Monday, December 19, 2011

Palo continues youth program despite YOTY culmination


         
        The Commission on Youth of Palo Archdiocese said that events for the youth will continue to be held despite the culmination of the celebration of the CBCP Year of the Youth. Palo Youth Director Fr. Manuel Baybay Jr. said that programs for the youth had been started this year not only in connection with the celebration of the CBCP Year of the Youth but also in view of the upcoming archdiocesan diamond jubilee in 2013. “Youth events will still continue, here in our archdiocese, we will be celebrating our diamond jubilee in 2013, that’s why we have prepared a four year pastoral direction for our young people,” he said. “In its first year, 2010, we dubbed the year as ‘youth in communion’. Then in 2011, ‘youth in formation’. All the things that transpired these past years were geared towards that, forming the young people and empowering the youth leaders to become more efficient leaders,” Baybay explained. He added, “next year, 2012 will be the year of mission and we dubbed it as ‘youth in mission’. We will try our best to reach out to the grass roots, that’s why we will be involving ourselves with the Basic Ecclesial Communities. Youth leaders who were formed this year will become agents or leaders. Sila ang magiging kaagapay ng parokya sa paghubog ng mga kabataan na masali sila sa BEC. And lastly, 2013 is the ‘youth in celebration’. ‘Yan ang four-year pastoral formation ng Archdiocese for our young people. ”Baybay thanked the bishops, especially the Catholic Bishops’ Conference for declaring year 2010-2011 as the year of the youth. “It was really a grace filled year where a lot of initiatives were done to show how the young people are precious [to] the Church,” he said. He also thanked the youth directors from all over the Philippines who initialized programs for the youth and encouraged everyone to continue to move ahead in the journey of ministering the youth. The archdiocese culminated the celebration of the CBCP Year of the Youth through their annual YouthFest last Dec. 17 at the Tacloban City Convention Center with 2000 youth participants. Baybay said that they started the youthfest last year as a sort of Christmas party to gather young people together. “But this year’s youthfest was basically dedicated as the culmination of the Year of the Youth,” he said. The youth event included a talk given by Sr. Ravena Dominguez, FMA and performances by the youth. Msgr. Jaime Villanueva presided the Thanksgiving Mass. Fourteen young people from seven vicariates were awarded with the Youth of the Year awards.  (Jandel Posion)

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