OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Call to holiness: young people reflect on "Christus Vivit"

Tuesday, 18 June 2019 holiness   youth  

Port Moresby (Agenzia Fides) - The young people of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island are "called to holiness" in their daily life: this was the central theme of reflection of the national seminar dedicated to youth pastoral animators, organized in recent days in Port Moresby by the Youth Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. As reported to Agenzia Fides by the Social Communications Office of the Conference, the seminar was based on the post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis entitled “Christus Vivit” and brought together animators from the dioceses of Port Moresby, Madang, Mt Hagen, Rabaul , Alotau, Daru-Kiunga, Mendi, Kavieng, Aitape, Wewak, Kerema, Bereina, Vanimo and Lae. Bishops of the Kerema and Alotau dioceses Fr. Peter Baquero and Fr Rolando Santos were the programme’s facilitators, together with CBC secretary of the social communication and youth secretary Fr. Ambrose Pereira SDB and with other religious. The training sessions are aimed at helping young animators, coordinators of youth groups in their youth pastoral work, in each diocese.
Addressing the coordinators present, Bishop Peter Baquero said: "Young people want a Church that listens to them, this is a challenge for young animators and group coordinators, so that they are ready to listen to our young people". During the training seminar they watched a film "The Least of These", which then inspired the debate, reflection and prayer.
"The gathering, interaction of youth animators, the presence of the two Bishops and the enriching sharing of Christus Vivit was very inspiring", said Sister Rebecca Fernandez, OND, coordinator of the youth of the Archdiocese of Port Moresby. "I will share what I learned through accompaniment and also through prayer, in the work of evangelization", said Linus Akaina, youth animator of the diocese of Bereina.
"Young people are not afraid to live with Christ", stressed Fr. Ambrose Pereira SDB, highlighting that the participants were given the opportunity to share and deal with the problems and challenges they face daily, in social life and in their spiritual path. Inspired by Jesus, light and hope for his disciples, the educators were invited to "walk alongside the young, like Don Bosco". (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 18/6/2019)


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