English-Speaking Youths To Spread the Good News

at the registration table

On 16^th November 2012, the English-speaking youth gathered at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Penang for the Opening Mass and Launching of the Penang Diocesan Youth Day 2 (PDYD2).  They were warmly welcomed by the members of the welcoming and protocol committee amidst a flurry of activities as busloads of participants arrived and volunteers made the final preparations. 

After a night of praise and worship led by the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Shalom group, the participants were divided into language groups for the briefing on the activities for the next three days and accommodation sites.  The 347 English-speaking youths were housed in different accommodation sites which included the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit which was also the main venue for their activities and sessions.  Some of the youths were also taken cared of by the foster families who provided them transportation and a home for 2 days.

 

         Fr. Jude Miranda, the parish priest of Taiping Catholic Church, was the first presenter on the second day, 17^th November 2012.  He gave the session on “Come and See” in relation to the year of faith.  In his talk, he encouraged the youths to discover themselves, to deepen their faith in Jesus and to go out into the world and to tell the Good News.  A mass was celebrated by Fr. Jude to close the morning session.

Talk on My Brother from Another Mother

        

In the afternoon, the participants gathered at the Parish Hall to choose the topics of their preference.  There were three topics to choose from namely: My Brother from Another Mother: Reaching Out to the Needy, Emerging Trends from Media; Facebook and Friends and Getting Down with God: Deepening Our Relationship with God.  The presenters for the topics are Mr. Francis Pragasam from SSVP-Penang, Fr. Elias Moses, OFM and Mr. Ramesh Victor, respectively.  Mr. Francis Pragasam focused his sharing on the four elements of reaching out to the needy such as our knowledge of the needy are in our society, our motivation, telling the story of Jesus and the different ways of reaching out. Participants said they found the sessions helpful and enlightening. 

For those who are not from Penang, a tour of the Churches and historical places was a welcome treat and an opportunity to visit the tourist attractions.

The day ended with a Talent Night where participants showcased their talents in various areas, singing, acting and playing musical instruments. Everyone had a good time in camaraderie with participants and volunteers alike.

Day 3 dawned bright and sunny, which the participants started with formation session on “Go and Tell” by Father Dominic Santhiyagu at the Church of the Assumption.  It was a gift to have Fr. Mark Michael as a presider for the Eucharistic celebration that followed.  The presence of the parishioners of the City parish during the mass made the celebration more significant.  Fr. Mark started his homily by saying that he saw before him future priests and nuns and highlighted the general observation that the current times are extremely challenging for the youth.  He urged and encouraged them to forge a close and deeper relationship with Jesus so as to stay on the right path always.

After lunch, the English-speaking youth joined all the other participants in a pilgrimage walking from the Church of the Assumption all the way to the Jetty.  The participants then took the ferry to cross to the mainland where they again walked until they reached the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Butterworth.  From there, the bus took them to the Church of St. Anne in Bukit Mertajam.

This significant event in the lives of the young people in the Diocese of Penang will not be realized without the hospitality and generosity of the families who took care of the participants, the Capuchin Fathers and the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Church of the Divine Mercy and Church of St. John Britto.  Our heartfelt gratitude to Msgr. Bernard Paul, Fr. Martin Arlando, Fr. Joe Matthews and Fr. Dominic Santhiyagu as well as the foster families for providing the participants a place they called home during the whole duration of PDYD 2.

By: Rebecca Santhanasamy