Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) - Living youth to the full, putting energy, talent and dynamism at the service of the Kingdom of God: this is the spirit that pervaded the third National Youth Conference, organized by "Young Catholic Students Movement" and "Young Students Movement "(YCS/YSM) in Bangalore in recent days.
Msgr. Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore, urged the more than 220 students, delegates from different parts of the country, to give their precious contribution of ideas, creativity, enthusiasm to evangelization and the promotion of the common good in India. Fr. Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General of the CCBI (Conference of Catholic Bishops of India), Fr. Chethan Machado, National Chaplain of YCS/YSM, Fr. Anil D'Sa, Executive Secretary of the Youth Commission of the Archdiocese of Bangalore, and other priests and lay leaders involved in youth ministry in India were among those present at the Conference, which lasted five days and ended yesterday, May 26.
K. Mathai Kas, a former officer of the Indian Air Force, who, in the course of his service, was transferred 28 times, spoke during the conference and raised the issues of embezzlement and corruption in the administration. The man also filed a petition before the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission. Kas spoke before the youth assembly, by appealing to the spirit of patriotism, arguing that young people are "the first and true promoters of truth and justice".
During the sessions, the young reflected on the theme “personal identity, education and a new society.” Father Stephen Alathara shared examples of many Indian saints who lived a youth filled with ideals and the grace of God and urged the students to to be "modern saints".
As part of the conference, the students were taken to ten different locations in Bangalore, to experience pastoral and social service, putting into practice the “see, judge, act” methodology. The students had a fruitful experience of cultural exchange, meeting people from the different regions, cultures, languages and ethnic groups of India, in an atmosphere of friendship and fraternity. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 27/5/2022)
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