident at madrid where for the first time ever, the Holy Father also heard the confessions of a few young people at wyd. in the catechesis centres, many youngsters put forth their fears, trials and problems, seeking answers from the shepherds of the church. there are countless other incidents of youth who testify how they had strayed away from god, from faith, stopped going to the church, stopped praying, and almost started to stray away from their family and friends when the pilgrimage saved them and helped them find their way back to their faith.

Pope john Paul ii shared a special bond with young people dating back to his days as a novice priest. he looked to the youth as he knew he could place his trust in them and in his 1987 wyd message declared them as the animators and future protagonists making all such international gatherings revolutionary in every sense thereafter. one of the most important things that world youth day offers its pilgrims is an opportunity to witness the true universality of the church and encounter the holy father in person. the fact that so many undertake this long and often expensive pilgrimage offering little comforts, is an affirmation of their commitment to the catholic church. rachel howell, a pilgrim from alabama blogged, the word catholic means universal, and at wyd, i will get to participate with young people from all over the world in a public testimony of faith: in our belief in the true presence of jesus in the holy eucharist, in the teachings of christ and his church. another blogger, Pat kearns, referring to the interest people have in the holy father writes, they are not coming to see the man, but they are coming to see the vicar of christ. they are not coming to see mr. ratzinger the professor, but rather the priest and now Pope, the successor of Peter himself. sona mpofu, a pilgrim from Zimbabwe adds, when you come here, you feel at home. you dont need to explain yourself. you are who you are. we understand each other. secondly, it fosters a personal quest often the result is a positive shift of focus from me 2 u. according to archbishop joseph w. tobin, secretary of the congregation for institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, for many young catholics, world youth day can be the one church event where they have the time, space and camaraderie they need to start pondering the way god wants them to live

Planted and built up in Jesus Christ

world youth day 2011 is the longest and most widely participated event in spanish and probably european history, with the most number of pilgrims coming from italy, spain and france. a delegation from easter island (Chile) was also specially flown in for the 1st time this wyd. the internet is now abuzz with hundreds of inspiring stories from youngsters.

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 3

witnessing the joy of a million Plus young PeoPle, rooted in christ and Proud of their faith, singing and dancing Both when the sun was Burning down hard at 48 degrees as well as when the stormy winds Battered across cuatre vientos, i knew that i was not alone in my journey and struggle for a life of truth. madrid for 2 weeks overflowed with love, a love that celeBrated life, faith and truth in its fullness. josePh ANthRAPeR, uK

AS SUCCESSOR OF PETER I ENTRUST ALL OF YOU PRESENT WITH THIS TASk: MAkE THE kNOWLEDGE AND LOvE OF JESUS CHRIST kNOWN TO THE WHOLE WORLD! HE WANTS YOU TO bE THE APOSTLES OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AND THE MESSENGERS OF HIS JOY. DO NOT LET HIM DOWN! HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI AT THE RECITATION OF THE ANGELUS DOMINI AT CUATRO VIENTOS AIRPORT, 21 AUG. 2011

young catholics were also able to meet committed laity and clergy and learn from them; not just from what they said but from their personal witness. it was encouraging to see so many of them accompanying the youth, walking with them, eating with them, praying with them and participating together. wyd offers opportunities for conversion and healing, for education and discernment. it is able to achieve in a few short days what an entire adolescence in a modern parish or school may not, shares a participant of wyd, cologne. in its truest sense wyd is a catalyst for renewal at various levels: incidents - a group of irish pilgrims convinced a spanish couple not to abort their child; People - several meet and marry because of these gatherings; Bureaucracy- heads of state get involved and become open to the church; media

- the event broadcasted on the spanish television networks were watched by more than 12 million people. yes, indeed, a moving ecclesial event! (general audience, 24th august 2011) one teen describing the beauty of wyd said, to know that people from all over the world - not just people but youth, teenagers such as myself - are going to world youth day, reminds me how easily god can capture a heart, even a rebellious teenagers heart. nothing is impossible for him. thus, youth not only get to see and experience christ, but are reassured that the holy spirit is alive and active.

one group from Barcelona said that they set off for madrid nearly a month ahead of the event to travel around 600 kilometres on foot. they said that the chosen route was not the shortest, but the one that took them through small towns and villages, where they were able to give a testimony of their unity with the Pope. the media too commented that they had never seen such a great multitude of people participating voluntarily and with great joy. the holy father described the pilgrims as having a face of kindness, friendship and neighbourly concern. through the wyd week, thousands of youth flocked to the Feast of forgiveness to make their confessions at a local park. the churchs decision to lift excommunication and to grant absolution in confession to those who had committed the sin of abortion came as an added blessing in madrid, popularly labelled the abortion mecca of europe.

Something for everybody!

many dismiss the idea of a world youth day stating it as just another gathering of young people. some spaniards argued that hosting it was a colossal waste of time, money and manpower in the midst of the states economic crises. gad3, a consulting agency, carried out a survey prior to the event at madrid amongst 3500 participating youth from all over the world. with respect to their motivation for attending it, those interviewed mentioned the desire to live new experiences (72%), spread the message of jesus christ (68%), to show their commitment to the church (65%), to satisfy their spiritual needs (61%),

imparted by bishops from all over the world. these were held in 5 languages (spanish, italian, french, english and Portuguese) across 250 venues. for the remainder of each day, youngsters could choose from the 295 cultural activities that were taking place across madrid. these included 104 music concerts, 6 dance performances, 50 plays, 29 exhibitions, 11 conferences or testimonials. one could also opt to enjoy the museums which were free of charge, pray at the eucharistic adoration, visit the vocation fair or just meet up with young people from all over the world to share interests and experiences. the Pope joined the group mid-week welcomed amidst a great festive ambience where the wyd cross and icon were also present. the next day, he accompanied the it was amaZing to see millions of youth from around the world who are making the same journey of faith as myself. it was insPiring to see that the youth in the catholic church are still very viBrant, faithful and immensely growing in numBer. it reminded me of the wyd 2011 theme, Planted and Built uP in jesus christ, firm in the faith - just like a tree, we are all Being Planted and Being Built uP But in jesus christ - like the Branches, the numBer of youth in the church is also growing everyday, and like the roots, the youth are Being rooted in their faith and made firm through the church. JIthIN GeoRGe, usA

to be with people who think the same as them (58%), to meet people (53%), to find the meaning of their lives (48%) and to help improve society (48%). what journey one undertakes at wyd varies from person to person, depending on where they are coming from and what they need to receive from god there.

Wow, Youthful, Different

these three words can hardly sum up what made this years wyd gathering stand out, but its definitely a start. World Youth Day officially kicked off on the evening of 16th with an opening mass at madrids Plaza de cibeles, presided over by the archbishop of madrid, cardinal antonio mara rouco varela and concelebrated by other participating bishops and priests. in the days that followed (17, 18 and 19 august), the morning hours saw catechesis

youth in the way of the cross that was made special and meaningful through spanish holy week pasos (sculptural works-of-art floats) brought in from all over the country. the night vigil and the send-off mass held at cuatro vientos - an aerodrome the size of 48 soccer fields featured around 14,000 priests & 800 bishops concelebrating the closing mass with the Pope. when compared with other religious events, the impact of wyd was found to be 3.3 times greater than the Popes visit to Barcelona to inaugurate the holy family Basilica and even 1.3 times greater than John Paul IIs beatification. wyd madrid also stood out for its impact on the media. a study by the university of Navarre identified news on WYD being reported in 108 countries, some from places as remote as fiji (two articles) and sierra leone (two articles), and even in countries with obstacles to religious
OCTOBER 2009 sEPTEMBER 2011 PAGE 5

liberty, such as sudan (one article), saudi arabia (four articles) and cuba (42 articles). some 5,000 journalists were given credentials for covering the event and an approximate 50,000 reports were published in that week. This year for the first time, WYD offered the opportunity to make a virtual pilgrimage with registered users from countries as far away as Zambia, syria, and vietnam, among many others. This was also the first wyd to be completely connected to the social networks: for months the event was publicised across networking sites in twenty different languages! during the event, the team moved around on the Bus 2.0, enabling them to make live updates from any venue.

A Festival of Faith
as the way of the cross concluded, a young girl came up and asked me, where are you from? when i responded india, her eyes lit up and she asked me whether i could sign her t-shirt with my name and country. this girl was on a personal mission to collect as many signatures from people from as many countries as possible and take them home as a souvenir. it was a common sight to see young pilgrims bonding with each other, sharing joy and laughter over meals in the different restaurants, queuing up for hours under the scorching heat to catch a glimpse of the Pope, cooling themselves off under the water sprays of the fire trucks, singing songs of praise on the streets amidst

wyd 2011 was an amaZing eXPerience. it helPed me to Be Planted and Built uP in jesus. i can now say with sure conviction that no matter what i face in life, i will never let go of gods hand. i realiZed the haPPiness that i seek has a name and a face that is definitely jesus. i eXPerienced gods unconditional love for me and his love has strengthened my faith in him. KAmAL PeReRA, sRI LANKA

wyd helPed us to eXamine ourselves, discover our drawBacks and weaknesses and take stePs to overcome them with the helP of god. we saw virtues like fellowshiP, true sacrifice, love, etc., in action throughout the days of wyd 2011. it was an awesome and unique eXPerience. sANJu FRANCIs, KuWAIt

the fellowshiP we shared as the jesus youth family was a manifestation of gods love and of love among the memBers of the one, universal, aPostolic, and holy church. the highlight of my wyd eXPerience would ProBaBly Be a close encounter with the holy father when he Passed By our sector in the PoPemoBile just Before the closing mass. sImI mIChAeL, uAe

thousands of people, journeying together in crowded metros and exchanging little gifts on the way. for the young catholics who came from around the world, these events reflected their ideologies, tastes and preferences and gathered them in an environment where they experienced a sense of freedom and joy. at wyd11 they truly celebrated life!

each day, an act that moved their hosts so much that even the old grandma, though unable to walk, would ensure that she was brought for the family prayer each time.

beacons of freedom, reconciliation and peace

reports say that on the vigil night as the storm picked up, the Pope was asked twice whether he thought that he should leave and instead said, no, i am staying. we are staying. and no one left; rather they faced that rain with joy and made a difference

world youth day is a life changing eXPerience. you fall in love with your faith. each wyd i have attended, i have grown in my faith and when i am Back home, i strive to Be worthy of his kingdom and work towards sharing him with others. i urge everyone to at least try and attend one wyd. eRIN PINto, uAe

Working its wonders

over the years the impact world youth days have had on participating youth has been immense. Putting experiences into words such as could express my love for god and the church unabashedly, opened my eyes to the universality of the catholic church, came to know more about my faith and shared it with others most youngsters head back invigorated to their homes, schools, parishes and work places to continue their wyd journey. there are also a few who return with more questions than answers that help them to reflect on real issues and keep their faith alive. Aboard the Papal flight to Madrid, Pope Benedict Xvi described the wyd celebrations as a cascade of light that refreshes, nourishes and strengthens young catholics and, therefore, can bring hope to the world. speaking at madrid, cardinal george Pell of sydney said, one of the things weve learned from sydney is that so many spontaneous growths and activities have sprung up themselves since world youth day. often, these gatherings strengthen not only the participants but also the host city residents as they witness the faith of the pilgrims. this reminds me of a story that my fellow travellers narrated to me about their stay with a local spanish family. these pilgrims made it a point to pray with the family before heading out

with their presence. for the 800 jesus youth pilgrims - youth, families, religious included who were there from 17 countries, this was truly a defining moment. Besides an opportunity to witness diverse movements and charisms, members got to interact closely with a host of bishops, pilgrims and volunteers who brought learnings from their different exposures, the experience of which proved mutually enriching. the movement was also blessed to animate catechesis at three centres where many got to witness our strengths and unique approaches to youth animation. all through the event, eyes were opened, priorities reset, new arenas of ministry realised and further challenges reckoned with. and now we start again holding close to our hearts the Popes parting message fix your eyes upon him, deepen your knowledge of the gospel and bring forth abundant fruit!

LIss thomAs a committed jesus Youth with a flair for communication, she is working with the jesus Youth International Office. her keen interest to shape articles and various write-ups makes her instrumental in the running of the official website and also the jy newsletter.

during the way of the cross at PlaZa de ciBeles, after the final station, the holy father sPoke to us aBout how jesus loves us, and that he gave his life for us what would we do for him? the PoPe asked all of us to give the Best of ourselves! the thrill and joy of wyd continues, But also the Prick of conscience! in all these years of my life, what did i give him? there is a strong urge within me to restart! sR. m. Jessy PDDm, ItALy
OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 7

JESUS YOUTH @ WYD

over 2500 young pilgrims including 800 jy pilgrims were gathered across the different parishes of san juan de mata, santa mara la Blanca and san saturnino on the 17, 18 & 19 of august. representing many nations, they were there to partake in the wyd catechesis sessions. for over a decade, jesus youth has been associated with wyds but this year was the first time that it had been asked to animate three centres. to ensure the effectiveness of the programme and efficiently assist the Bishops leading the catechesis, every venue had its own team of volunteers along with worship teams from different parts of the world under the guidance of the rexband. starting off soon after breakfast, each day included a time of music & worship, opportunities for reconciliation, catechesis by a guest bishop followed by a lively discussion and a joyful celebration of the holy eucharist. the presence of bishops like most rev. wildrid napier (archbishop of durban - south africa), most rev. denis kiwanuka lote (archbishop of tororo - uganda), most rev. vincent nichols (archbishop of westminster - uk), most rev. Philip wilson (archbishop of adelaide - australia), most rev. william

murphy (Bishop of rockville centre usa), most rev. moses m. costa (Bishop of dinajpur - Bangladesh) and most rev. samuel j. aquila (Bishop of fargo - usa) was the highlight for the pilgrims who were inspired and encouraged by their messages. as the masses concluded, they would be seen rushing to click a picture with the new friends they had found in the bishops, organisers and other youth present. the invitation to catechesis was for the movement a unique opportunity to be a joyful witness to christ while enriching the church with its gifts.

a loud cheer greeted the band as it took to the stage. for many in the crowd, this was their first time listening to a gospel band from india and they loved it! the rexband held a 45-minute performance at Plaza de espaa on 17th august for the young pilgrims from around the world. the celebration and joy around was contagious and in no time everyone was swaying to the music. the rexband was also one of the few bands specially selected to perform on the wyd stage at cuatro vientos as a part of the preparatory event for the vigil with the Pope scheduled to start later that evening. the band was blessed to have an audience of over 1 million at the venue with thousands more watching the event live from their homes on television networks. holy from the album sonrise and rise up and dance from their newly released album you turn were specially selected to be performed on the occasion. for the band, madrid was a rare platform to meet up with other catholic bands and get exposed to diverse styles and expressions of music. they were privileged to be the only group invited to perform from india at wyd11 which they believe is a sign of the churchs openness to the movement and recognition of the bands music and ministry amongst the youth.

rEXBaNd@ WYd

it was great to Be amidst youth sharing the same faith, with a Passion and love for the church, trying to get deeProoted in christ. each holy mass, Prayer, seminar, vigil, camPing and meal together was a sheer celeBration of youth. RohIt A. CheLAt, INDIA

this was my first wyd and i thank god for this wonderful oPPortunity to understand the Pulse of young catholics from around the world. the night vigil at the cuatro vientos aerodrome was a unique eXPerience and a memory to cherish. every world youth day is very imPortant for the catholic church and i am haPPy to have Been a Part of it. JohN JosePh, INDIA

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 9

Jesus youth INteRNAtIoNAL LeADeRs tRAINING

ReDemPtoRIst CeNtRe, PAttAyA, thAILAND 26TH JUNE TO 9TH JUly 2011

Archbishop Giovanni D Aniello, Bishop Siripong Charatsri and Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara at the JYILT Commitment ceremony

JYILT
Twenty-five Jesus Youth leaders from different parts of the world gathered together at the Redemptorist Centre, Pattaya, Thailand for the 4th International Leadership Training organised from 26th June to 9th July 2011. It was, for all the participants, an unforgettable experience of living together, sharing and learning. The leaders were privileged to have the best of resource persons like Raiju Varghese who excellently co-ordinated the entire training, Manoj Sunny who helped all get an in-depth understanding of the movement, C.C. Joseph who set everyone thinking, Rev. Fr. Fio Mascarenhas SJ - the Bible scholar, Bro. Jude Antoine - the evangelist, George Devassy who stressed that persecutions are cool - all for Jesus, Dony Peter who taught everyone how to be committed to their call and Baby Chacko who beautifully explained the six pillars. The leaders were also blessed to have Rev. Fr. Bitaju Mathew O.Ss.T. and Rev. Sr. Thresiamma Philip FMM - the two wonderful guardian angels who accompanied the participants throughout the training. The joy and love shared with the resource team and amongst the leaders proved enriching as all got to know and learn from each other. The evangelisation outreach to the people working in the flesh trade was as many confessed, a life-changing experience. The participants went into their midst, shared Jesus with them and prayed along with them. It was heartening to see how this place which is

The PeRSOnAL enCOunTeR I hAD wITh eACh LeADeR GAVe Me A TRue PuLSe OF The MOVeMenT In DIFFeRenT PARTS OF The wORLD. TheIR COMMITMenT, enThuSIASM AnD VISIOn GIVeS Me A LOT OF hOPe. I CAn TRuLY SAY ThAT GOD hAS Been GeneROuS In TOuChInG The LIVeS OF SO MAnY LeADeRS AnD ThROuGh TheM, hAS PeRSOnALLY ChALLenGeD M TO DO MORe. FR. BItAJu mAtheW, PAstoR, JyILt 2011

otherwise filled with sadness, brim with a joy that Christ alone brings. There was much to learn from the Redemptorist Centre itself, which also housed a school for the differently-abled and a school for the less privileged children. It was indeed a remarkable sight to see these children move around cheerfully in their wheelchairs. The current manager of this Centre is also a former student of this school; despite having no limbs she efficiently manages the whole working of the Centre from her wheelchair. This made everyone stand once again in awe and amazement at the Lords wonderful work. On the concluding day, the eucharistic Celebration and the Commitment ceremony was celebrated by Most Rev. Giovanni D Aniello, the Apostolic nuncio of Thailand, Most Rev. Silvio Siripong Charatsri, the Bishop of Pattaya, and Most Rev. Abraham Viruthakulangara, the Archbishop

A FLOw OF The SPIRIT PReVAILeD ALL ThROuGh The LIVe-In exPeRIenCe. The LeADeRS ShOweD A GReAT SPIRIT OF ShARInG, COMMunITY, enThuSIASM AnD ABOVe ALL A GReAT FIDeLITY TO The ChuRCh AnD heR TeAChInGS. A weLL-PLAnneD SeRIeS OF SeSSIOnS PROGReSSIVeLY BROuGhT The PARTICIPAnTS TO A DeePeR ReALM OF COMMITMenT. sR. thResIAmmA PhILIP, tRAINING teAm, JyILt 2011

IT wAS A PLATFORM TO MeeT keY JeSuS YOuTh LeADeRS. I wAS DeePLY InSPIReD BY The quALITY AnD LIFeSTYLe OF The SeRVAnT LeADeRS. ThROuGh ThIS TRAInInG IVe GOT A CLeAReR VISIOn AnD MISSIOn AS A JeSuS YOuTh. mANu mIChAeL, KuWAIt

The TRAInInG heLPeD Me TO DeVeLOP BOTh SPIRITuALLY AnD PeRSOnALLY. I FOunD A wAY TO Be CLOSeR TO JeSuS, TO LISTen TO hIM AnD TO wITneSS hIM COuRAGeOuSLY. DoNy K. mAtheW, sA

JYILT 2011 participants & Training Team together with JYIFT participants

I wAS TOuCheD BY The FACT ThAT The MOVeMenT CAReS SO MuCh ABOuT ITS new GeneRATIOn LeADeRS. we GOT An OPPORTunITY TO knOw MORe ABOuT The MOVeMenT AnD hOw A JeSuS YOuTh LeADeR ShOuLD Be In ThIS MODeRn eRA. eBRo theKKeKARA, QAtAR

of nagpur and ecclesiastical Advisor of Jesus Youth India. The leaders left to their mission places to be zealous missionaries for the Lord. All in all, the time at Pattaya was much loved and enjoyed and will be cherished as days which helped the participants become true missionaries ready to serve the Lord, at all cost. VANDANA mARIA, INDIA

whAT I SAw AnD exPeRIenCeD In ThAILAnD wAS ThAT ChRISTIAn LeADeRShIP ISnT JuST ABOuT LeADInG OTheRS TO ChRIST, RATheR IT IS ABOuT MOTIVATInG TheM AnD JOuRneYInG TOGeTheR. I hAVe DAReD TO SAY YeS YeT AGAIn BuT ThIS TIMe wITh MORe SInCeRITY AnD TRuST nOT In MYSeLF, BuT In MY LORD. JoCeLyN FeRNANDes, uK

The TRAInInG MADe Me ReALISe ThAT JeSuS MuST Be nOT JuST A PRIORITY BuT The FIRST AnD OnLY PRIORITY In MY LIFe. AnD nOw I knOw ThAT I AM DOInG The LORDS wORk nOT BeCAuSe I LOVe TO DO IT BuT BeCAuSe I LOVe MY LORD AnD I Seek TO GLORIFY hIS nAMe. VINIthA P. thomAs, AustRALIA

JYILT wAS A unIque exPeRIenCe FOR Me wheRe I COuLD IDenTIFY MY PeRSOnAL MISSIOn AS A JY LeADeR. I COuLD ALSO LeARn A LOT FROM The OTheR PARTICIPAnTS DuRInG TheSe DAYS. IT wAS An AweSOMe TIMe BeInG wITh MY FRIenDS In JeSuS. ARuN ANtoNy, INDIA

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 11

REXbAND LIvE IN EUROPE

ReXBAND PRe-WoRLD youth DAy touR
AustRIA, sWItzeRLAND AND GeRmANy

28TH JULY TO 14TH AUGUsT 2011

undergoing chemotherapy during the time of travel. And most importantly, the date that the consulate were ready to give us the visas was after the date of the first concert scheduled in Vienna! So when all of these hurdles were crossed miraculously, we were quite certain that God had something beautiful in store. needless to say, the trip

every time an extended Rexband mission tour is proposed, we are tempted to ask: how can this be possible? Firstly, the fact that we work full time in various professions to make a living for our families unlike full time bands, creates a certain amount of difficulty in taking time off. Secondly, we live in different countries and coming together calls for long hours of travelling. Thirdly, a mission concert always means working together with local Jesus Youth teams to overcome several limitations in financing, infrastructure and scheduling before we can even set off. Yet in the last decade that weve been touring, God has kept on surprising us over and over by making it possible.

This time, looking at the odds, we knew it wasnt difficult; it was a clear impossibility. To begin with, most of us were struggling with issues at work. For many of us, being with our families was crucial at this juncture. Besides, people like Stephen had been working day and night on the new album for almost a month before the tour. To add to that, three of our band members had loved ones

was an inspiring experience of Gods providence and presence for each of us. here are a few thoughts that come to my mind.

When God is present, the music speaks to the heart

In places like Vienna and Germany, where local residents were present in large numbers, we found God powerfully working across our limitations of language and culture to make the music speak to their hearts. It was amazing how the yearning for God comes to the surface in the hearts of every person in an instant. In every concert, this was the greatest miracle before our eyes.

The RexBAnD wITh ITS MuSIC hAS TOuCheD Me VeRY MuCh. The COnCeRT wAS LIke A MuSICAL whICh ADDReSSeD IMPORTAnT TOPICS LIke ABORTIOn. whAT I LIkeD MOST wAS The SOnG SunG In An InDIAn LAnGuAGe - we COuLD LeARn A Few MALAYALAM wORDS. IT wAS JuST A wOnDeRFuL ATMOSPheRe. mIRJAm ImFeLD, sWItzeRLAND and untold difficulties. Yet somehow, they could see through these difficulties into the joy of Gods kingdom. So each time we sang we knew that we were not just singing our songs, but the songs in the hearts of many around us.

I wAS FASCInATeD BY The TALenT OF eVeRYOne In The RexBAnD AnD I wAS IMPReSSeD BY TheIR SOnGS. The ChuRCh wAS FuLL OF LOVe AnD CARe. I ReALISeD GODS MeSSAGe IS The SAMe eVeRYwheRe - LOVe. zeyNeP ARsLAN, GeRmANy

The RexBAnD COnCeRT hAD A LOT OF ACTIOn AnD The quALITY OF MuSIC wAS GReAT. ThROuGh ThIS AMAzInG ShOw, JeSuS ChRIST wAS PRAISeD AnD MAnY DIFFeRenT PeOPLe CAMe TOGeTheR. DIPtesh BANeRJee, GeRmANy

our songs resound with the sacrifices of many

In most of the places we met young people and families setting aside time, money and health to make the concerts a blessing for every person in their land. Often this called for sleepless nights, long months of intercession, loss of money

theres nothing like the joy of meeting like-minded groups

whether it be Sr. Margarita and her mission in Germany, Bro.Thomas Pauls mission in europe, the Youth Arise International movement, the SALT band or the many different musicians and bands carrying the message of Jesus, one thing was clear - there is nothing more inspiring than meeting people who are working in the vineyard of the Lord.

Somebody has to reach out to them

every performance at the wYD leaves us speechless and this was no exception. Looking at the millions of young people spread out like grains of sand, we could only say in our hearts, somebody has to reach out to them. Clearly everything we do seems so inadequate. Yet it was a time of realisation that we need more young people, more diverse expressions and more people filled with Gods power to reach out in love to the millions. sheLtoN PINheIRo Co-oRDINAtoR, ReXBAND

The RexBAnD COnCeRT In VIennA wAS ABSOLuTeLY FAnTASTIC. ALL OF The BAnD MeMBeRS DID A GReAT JOB. The SOnGS, whICh TheY PeRFORMeD weRe MInDBLOwInG AnD The LYRICS, exPReSSIVe AnD STRIkInG. whAT ReALLY TOuCheD Me wAS The SOnG ABOuT The FeeLInGS OF A LITTLe BABY when IT IS In hIS/heR MOTheRS wOMB. ThIS SOnG exPReSSeS The CRueLTY OF ABORTIOn. ABOVe ALL, I wAS TOTALLY IMPReSSeD BY The MeMBeRS DeDICATIOn TO GOD. LesLyN eLeNJICKAL, AustRIA

rexbands latest album you turn was released during the bands pre-wyd tour to austria, switzerland and germany. the album contains a wide repotoire of music genres from pop to ethnic indian and jazz. Centered around the reflection on laying down ones own ways and coming back to the lord, the album features legendary drummer sivamani in one of the tracks. the entire collection, the band hopes and prays, will help listeners make a u-turn towards the lord. the album is now available in online stores around the world - itunes stores in the us, australia, europe, japan, mexico, new Zealand and uk and amazon.com stores in austria, switzerland, germany, france, japan, uk and the us. you can get info about these online stores at http:// en.rebeat.com/digital/portalliste.html

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 13

Jesus youth INteRNAtIoNAL eXPosuRe PRoGRAmme

JYIEP
st. NoRBeRt BhAVAN, BANGALoRe, INDIA 10TH TO 19TH JUNE 2011
The Jesus Youth International exposure Programme held at St. norbert Bhavan, Bangalore, India from 10th to 19th June 2011 opened up the richness of the Catholic faith and the beauty of a lifestyle rooted in the constants to the 25 participants present from various countries. This was the second batch of JYIeP. The participants came from Thailand, Bhutan, uAe, uSA and India. The participants were accompanied by a dynamic Training Team, led by Rodney Pereira (Co-ordinator) and Fr. Cheriyan nereveetil (Pastor), and supported by Baby Chacko, Raiju Varghese, Siljo Thomas, Sr. Thresiamma Philip, C.C. Joseph and Leema Pereira. Many resource persons and speakers conducted sessions for the participants on a wide range of

topics during the course of the training. Searching out paradigms and shifting them marked the beginning of the 10 day-long experience. The participants meticulously set for themselves action plans to work upon in the days to come. The group then attended a retreat aimed at giving them a firm spiritual foundation. The sessions on the following days focused on the Basics of

JYIeP 2011 participants and Training Team

The JeSuS YOuTh InTeRnATIOnAL exPOSuRe PROGRAMMe IS MeAnT FOR uPCOMInG YOunG LeADeRS TO GeT A DeePeR exPOSuRe TO The JeSuS YOuTh LIFeSTYLe AnD SPIRITuALITY.

Discipleship, elements of the Jesus Youth Lifestyle and its Pillars, evangelisation and the Vision and working Style of the Jesus Youth Movement. A visit to a JY Prayer Meeting in Bangalore and the subsequent stay in the evening with JY families helped the participants to realise and experience the beauty of fellowship and Jesus-centered family life.

Spending time with the less privileged children at Infant Jesus Childrens home was also a touching experience for the group. Bringing together young participants from various backgrounds in fellowship and faith, the exposure Programme has left its mark in their lives challenging them to walk more closely with the Lord. LeemA PeRIeRA, INDIA I COuLD InTeRACT wITh TwO DIFFeRenT LIFeSTYLeS OF JeSuS YOuTh - One ThAT OF The SenIOR LeADeRS AnD The OTheR OF new COMeRS. DuRInG The TRAInInG, I wITneSSeD The BeAuTY OF ALL BeCOMInG InSTRuMenTS In The hAnDS OF The hOLY SPIRIT. I BeLIeVe ThAT BOTh TheSe GROuPS weRe enRICheD BY eACh OTheRS GOODneSS. FR. CheRIyAN NeReVeetIL, PAstoR, JyIeP 2011 The PARTICIPAnTS ShOweD GReAT enThuSIASM AnD OPenneSS. IT wAS A huGe exPOSuRe FOR The TeAM TOO, AS we ORGAnISeD ThIS PROGRAMMe TO SuIT The neeDS OF YOunG PeOPLe FROM DIFFeRenT COunTRIeS AnD BACkGROunDS. RoDNey PeReIRA, Co-oRDINAtoR, JyIeP 2011

MY knOwLeDGe OF The ChuRCh AnD The MOVeMenT hAS InCReASeD. I LeARnT ThAT The MOST IMPORTAnT ThInG In LIFe IS MY ReLATIOnShIP wITh GOD. I ALSO unDeRSTOOD ThAT I hAVe Been CReATeD TO SPReAD GODS LOVe TO ALL. tImsoN thomAs, INDIA

JYIeP TAuGhT Me TO DO eVeRYThInG wITh GODS COnSenT. AnD nOw when I wALk ThROuGh The STReeTS, I See PeOPLe whO neeD JeSuS, nOT PeOPLe whO neeD Me TO TeLL TheM whAT IS RIGhT AnD wROnG. LIh PAo VeRoNICA ChANG, INDIA DuRInG The TRAInInG, I LeARnT ThAT LAnGuAGe IS nOT A BARRIeR FOR LOVe. I ThRew AwAY ALL The FeAR ThAT I hAD BROuGhT wITh Me AnD COnCenTRATeD On GODS wORDS. I wAS InSPIReD BY The FAITh OF OTheRS. mAtuRAPoJ suthAIthAm, thAILAND The exPOSuRe PROGRAMMe heLPeD Me COMe OuT OF MY COMFORT zOne, SuRRenDeR MYSeLF COMPLeTeLY AnD BeCOMe A TOOL In GODS hAnDS. I AM GRATeFuL ThAT I AM ABLe TO COnTInue ThIS LeARnInG In MY eVeRYDAY LIFe. JoLLy JohN, usA IT wAS A VeRY InFORMATIVe AnD MOTIVATInG PROGRAMMe. ThROuGh The knOwLeDGe I GOT FROM JYIeP, I AM BeTTeR equIPPeD TO SPReAD The LOVe OF GOD TO ThOSe AROunD Me. JoeL sheLtoN sACRAFAmILIA, uAe

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 15

Rexband

SALT Band

YAI
INteRNAtIoNAL youth FestIVAL
GibRAlTAR, 11 - 14 AUGUST 2011

Right across over there, our friendly Gibraltarian driver pointed to a building about a hundred metres away, thats the country of Gibraltar. we were driving in from Malaga, the seaside city at the tip of Spain. Many of us had not even heard of the country earlier. Some of us thought Gibraltar was a rock. Yet something told us that the experience would be unique, and indeed it was. The little country was literally packed with young people from around the world. The sun soaked island seemed to have become even more youthful with the arrival of young people from so many colourful nationalities. every road in this quaint, beautiful land between europe and Africa seemed to lead to the Stadium where the International Youth Festival organised by Youth Arise International (YAI) - a unique global platform for different catholic movements from around the world - was being held. This year the YAI Festival featured youth groups from as far as China. each nationality was welcomed with a resounding cheer and flags were flying in the air.

FROM The LOCAL weLCOMe TeAMS whO LOVInGLY GReeTeD uS, TO The enThuSIASTIC ChIneSe PARTICIPAnTS whO TAuGhT Me TO hAVe FAITh, TO The wOnDeRFuL BIShOPS whO ShAReD SO MuCh LOVe - ALL ReFLeCTeD The OVeRwheLMInG PReSenCe OF ChRIST whICh PeRVADeD YAI. The MOST PReCIOuS MOMenT wAS The TIMe ThAT JeSuS In The BLeSSeD SACRAMenT wAS SO VIVIDLY RAISeD, TOuChInG eACh AnD eVeRY One PReSenT. mAyRose PIus, AustRALIA MeeTInG YOuTh whO ShAReD One COMMOn LOVe FOR JeSuS ChRIST wAS TRuLY AMAzInG AnD InCReDIBLe. I hAVe neVeR wITneSSeD SO MuCh OF LOVe FOR hIM - IT MADe Me eMBRACe MY FAITh eVen MORe AnD uPLIFTeD MY SPIRIT. shARoN thomAs, usA

Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara of nagpur, India, Bishop Ralph heskett of Gibraltar and Bishop Giovanni Dercole of Italy with other concelebrants following the Inaugural holy Mass

Fr. Robert Spitzer

Then the bands came on - Rexband and SALT led the fray, followed by several local bands, dance and mime groups, singers and what not - the celebrations had begun. Yet beyond the celebrations, there was much that was happening. The sessions of the renowned Fr. Robert Spitzer who is known for his discourses on science, religion and faith took the young people on a journey through time, space and nothingness into the light of faith. Dr. Andrew Consiglio, henry Cappello, Salvatore Martinez among others too helped the young participants delve a little deeper into this discovery of faith. All through the festival, the participants experienced deep praise and worship sessions, relevant teachings, rocking concerts, breathtaking choreography and mimes, colourful cultural programmes and above all, deep Adoration and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. every evening, the music festivals lit up the place with a burst of music and dance. YAI also offered participants the opportunity to go on sightseeing tours, dolphin spotting trips and shopping among others. Most of all, it was a time to meet, reach out across borders, find new inspiration, start new journeys and ultimately prepare for the world Youth Day experience. Thus in the unforgettable ambience of Gibraltar, a new breed of young people began a journey to discover their personal mission in the context of the Catholic Church.

I See YAI AS A week when MY MInD AnD SOuL weRe PRePAReD BeFORe The SeeDS OF wYD weRe ACTuALLY SOwn. A week FOR ReFLeCTInG On The LATeST ISSueS COnCeRnInG The YOuTh, LISTenInG TO uPBeAT MuSIC PeRFORMeD BY ChRISTIAn BAnDS AnD enCOunTeRInG YOuTh FROM DIFFeRenT COunTRIeS. shALINI ANtoNy, uAe

YAI GAVe Me The ReALISATIOn ThAT YOuTh ALOne hOLD The keY TO BRInG A ChAnGe TO ThIS wORLD. when ALL hOPe SeeMeD TO Be FADInG AwAY, YAI Re-AFFIRMeD DOnT wORRY, we wILL ALL JOuRneY TOGeTheR, YOu ARe nOT ALOne. I nOw TAke uP The ChALLenGe TO ShOw The wORLD, The TRuTh AnD RIChneSS OF OuR MOTheR ChuRCh. CIJo Joy, uK The SPeAkeRS PROVIDeD new PeRSPeCTIVeS TO LIVe OuT MY FAITh. DAILY MASS, The SACRAMenT OF ReCOnCILIATIOn AnD euChARISTIC ADORATIOn STRenGTheneD MY PeRSOnAL ReLATIOnShIP wITh JeSuS. ALSO, The MuSIC wAS FOOD FOR The SOuL, FReeInG uS TO CeLeBRATe OuR FAITh. AIshWARyA VARGhese, CANADA

henry Cappello

Gibraltar mime ministry

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 17

JYIFT 2011 participants and Training Team with Bishop John Bosco Panya

Jesus youth INteRNAtIoNAL FuLLtIme VoLuNteeRs tRAINING

ReDemPtoRIst CeNtRe, PAttAyA, thAILAND 25TH JUNE TO 22Nd JUly 2011

HOw DO yOU TRAIN 21 yOUNG PEOPLE FROM 8 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES wITHIN 28 DAyS TO BECOME MISSIONARIES GOING OUT TO 13 COUNTRIES ACROSS 5 CONTINENTS?

JYIFT
The answer was evident from 25th June to 22nd July 2011, as 21 participants of the Jesus Youth International Fulltime Volunteers Training went through a transforming training for a year of formation and a lifetime commitment. Like the early Christian community, the 21 participants lived in close quarters with leaders, pastors and animators at the Redemptorist Centre in Pattaya, Thailand and grew from mutual correction, inspiration and support. Meals were enjoyed together with the JYILT and JYIAT participants. The upcoming missionaries also had the privilege of meeting some of the key leaders of the movement including the International Team members during their training. The

The GenuIne eAGeRneSS OF The PARTICIPAnTS TO LeARn AnD COMMIT TheMSeLVeS TO GOD wAS eVIDenT RIGhT FROM The BeGInnInG. BeCAuSe OF ThIS InheRenT DeSIRe, ALL OF TheM MADe The BeST uSe OF The TIMe AnD ReSOuRCeS AVAILABLe AnD I SAw TheM BeInG TRAnSFORMeD ThROuGh The TRAInInG. LIVInG TOGeTheR In A COMMunITY ATMOSPheRe ALSO COnTRIBuTeD TO TheIR GROwTh AS FuTuRe MISSIOnARIeS. FR. mAtheW ABRAhAm, PAstoR, JyIFt 2011

ThOuGh The PARTICIPAnTS weRe FROM DIFFeRenT CuLTuReS AnD BACkGROunDS, TheY GOT On TOGeTheR AS One FAMILY, MuTuALLY heLPInG eACh OTheR TO GROw. BeInG OPen AnD COOPeRATIVe TO The InPuTS GIVen hAVe BeneFITTeD TheM MuCh. IT IS eVIDenT ThAT ThIS TIMe hAS heLPeD TheM BeCOMe MORe COMMITTeD TO TheIR MISSIOnARY CALL. sILJo thomAs, Co-oRDINAtoR, JyIFt 2011

training was successfully coordinated by Siljo Thomas along with Rev. Fr. Mathew Abraham C.Ss.R. as the Pastor. The onemonth training commenced with a workshop to shift paradigms by Manoj Sunny, followed by a prayerful retreat led by the Training Team. Br. Jude Antoine from Malaysia led the sessions on evangelisation and equipped them to share their faith. Later, the volunteers had a practical experience of sharing their testimonies in the malls and beaches of Pattaya. Rev. Fr. Fio Mascarenhas SJ spent two days with the participants instiling in them knowledge and thirst for the word of God. Alex njavally spoke on using Charisms in Ministry. Leo Thaddeus switched gears by challenging the youth to

express themselves through dancing, acting and spontaneous singing. These sessions helped the group become more flexible and develop an artistic point of view. The participants deepened their knowledge of the Jesus Youth movement, its spirituality and its charisms through the sessions of Baby Chacko, Dr. edward edezhath and Raiju Varghese. They grew in understanding and love of the Church and her mission from the

talks given by Most Rev. Thomas Menamparampil - Archbishop of Guwahati, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Arikat, Dony Peter and George Devassy. Session on integrity and commitment brought the training to a completion. The constant presence of Sumol Pious (Training Team) as an elder sister to the participants was an added blessing. A beautiful Thai entrance dance led to the holy Mass and Commissioning ceremony presided by Most Rev. John Bosco Panya kritcharoen, Bishop of Ratchaburi Diocese & Secretary General of CBCT. During this time, keeping in mind all that they had learnt and all that they were yet to learn, the volunteers spoke out their names as they boldy pledged their lives to Jesus, the Catholic Church, and to the movement. And the journey continues as these confident missionaries go out to spread the joy of Christ to 13 countries across 5 continents. sImI sAhu, usA

JYIFT 2011 IS One OF The BeST exPeRIenCeS The LORD hAS GIVen Me. I, whO DIDnT hAVe The COuRAGe TO BeLIeVe In MYSeLF, LeARnT TO TRuST MYSeLF AnD MOST IMPORTAnTLY, TRuST GOD. I DISCOVeReD MY CReATIVe SIDe AnD ABOVe ALL, FOunD JOY In SPenDInG TIMe wITh The LORD. mARIA Jose, INDIA

whAT TOuCheD Me The MOST wAS The GenuIne LOVe OF The TRAInInG TeAM. ThAT LOVe BuILT uS uP AS A GROuP AnD kePT uS unITeD. The TeAMS COMMITMenT MOTIVATeD uS TO FuLLY DeDICATe OuRSeLVeS FOR The nexT YeAR, The TOOLS FOR whICh we GOT FROM The TRAInInG SeSSIOnS. Joe JosePh, usA

we weRe ALL FROM DIFFeRenT PARTS OF The wORLD BRInGInG OuR ShARe OF BehAVIOuRS AnD ATTITuDeS, BuT we GeLLeD AS A unIT In JeSuS. PeRSOnALLY, I ReALIzeD ThAT JeSuS IS eVeRYThInG In MY LIFe AnD I AM JuST hIS InSTRuMenT. hImALshA GuNAWARDeNA, sRI LANKA

I GOT A LOT CLOSeR TO GOD ThROuGh ThIS TRAInInG. MAnY TIMeS, IT wAS VeRY hARD FOR Me TO unDeRSTAnD enGLISh, BuT PeOPLe whO weRe wILLInG TO LeARn, ShARe AnD heLP, kePT Me GOInG. JeSuS hAS DeePeneD MY FAITh AnD heIGhTeneD MY enThuSIASM FOR The GOSPeL. moNtIRA hoKJARoeN, thAILAND

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 19

GRACES ON THE
For many of the Jesus Youth pilgrims, world Youth Day 2011 came with an added blessing an opportunity to visit some of the most important centres of faith and miracles in europe. Organised by the Jesus Youth International Team, participants had the option of undertaking this journey either before wYD or after it. In all, nearly 520 pilgrims from 16 countries participated. unlike most tours, what made this pilgrimage stand out was the ambience of prayer that enveloped it at all times. The bus journeys were memorable with songs being sung, rosaries recited and Bible passages reflected upon, all en route. Accompanying this were moments of thanksgiving for all the new and different experiences that each visit brought with it. holy Masses were also arranged daily at all the sacred sites exclusively for the Jesus Youth pilgrims. It was indeed a beautiful sight to see more than ten priests concelebrating each eucharist. Since wYD had recently concluded, international pilgrims were seen everywhere. Thankfully this in no way proved a hindrance as the organising team had planned ahead and ensured a comfortable stay with excellent hospitality at every halt. each pilgrim stopover offered its own distinctive experience for the pilgrims. At Fatima, known for its Marian apparitions to three shepherd children, the pilgrims undertook a meaningful way of the Cross. This concluded a short uPOn enTeRInG ASSISI, I FeLT LIke I wAS TRAnSPORTeD TO A whOLe new wORLD. I wAS OVeRCOMe wITh Awe AT The SITe OF ST. CLAReS InCORRuPTIBLe BODY, The ACTuAL CRuCIFIx ThAT SPOke TO ST. FRAnCIS, AnD The TOMB wheRe ST. FRAnCIS BODY nOw ReSTS. I FeLT BLeSSeD TO Be In The PReSenCe OF TwO SAInTS. I AM nOw TRuLY InSPIReD TO LIVe MY LIFe AS ST. FRAnCIS AnD ST. CLARe DID, GIVInG ALL ThAT I hAVe AnD AM TO GOD, FIRM In MY DeVOTIOn TO hIM. NItyA mAtheW, usA

The JY PILGRIMAGe wAS An eYe-OPeneR AnD A BeAuTIFuL exPeRIenCe. we weRe ShOCkeD On ReALISInG hOw LITTLe we knOw ABOuT The LIVeS OF SAInTS AnD The hISTORY OF The CAThOLIC ChuRCh. On OuR ReTuRn hOMe, we COuLDnT STOP TALkInG ABOuT The PILGRIMAGe exPeRIenCe TO OTheRS AROunD uS AnD we ARe ALReADY MAkInG PLAnS TO VISIT TheSe ShRIneS OnCe AGAIn In The neAR FuTuRe. BIJu thomAs, uK

pilgrims including the Jesus Youth gathered in front of the main Basilica to participate in the Marian torchlight procession. It was a picture perfect sight with thousands holding up tall white candles against the starstudded sky, proclaiming in one voice Ave Maria! The next day, following holy Mass, the Jesus Youth delegation sought the special intercession of Mother Mary on the entire movement and all her activities. As a symbolic gesture, a lit candle was carried by Raiju Varghese, the International Co-ordinator, from the Church and offered at the Grotto. Members moved in a procession, singing songs and invoking the blessings of Our Lady of Lourdes. For many, going to Assisi and San Giovanni Rotondo and revisiting the steps of St. Francis and St. Pio respectively, was deeply moving. To know that they were people just like them and to see the Chapels where they prayed, their personal belongings, their tombs, the Cross which spoke to St. Francis and the Crucifix before which Padre Pio received his stigmata, all proved to be spiritually enriching. while at Assisi the group also visited the Convent and final resting place of St. Clare. Rome brought with it the majesty of the Catholic Church. Visiting the numerous basilicas and monuments, scaling the holy Stairs which led Jesus to the Praetorium, walking through the early Christian Catacombs, kissing a piece of the actual Cross on which Jesus was crucified, were all unforgettable moments. exclusive permissions granted to Jesus Youth to climb the dome of St. Peters Basilica and to tour the Vatican Museum housing the famous Sistine Chapel were added highlights. The group also attended a special Mass and Adoration with the Jesus Youth of Italy. The last and final stop was Lanciano, a small, medieval town in Italy, where the pilgrims witnessed the first eucharistic miracle carefully

preserved. Many shared that this was a perfect end to the pilgrimage as the eucharist is considered the source and summit of Christian life. In just a few days, the group traversed the lush countryside of Spain, Portugal, France and Italy with short stops at Avila and Pisa. The pilgrimage was most definitely a treat to the spirit and also the senses!

In The BeGInnInG, I wAS quITe PReOCCuPIeD wITh TAkInG SnAPS AT The PILGRIM PLACeS. hOweVeR, The LORD GenTLY ReMInDeD Me ThAT A LIFe-ChAnGInG enCOunTeR wAS MORe PReCIOuS ThAn A Few PhOTOGRAPhS. FROM Then On, I COuLD TRuLY exPeRIenCe hIS GRACe FLOwInG ThROuGh Me AT eVeRY PLACe we VISITeD. FR. sAJI LuKose, INDIA

GO
distance away from the place where the homes of the children are still preserved. The highpoint of the day was the holy Mass at the Chapel of Apparitions which has near its altar a marble pillar with a statue of Our Lady, marking the exact spot where she had appeared all those years ago. On arriving at Lourdes, many became aware for the first time of how in both Fatima and Lourdes, Mother Mary had revealed herself to poor little children. everyone looked forward to spending some quiet time at the magnificent Grotto where she had appeared repeatedly; some chose to take a dip in Bernadettes Spring thats known for its healing qualities. Following dinner, all the visiting

I exPeRIenCeD GODS IMMenSe LOVe AnD CARe AnD wAS FASCInATeD BY The SIMPLICITY OF The SAInTS AnD TheIR ReLATIOnShIP wITh MOTheR MARY. ThIS hAS ALSO InCReASeD MY MISSIOnARY zeAL. The RIChneSS OF The ChuRCh enRAPTuReD Me AnD I AM PROuD TO Be A CAThOLIC. sumoL PIous, omAN

The PILGRIMAGe OFFeReD MuCh MORe ThAn whAT I hAD exPeCTeD. BLeSSInGS OF OuR DeAR MOTheR MARY OVeRFLOweD In FATIMA AnD LOuRDeS AnD The VISIT TO The SCALA SAnCTA, VATICAn MuSeuM AnD The CLIMB uP The DOMe OF ST. PeTeRS BASILICA, MADe Me TRuLY exPeRIenCe GODS ABunDAnT LOVe. CANute FeRNANDo, uAe

sEPTEMBER 2009 PAGE 17 OCTOBER 2011 21

JYIAT
ReDemPtoRIst CeNtRe, PAttAyA, thAILAND 12TH TO 23Rd JUly 2011
The fourth Jesus Youth International Animators Training was held at the Redemptorist Centre in Pattaya, Thailand from 12th to 23rd July 2011. Twelve animators from 4 countries participated in this years training programme. The training commenced with an Inaugural holy Mass on 12th July evening, followed by a two-day growth retreat and then nine days of intense training. The training sessions were handled by Jesus Youth elders and trainers with vast experience like Rev. Fr Sebastian Arikat (Pastor, JYIAT Training Team), Baby Chacko, Dr. edward edezhath, Manoj Sunny, Alex njavally, Dony Peter, George Devassy, Sunil nadarajan, Raiju Varghese and Jomy Abraham (Co-ordinator, JYIAT Training Team). The presence of his Grace Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil SDB, Archbishop of Guwahati who took sessions on evangelisation of Cultures was an added blessing. The training included meditation, workshops and testimonies. The focus of the training was on knowing the Jesus Youth Movement in Depth, Basics of Youth Animation, using Charisms in Ministering, Communicating with the Youth, Mentoring, Pastoring, Catholic Apologetics, Building Leadership and Integrity, The PARTICIPAnTS weRe exCeLLenT AnD unIque, AnD IT wAS A JOY FOR The TeAM TO wORk wITh TheM. The GROuP wAS SMALL BuT POweRFuL wITh LOTS OF TALenT, enThuSIASM AnD COOPeRATIOn. PeRSOnALLY, IT wAS A GOOD TIMe FOR Me TO PRAY AnD Be enRICheD. FR. seBAstIAN ARIKAt, PAstoR, JyIAt 2011

Jesus youth INteRNAtIoNAL ANImAtoRs tRAINING

JYIAT 2011 participants and Training Team with Bishop John Bosco Panya

Jy iNTl TEAm mEETiNG

among others. All the sessions were interactive and aimed at helping the participants to understand their role as Youth Animators in todays changing world. Some of the sessions brought to the fore front the common mistakes elders and animators make and the wrong approaches taken while dealing with the younger generation. It was also much emphasied that the essential element of Youth Animation is accompanying the youth, which means not only being physically present but also accompanying them on an emotional and spiritual level. The daily eucharistic celebrations and Adorations were a source of strength for each participant as they tried to understand their call as animators and become aware of the challenges that lay ahead of them. This years JYIAT participants were a mix of priests, religious sisters and laity. The spirit of unity and fellowship amongst them was the strengthening factor of the programme. The active involvement of the participants showed their readiness to become agents of transformation, to pay the price for discipleship. The programme on the sidelines of the international trainings, the jesus youth international team which was re-constituted in january this year, had their first meeting at the Redemptorist centre in Pattaya, thailand, from 9th to 14th july 2011. Besides the team members, the ecclesiastical advisor for the movement in india - most rev. abraham viruthakulangara, Archbishop of Nagpur was also present. Prayer, reflection, discussion and updates on the present direction of the movement, discernment and planning for the future, etc. were on top of the meetings agenda.

JYIAT wAS A LIFe ChAnGInG exPeRIenCe In ALL ReSPeCTS. PARTICIPATInG AS huSBAnD AnD wIFe, we hAD enOuGh TIMe TO ReDISCOVeR OuRSeLVeS In The VOCATIOn OF FAMILY LIFe. The whOLe TRAInInG FAnneD wIThIn uS The hOLY FIRe TO GO FORTh TO The enDS OF The eARTh wITh hIS wORD. DR. RAy PeReIRA, uAe

IT wAS A RewARDInG exPeRIenCe BeInG wITh SuCh A COMMITTeD, enThuSIASTIC AnD SPIRITuALLY enRICheD GROuP OF AnIMATORS. TheIR zeAL FOR The kInGDOM OF OuR LORD wAS COnTAGIOuS. I CheRISh The Fun AnD FeLLOwShIP, BuT MOST OF ALL, The DeeP SenSe OF MISSIOn ThAT SeeMeD TO MOTIVATe ALL OF uS. I PRAY ThAT ALL The PARTICIPAnTS COnTInue TO Be ROLe MODeLS, MenTORS AnD AnIMATORS TO The MAnY AROunD TheM. Jomy ABRAhAm, Co-oRDINAtoR, JyIAt 2011

JYIAT participants and Training Team with Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil SDB

was also scheduled in such a way that each day gave the participants time for self discovery as well as fellowship building. The group has even decided to form a network to continue growing in fellowship and to share their experiences, ideas, news, etc. on getting back to their respective countries. The training came to a close with the Commissioning Ceremony and anointing of the holy Spirit during the holy Mass on 23rd July 2011. NANDINI PeReIRA, uAe

I CAMe wITh A LOT OF InneR queSTIOnS, eSPeCIALLY COnCeRnInG The YOuTh OF euROPe. DuRInG The TRAInInG I BeCAMe LIke A ChILD, FORGOInG MY knOwLeDGe AnD MY PRIDe. IT wAS A huMBLInG exPeRIenCe TO GO BACk TO JeSuS AnD Be BORn AGAIn. FR. ChILtoN FeRNANDez, ItALy

IT wAS SuCh A GReAT exPeRIenCe. I wAS ReALLY TOuCheD BY The COMPAnIOnShIP, LOVe, CARe AnD GeneROuSITY OF ALL. nO wORDS CAn exPLAIn The SPIRITuAL exPeRIenCe I hAD DuRInG MY DAYS In PATTAYA. FR. sIJo GeoRGe, INDIA

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 23

the mega jesus youth juBilee conference held in decemBer 2010, concluded with the 20,000 jesus youth ParticiPants Present Pledging their lives anew to the lord and re-committing themselves to a missionary lifestyle. every jesus youth, a missionary this was the resounding catchPhrase, encaPsulating the overwhelming feeling at the close of that huge event. simPly Put, Being a jesus youth and Being a missionary are inseParaBle Being a jesus youth has no meaning if one is not a missionary.

WItNessING AND shARING

JESuS
mission on behalf of the church and the world. the holy father continues, the whole church, pastors and lay faithful alike, ought to feel more strongly the churchs responsibility to obey the command of christ, go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation (mk 16:15), and take up anew the missionary endeavour. our call as followers of christ is entwined closely with this resposibility to proclaim christ. ones mission may differ according to ones life situation, circumstances, career, etc, but the priority remains the same to make jesus known. HOW? every christian life should be a living proclamation of the good news. sadly, many times christ-like conduct is restricted to church attendance on sundays. only when christ permeates the whole of our lives, can we speak about him. that

WHY? what does it mean to be a missionary? is it not meant only for priests, nuns or preachers? what could one possibly do in ones given circumstances? is it even possible to be a missionary in our mundane and ordinary lives? these might be some of the questions that pop up in our heads when we think of missionaries in general. in his post-synodal apostolic exhortation on the vocation and the mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world - Christifideles laici, Pope john Paul ii makes it very clear, the call is a concern not only of pastors, clergy, and men and women religious. the call is addressed to everyone: lay people as well are personally called by the lord from whom they receive a

means opening ourselves to his will, and realising that the purpose of our very existence is mission itself. over the years, jesus youth intiatives and programmes have always been geared towards awakening this missionary spirit. and over time, the jesus youth lifestyle has in its own way re-defined the scope and possibilities of missionary life. on the one side, there are people who have given up their whole lives, their careers, their homes, comforts, everything, to go forth and proclaim christ in deep interior mission areas where christ is still unknown. Persecutions abound and it takes

litte things they do. these untiring proclaimers of christ, with their simple trust and willing hearts, have won many souls for christ and continue to challenge others around them. every opportunity is an opening to share christ and it is amazing how ordinary circumstances can be means to build the kingdom of god. here are some examples of such missionaries in daily life context. may they inspire you to realise your mision in life. l a retired government employee. he is not a speaker nor known to many. he spends most of his time helping and supporting families in distress, especially couples on the verge of separation. there is no publicity but through his intervention, many people have been helped.

l a voracious reader. over the years she has gained much knowledge regarding various spiritual aspects and documents and is now considered a point of reference when someone is in need of any information or thinks of buying or reading a book. l a college teacher. very often when her students face some personal problems, she is there to support and help them and is willing to spend time with them. once in a while some students may disappoint her but she doesnt give up. what makes her effective is her down-to-earth, simple and sincere approach. students take the freedom to contact her even late in the evenings.

he works through the day and into the night to make himself available for these programmes. the extra work is no burden for him as it is his way of contributing towards building the kingdom of god. l a homemaker. a teacher by profession, she is unable to work and spend much time outside her home due to some difficult circumstances. yet she is not disappointed. She has identified a new ministry for herself interceding and mobilising prayers for those in need through sms. through this medium of intercession, she has supported and consoled a number of people. the examples are numerous as we have many missionaries around us, both within the jesus youth movement and outside. my only hope is that these modern day missionaries may challenge you to proclaim christ in your life situations. after all, you may be the only christ most people will ever see.

IN eVeRyDAy LIFe sItuAtIoNs

special courage and grace to take a radical step like that. yet many do it after being touched by the lord. their whole being is consumed by this fire to evangelise and their zeal is unquenchable. this call is a precious gift from the lord and many in jesus youth have responded to this in unique ways. yet there are others, who have dared to proclaim christ in their very ordinary circumstances, radiating him in whatever

l a talented post graduate and first rank holder in the university. on discovering her writing skills, she does not miss a single opportunity to write articles and features glorifying god, despite her work and other responsibilities. l An interior decorater for offices and homes. he makes it a point to share jesus with every new customer he meets. working in a particular house for a few weeks is an opportunity for him to talk about jesus to the whole family, especially the children.

l a family man with a regular job, active in youth ministry. in addition to this, for the last several years, he has taken up the responsibility as an office bearer of the Parent teacher association in the school where his children are studying. his involvement and interactions with the Pta is appreciated by all, and is christian witnessing in a rather secular context. l a farmer who supports his family by working in the fields. He is also a much sought after resource person for youth programmes. sometimes

dr. CHaCkOCHaN NJaVallil a senior jesus youth who has played an active role in the movement right from its early days, he is an associate Professor of commerce at the marian college, kuttikkanam, kerala. he is also the chief editor of kairos - the jy youth magazine in malayalam.

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 25

GlOBal NEWSWaTCH

Programme for Vietnamese Youth, Thailand

national Team Reconstitution & Leaders Programme, Ireland

THailaNd Initial Programme for Vietnamese Youth Jesus Youth was invited to nongbualamphu, a province in northern Thailand from 25 - 27 March, to lead an initial level programme for a small group of Vietnamese migrants. Official Recognition by the Church On 25 May, Jesus Youth was officially invited to the annual planning meeting of the Catholic Commission for Laity on Youth Desk (CYO). Bishop Silvio Siripong, President of Catholic Commission for Laity extended the membership of CYO to Jesus Youth Thailand and also conveyed the greetings and wishes from the Catholic Bishops Conference of Thailand. JY Intl Team member, emma Daengsvang made a brief presentation on the movement during the meeting. nidheesh Joseph OMaN National Leaders Assembly The national Team organised a one-day gathering of all the Central teams and the Regional Service team leaders on 1 July at Ruwi Parish. eighty leaders participated. National team Reconstitution nearly 100 leaders from five regions of Oman gathered on 4 March for the reconstitution of the national Team. Anto. L. Puthur was elected as the new national Co-ordinator and Sheji Varghese as the Asst. Co-ordinator. Pious Thalakottour is the new Animator.
new JY national Team, Oman

Sebastian and Betty are the Co-ordinators for the Family Team and Anish T. James is the new Youth Team Co-ordinator. Missionary Commitment Day 2011 The Missionary Commitment Day was celebrated in June in the regions of Ruwi, Ghala, Salalah, Sohar and niswa. In all the regions, the preparation material was used in prayer groups and the nine-day novena to the holy Spirit was prayed. The holy Mass on the Missionary Commitment Day was followed by eucharistic Adoration and the Commitment ceremony. Anto L. Puthur irElaNd Reconstitution & Leaders Programme The Service Team reconstitution and a two-day programme for teens and families was organised at new Bridge from 31 March to 2 April. Sixteen families and 20 teens participated in the programme. Sijo Jose was re-elected as the national Co-ordinator, Arun George as the Asst. Co-ordinator and Tojy Tom as the Family Team Co-ordinator. Sijo Jose GErMaNY Leaders Gathering From 11 13 April, the national Team and some key leaders took part in the days of prayer, reflection and planning led by Raiju Varghese and Sibi Joseph.
Spark Youth Retreat, uk

One-day Programme, Heiligenhaus A one-day programme, as an outreach to a parish in heiligenhaus, was conducted for 35 candidates preparing for Confirmation. Weekend of Grace nine families including 2 from Switzerland participated in the weekend of Grace from 6 - 8 May at haus Venusberg, Bonn led by Sunil nadarajan and Dr. Sindhu (JY uSA). Vimal Vattappillil uk Awakening 100 days of perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was undertaken this year as well. This initiative named Awakening, was inaugurated by Most Rev. Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham on Ash wednesday. It concluded with the celebration of the Missionary Commitment Day on Pentecost Sunday. The Adoration was held in different parishes across the uk. spark youth Retreats Three retreats called Spark were conducted with almost 140 youth participating across three regions of england. Family Retreat A retreat for nearly fifty families was held from 28 April to 1 May. The resources persons were Sunil and Sindhu nadarajan from uSA. Abhy Thomas
new JY national Team, India

GlOBal NEWSWaTCH

Fulltime Volunteers Training, India

new national Team, Italy

Youth Retreat, Cambodia

iTalY Reconstitution of the National Team The reconstitution of the national team was conducted on 22 May, at Santa Maria della Grazia alle Fornaci Church, Rome. Sunil Varghese is the new Co-ordinator, Lijamol Joseph the Asst. Co-ordinator, Fr. Tomy Philip the Pastor and Fr. Chilton and Sr. Jessy PDDM are the new Animators. Sunil Varghese CaMBOdia Jeevathmey Youth Retreat An easter preparation retreat for youth was conducted from 17 - 19 April at the St. Francis xavier Church, Phnom Penh. nearly 45 youngsters attended the retreat. Lenten Reflection Catholic university students living in the CCSC Boarding house, Phnom Penh, participated in a weekly Lenten Gathering across 4 weeks to reflect on the theme of Christs passion, death and resurrection and its relevance to youth in todays world. Dona kurian uaE 50 days - 12 hours Eucharistic Adoration A 12-hour eucharistic Adoration was organised in Dubai daily for 50 days to pray for peace in the Middle east and also in preparation for the Missionary Commitment Day.
Route 14:6, uAe

Mission Commitment Day After 50 days of preparation including the nine-day novena to the holy Spirit, the Missionary Commitment Day was celebrated in all the regions and prayer groups. Route 14:6 Around 600 teens from all over uAe participated in a one-day gathering held in Dubai on 9 April. Desert Rose youth Programme nearly 350 youngsters participated in a programme conducted for youth on 17 June at the Abu Dhabi Church Parish. P. V. Jojo iNdia National team Reconstitution The reconstitution of the national Team was held on 1 January at kochi. The 20-member team includes Antony A.J. as the new Coordinator, Immanuel Joseph as the Asst. Co-ordinator, Fr. Varghese Parakudiyil as the Pastor, and Sr. Julie Antony, k.M Rajan and Adolf Goldwyn as Animators. National evaluation meet Around 175 participants from different states attended the national evaluation Meet at hyderabad. Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara, ecclesiastical Advisor to JY India was also present. Regional Coordinators took part in a one-day gathering prior to the evaluation meet.

National Teens Ministrys Mission Project The mission journey Chalo Gujarat was held from 8 to 19 May with 19 participants from different states of India and 10 team leaders. Missionary Commitment Day Across India, all Jesus Youth celebrated the Missionary Commitment Day on 12 June. All the regions marked this day by spending time in prayer and holy Mass. Fulltime Volunteers training The Training in english for the 20th Batch of Fulltime Volunteers was held at the Alpha Pastoral Centre, edakochi. Twentytwo participants including one seminarian attended the training. The main celebrant for the Commitment ceremony was Mar Bosco Puthur, Curia Bishop of the Syro Malabar Church. The Fulltime Volunteers Training in hindi was held at the Archbishops house, nagpur. Seventeen participants including 2 seminarians and 1 nun attended the training. Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara of nagpur was the main celebrant for the Commitment ceremony held on 17 July. Programme for Priests and Religious nearly 50 priests and religious from different places in Jharkhand came together for a programme from 2 to 5 May in Daltonganj. Most Rev. Gabriel kujur, Bishop of Daltonganj, graced the occasion on one of the days. Immanuel Joseph
Family Retreat, uk

OCTOBER 2011 PAGE 27

GlOBal NEWSWaTCH

Shine Out, Singapore

Regional Service Team Orientation, uSA

kuWaiT National team Reconstitution About 60 leaders from various parts of kuwait came together on 26 and 27 February for the reconstitution process of the new national level teams. Manoj P. Thomas was chosen as the national Co-ordinator and Sinil as the Asst. Co-ordinator with Sunil D. Cruz continuing as the Animator. Mr. and Mrs. Biju were chosen as the Co-ordinators for the Family Team and Manu Michael as the Co-ordinator of the Youth Team. The new teams were commissionied by Bishop Camillo Ballin (Vicariate of kuwait) and Bishop Joseph Philip (uganda). Leaders Gathering A Leaders Gathering was held on 29 April at the Carmel School, keithan. nearly 70 leaders from different regions of kuwait gathered to discuss and formulate the road map for the next two years. Manoj Thomas SiNGaPOrE JesusNet Anniversary JY Singapore celebrated the 5th anniversary of their central gathering Jesusnet - on 7 May with 125 young participants from different JY ministries. Most Rev. Archbishop nicholas Chia joined the celebration, addressed the participants and also launched the new JY Singapore website. Crucis singapura Sixty-five young people walked barefoot across Singapore on 16 April to meditate on Christs sufferings. The participants including children, divided themselves into smaller groups and began walking from the north, south, east and west corners of the island towards the novena Church, thereby tracing a big sign of the cross across Singapore. shine out Fifty-five leaders of JY Singapore gathered at the Choice Retreat Centre from 29 Apr. to 2 May for Shine Out - a Leaders Retreat. The JY Intl Pastor, Fr. Bitaju Mathew and the Intl Co-ordinator, Raiju Varghese led the retreat. Shimy Stephen

auSTralia Connect Forty-five participants came together for Connect in Melbourne on 12 April. teens Discipleship training A discipleship training programme for 15 participants was conducted from 15 21 April at ephesus house, northgate. youth outreach & Formation An opportunity for youth to deepen themselves in the Scripture and serve the Aged Care Residents at nazareth house was made possible from 8 9 May. Fifteen youth took part in the formation. Family Gathering The Family Gathering held at St. Francis De Sales Church on 16 April was attended by forty participants. Come Alive 2011 A youth retreat with forty participants was held from 12 -15 April at Mulgoa, Sydney. teens Programme A programme for twenty teenagers was organised on 16 April at Carlisle to help them prepare for the holy week and easter. Mayrose Pius uSa WYD Preparatory Gatherings Those registered to participate in the world Youth Day at Madrid gathered together once a month in May, June and July to reflect on the wYD theme and prepare spiritually for the journey. Jy exchange Programme eleven youth spent their spring break in the homes of different JY elders around the nation to experience and understand the Jesus Youth lifestyle. Kids Camp nearly 200 kids between the ages 5 - 10 took part in the camp Pandamania held this summer. Prolife Rosary & Mass every first Saturday of the month, Jesus Youth from Philadelphia gather with their local American parishioners to fight against abortion.

holy Mass is offered and the Rosary is prayed in front of the nearby Planned Parenthood Centre. Jy youth Formation Programme The first two modules of this two-year long programme (8 modules in all) was held from 27 - 30 May and 16 - 17 Sept. Forty youth are participating in this formation. Rst orientation An orientation for the members of the Regional Service teams was held in each region to help them understand the vision of the movement in the country. Princy Abraham CaNada thr!ve Thr!ve was the first diocesan youth conference of its kind held from 29 April - 1 May at Prince edward Island (PeI). George Devassy and Roy David were the primary resource persons for the conference. Vancouver Core team A new Regional team was constituted in Vancouver on 2 May. Ani Varikkattu is the new Co-ordinator. Roy David

MOST HOLy VIRGIN MARy, HELP OF CHRISTIANS, TEACH US TO FIND OUR PEACE IN yOUR SON, jESUS AND BLESS US EVERy DAy OF OUR LIVES. AMEN.

Printed and Published by Mr. Manoj Sunny on behalf of Jesus Youth International Office, 6F Thadikaran Centre, Palarivattom P.O., Cochin-682 025, Kerala, INDIA, Ph: +91 484-4054870, 4054371, Fax: +91-484-4054870, Email: jyglobal@jesusyouth.org www.jesusyouth.org editor-in-charge: shelton Pinheiro editorial team: Beena manoj, anu Pinheiro & liss thomas layout: sanil c.a. Printed by SR Graphics, Kottayam, Ph:+91 481-2301142