12th October, 2013, Jalandhar, Punjab: The IX National Youth Convention held here in Jalandhar released the central theme of the Movement for the next three years.
“We long to live in a world that is peace and in harmony, where we feel safe and secure, are loved and nurtured and can contribute to nation building as responsible citizen,” the statement read. To achieve this, we have to look at the “WAY”. The statement emphasized “Let us be touched by Jesus and Let us Walk His Way.”
“TOUCHED BY JESUS – WALKING HIS WAY” is the central them of the IYCM for the next three years, with thrusts on Youth to Youth Evangelization, Youth Empowerment, Socio- Political Leadership and Media Advocacy. (Click here to read the full Final Statement of the Convention).
“We entrust ourselves and all young people, leaders and animators to the loving care of Mary the Mother of Jesus, entreating her to help us live the Joy of being Christians,” statement concluded.
News by : Fr Felx Antony, DYD - Miao Diocese-Arunachal Pradesh
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STATEMENT OF THE IX ICYM NATIONAL YOUTH CONVENTION
JALANDAR: 05 – 12 OCTOBER 2013
We, the youth delegates representing the ever so ancient and ever so young and vibrant India, in its varied cultures, ethnic and linguistic expressions, gathered in Jalandhar for the IX ICYM National Youth Convention, from 5 to 12 October 2013, express our Joy at the privilege of being members of this family of the Catholic Church.
We are enriched by the simplicity, generous hospitality, vibrant faith and warm community fellowship that we witnessed and experienced in the Catholic families of the Diocese of the Northern Region. We are inspired by their habit of hard work, the zest for life and the joyful energy that is so visible in the community. We thank the Catholic Community and its leaders in the northern region, for making room for us in their homes and hearts.
We heed the call of the Church to experience the Risen Lord in the Sacraments and in our everyday realities and to joyfully present him to those around us as our personal Lord and forgiving Saviour.
While appreciating the uniqueness of our faith, living as we do in a multi-religious society, we respect other expressions of faith, traditions and ways of life leading to God.
We accept our role as Prophets of Change, preparing ourselves to assume leadership roles and engagement in politics, in governance, in media and in other spheres of public life.
We affirm our belief in the equality of men and women as children of the same God, and promise to endeavor to make this equality a reality in the daily transactions of life.
Today more than ever, we have a wide array of opportunities and avenues open to us. At the same time, we also face mounting pressures to be in sync; media with the help of technology bombard us with messages, images, and allurements that make us energized and confused at the same time; the fast paced changes around us invite us and scare us; the expectations from family, peer groups and community while challenge us to be ever better, also drain us of energy and frustrate us. We are troubled by the seeming ascendancy of the culture of death visible in the escalating rate of addictions, suicidal tendencies, violence in society, divisive use of media, provocative sexual imagery, mindless consumerism, unabashed materialism, rampant corruption and recurring scams. The absence of consistent and compassionate guidance and mentoring keep us floating and directionless. The gulf between the values, attitudes and moral standards that are demanded of us and what we see being practiced make us wonder if living as authentic Christians and integral human beings is an achievable goal.
We believe ICYM can help us achieve clarity and find direction in our life, by taking us closer to the person of Jesus, the WAY; can create opportunities and space for us to discover ourselves, to engage with and reflect on the social realities around us and fulfill the God given purpose in our life.
We long to live in a world that is at peace and in harmony, where we feel safe and secure, are loved and nurtured and can contribute to nation building as responsible citizens.
As a fruit of our collective deliberations and reflections, we choose to move forward in the next three years with the theme:
TOUCHED BY JESUS – WALKING HIS WAY
And the thrusts,
- Youth to Youth Evangelization
- Youth Empowerment
- Socio-Political Leadership
- Media Advocacy
We look forward to time-bound and realizable action plans at the regional and diocesan levels to help the youth live this theme and benefit from the thrusts. We call for better collaboration, communication and coordination among the National, Regional, Diocesan and Parish level bodies of ICYM.
We entrust ourselves and all young people, leaders and animators to the loving care of Mary the Mother of Jesus, entreating her to help us live the Joy of being Christians.
