Fr. Dominic Santhiyagu on Youth Ministry and Beyond

 I am a priest because of the youth ministry.  This affirmation came from Fr. Dominic Santhiyagu, the outgoing Director of the Penang  Diocesan Youth Network (PDYN), during an interview that we had with him in his office at the Church Our Lady of Sorrows.  Below is the full transcript of this interview.

PDYN:  You have been with PDYN for more than five years.  Can you tell us how you started and how it felt like working with the young people in the Diocese of Penang?

Fr. Dominic:  I consider it as a call from God.  Bishop  Antony Selvanayagam asked me to join PDYN in 2007 instead of taking over as Director in 2008.   Before I accepted the invitation, I asked Bishop Selva for time to think and pray over it.  At that time, a lot of things were happening in the parish so it was not easy for me to decide whether to accept it or not.  What inspired me to say yes to the invitation was a Sunday reading on Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10) who climbed the sycamore tree to have a glimpse of Jesus, then was told to get down from the tree and welcomed Jesus in his house.  Like Zaccheus, I realized that Jesus was calling me and giving me the opportunity to explore my talents.

As to working with young people, it was challenging at first.  I was a young priest then and all the methods I used were old and based on what I experienced when I was in the youth group. I would say that it was also very interesting and was filled with opportunities for growth.

PDYN:  It is a well-known fact that you did a lot as PDYN Director in terms of the formation of leaders and organizing activities that brought the young people of the Diocese together.  Can you share to us the joys and challenges that you experienced in the youth ministry?

Fr. Dominic:  It is always a joy to work with very talented young people.  Those I worked with did not give negative reasons as to why things can not be done.  They are always ready to try and to explore new ideas.  I am lucky to work with a hopeful batch of people which, like me, also consider the ministry as a call from God.  The challenge was working with other priests.  I also found it very difficult to convince the young people to be involved especially those coming from the parishes in the city.  I found the young people coming from the outskirts of the main city more responsive and more eager to know and experience things.

PDYN:  From the many events that PDYN organized, what are the three significant experiences that you want to share with us?

Fr. Dominic:  The Kenang Project is one of the things that I consider significant.  It came as a result of my experience during the Asian Youth Day 2009.  We practically started with nothing.  I gave the responsibility to Amelleia Chamin Leo to come up with a program and to organise the youth.  From nothing, money and resources, we ended up having so much for this project.  I can say that with this project, everything is possible when responsibilities are given to committed young people.  When we think about something and work with capable people, we can make it happen.  It is the richness of the experience, spending 10 days with our  brothers and sisters in   Keningau, that stays with me up to this  time.

Another experience is the Partnership Program that involved 20 single adults from the different parishes and youth groups in the diocese.  It was a 2-year journey where young people met once a month for the first year of the implementation (2008-2009) then once every quarter (2009-2010) for prayer and formation sessions.

The youth partners, as the participants were called, were expected to go back to enhance, strengthen and motivate the members of their own youth groups.  They were like the disciples who were formed and trained to go back to their places and share what they have learned to their fellow youth.  This program formed leaders who are very involved in their groups such as Mandarin Partners and CHOICE as well as in their parishes.  They were the pillars of the various leadership trainings and district-level celebrations in the Diocese as well as the two Penang Diocesan Youth Days (PDYD 1 and 2).

And lastly, we had the PDYD 1 (August 2008) and PDYD 2 (November 2012) which were held so that the youth could experience the World Youth Day (WYD) in the local level.

PDYN: Despite of the Partnership Program and Leadership Trainings for the youth leaders, continuity in the parish leadership is still a concern at the present.  What do you think are the reasons for this?

Fr. Dominic:  It has been a problem ever since I started my ministry.  Most of the leaders are students and they are not very sure how long they will be around.  They will be very involved until they are in Form 4 but will focus more on their examinations when they reach Form 5.  If we want continuity in the leadership, we should have   single adults as leaders or advisers such as what Islanders Tamil Youth Network (ITYN) and Central Perak Youth Council (CPYC) have.

Two of his many gifts and interests: Directing and

photography... seen here taking video clips for

PDYD 2 Launching

PDYN:   Where did you get the inspiration and ideas all those years that you were working with the youth and for the youth?

Fr. Dominic:  Not all of those activities and ideas were new.  We have done them before.  Others came from my personal reflections but mostly, ideas came from my exposure and participation in the World Youth Day (WYD) and Asian Youth Day (AYD).   These youth  gatherings gave me the opportunity to talk to young people and helped me see things done in various ways. Without this exposure, my ideas will be very limited.

PDYN:  Do still you have unfulfilled plans and dreams for the youth ministry of the Diocese?

Fr. Dominic:  There is only one thing that I think we have not done yet and that is to train young people and send them as missionaries to the different parts of the world.   When I went to the Philippines for the AYD in 2009, my perception of the youth ministry changed.  There, I discovered many young people from Malaysia who gave one year of their life to be missionaries.  These are young people who are holding important positions in the factories here or working in the offices who took one year unpaid leave to go to the Philippines and serve the Church through the different organisations and missionary groups.

with the youth from City Parish

I am thinking, why can we not do it?  I think that Malaysians need this kind of exposure so we could widen our perspectives.  Personally, I am grateful to Bishop Selva and the diocese for giving me opportunities to be out of the country to join these youth gatherings.  These opened my eyes to see the universality of the Church and that, it is not limited to the local level.

At the Church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help with the youth from Kampar

PDYN:  Do you still see yourself getting actively involved in the youth ministry now that you are not anymore connected with PDYN?

Fr. Dominic:  PDYN is just one of the ministries in the Diocese but all ministries are in the parishes.  As priests,  we are exposed to all the ministries in a smaller scale. I am in the parish and  always   surrounded with young people.  I am planning to give the youth in my parish the formation they would need as missionaries and send them to different places to serve.  I promise to  give my 101% support for the youth ministry in the parish.

   

      But in a way, I will miss being in PDYN.  I will surely miss the staff and the youth ministers with whom I have worked with.

At the Church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
with the youth from the Risen Christ Church

PDYN:  We would like to thank you for the selfless service that you have given to the youth ministry of the Diocese.  You have been an inspiration to all of us and have given us the opportunities to grow as person and as youth ministers.  Is there anything that you want to say to the youth of today?

Fr. Dominic:  Discover your own call.  Be involved in the youth ministry because it is the only  opportunity that you have to explore your gifts.  There are no other venues for this except in the Church because we are very organized as a community.  Use your youthfulness and attend leadership trainings and formation sessions.

I am a priest today mainly because of youth ministry. Thanks to the opportunities given to me by Fr. Bernard Paul, and many others. In the youth ministry, you can acquire leadership qualities and the confidence which could even help you to manage your family in the near future.

Fr. Dominic:  I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who have journeyed with me in the youth ministry:

· Bishop Emeritus Antony Selvanayam for the opportunity that he    gave me to serve the Diocese of 

   Penang in the youth ministry.

· Bishop Sebastian Francis for allowing me to focus on my parish.

· All the priests, youth leaders and advisers for your full support and guidance.

· The staff of PDYN and the Diocese for your dedication, support, hard work  and encouragement .

· Jesus for the particular mission He has given me in PDYN and the mission continues through Him, with

  Him and in Him.

Thank you, Fr. Dominic!

Count on our prayers...

single young adult gathering

University Student Leaders Come Together

  

Student leaders in action

  Student leaders from the different universities in the Diocese of Penang met with the CMO Coordinator, P. Kevin Eruthayanathan for the Penang Coordinating Council meeting in F.M. House, Penang on 1-3 March 2013. 

    The university representatives presented their activities for the past year and it was followed by a formation session entitled "My Faith".

        The participants then elected a new board of leaders for the Penang Coordinating Council.

Group sharing during the formation session

The new board of leaders for PCC

Upcoming Activities

Journey to the Foot of the Cross

           Forty-one single young adults take a journey to the foot of the cross on 16 March at Stella Maris Retreat Centre, Penang.

          The retreat ‘A Journey to the Foot of the Cross’ was organized by the Penang Diocesan Youth Network (PDYN), with Fr. David Reegon, OFM Cap as the retreat master. It began at 9.00am and ended at 6.00pm.

           Fr David’s input was based on the gospel of Luke, chapter 23, verse 22 onwards. He led the participants to a deeper understanding of the Crucifixion of Christ based on those gospel passages, stressing on the importance of meditating on the Cross and of spending time with God in silence.

        Fr David also shared his reflections on the ‘Irony of Taunt’, which was then followed by small group sharing and reflection. The participants were inspired to express their need to know Jesus more and have a keen desire to follow His example of going against the ‘norms’ and to be effective witnesses.

        In the afternoon, after lunch, the participants watched a movie entitled ‘The Passion’ by Dough Barry. ‘The Passion’ is a one-man stage production, a dramatic account reflecting on the passion of Jesus Christ.

        The highlight of the retreat came towards the end of the retreat with the ‘Lenten Ritual’. After some prayers, participants were given some time to write down on a small piece of paper, their prayers and concerns. One by one, they then went up to a wooden cross, and stick the papers on the cross.

           This was followed by Mass, of which the papers on the cross were burned and offered up during the presentation of gifts.

         Some of the participants commented that the retreat had been very fruitful to them as it helps them to renew their faith.

             PDYN will be organizing a follow-up activity after Easter.

by:  Lucia Lai

A Pilgrim at the Last Stage of His Journey

VATICAN CITY


Benedict XVI is now a pilgrim who is preparing to journey the last stage of his life. This was his last public lesson. On February 28 at 8:00 PM, the Chair of Peter became vacant.

"Thank you, my heartfelt thanks. Thanks for your friendship and your affection. I am no longer the Pontiff. Starting at 20:00 pm, I will be just a pilgrim who continues his pilgrimage on earth and faces the final stage. Thank you and goodnight," said Benedict XVI to the people in the town square of Castelgandolfo.  He will remain there for about two months in the papal residence in this town, while the monastery Mater Ecclesiae, in Vatican City, is being renovated.  This will be his home later.

A page in the history of the Catholic Church has been written with unpublished notes. It is new and disconcerting. At the same time, it is serene, hopeful, and open. Benedict XVI, Bishop of Rome, Successor of the Apostle Peter from April 19, 2005 until February 28, 2013, left the Vatican headquarters in a helicopter flying over the city for the last time amid the sound of church bells ringing. It was a long, loud ringing to say goodbye.


From bridges, balconies, streets, and windows of the city thousands of people followed the soft flight of that white machine bearing the flag of the Pope. And many thousands more in the world, through television and the Internet, also witnessed the event, thanks to the excellent coverage of the Vatican television.


It was a farewell, a grateful goodbye that united much of Christianity and many men and women, interested or curious about the decision of a good man who has shown himself to the world, according to the dictates of his conscience, as limited and unable to exercise the government that the Church needs.

At 4:00 PM a message from from the twitter account @Pontifex spread out through cyberspace: "Thank you for your love and closeness. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the center of your life."



Benedict XVI accompanies the Church in prayer as we wait for the new Pontiff.

Last message on twitter from @Pontifex  February 28, 2013:  Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex
"Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the center of your life."

Source:   Teresian Association website (http://www.institucionteresiana.com)

Pope: Final General Audience (full text)

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood!

Distinguished Authorities!Dear brothers and sisters!

Thank you for coming in such large numbers to this last General Audience of my pontificate.

Like the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart the paramount duty to thank God, who guides the Church and makes her grow: who sows His Word and thus nourishes the faith in His people. At this moment my spirit reaches out to embrace the whole Church throughout the world, and I thank God for the “news” that in these years of Petrine ministry I have been able to receive regarding the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity that circulates in the body of the Church – charity that makes the Church to live in love – and of the hope that opens for us the way towards the fullness of life, and directs us towards the heavenly homeland.

I feel I [ought to] carry everyone in prayer, in a present that is God’s, where I recall every meeting, every voyage, every pastoral visit. I gather everyone and every thing in prayerful recollection, in order to entrust them to the Lord: in order that we might have full knowledge of His will, with every wisdom and spiritual understanding, and in order that we might comport ourselves in a manner that is worthy of Him, of His, bearing fruit in every good work (cf. Col 1:9-10).

At this time, I have within myself a great trust [in God], because I know – all of us know – that the Gospel’s word of truth is the strength of the Church: it is her life. The Gospel purifies and renews: it bears fruit wherever the community of believers hears and welcomes the grace of God in truth and lives in charity. This is my faith, this is my joy.

When, almost eight years ago, on April 19th, [2005], I agreed to take on the Petrine ministry, I held steadfast in this certainty, which has always accompanied me. In that moment, as I have already stated several times, the words that resounded in my heart were: “Lord, what do you ask of me? It a great weight that You place on my shoulders, but, if You ask me, at your word I will throw out the nets, sure that you will guide me” – and the Lord really has guided me. He has been close to me: daily could I feel His presence. [These years] have been a stretch of the Church’s pilgrim way, which has seen moments joy and light, but also difficult moments. I have felt like St. Peter with the Apostles in the boat on the Sea of Galilee: the Lord has given us many days of sunshine and gentle breeze, days in which the catch has been abundant; [then] there have been times when the seas were rough and the wind against us, as in the whole history of the Church it has ever been - and the Lord seemed to sleep. Nevertheless, I always knew that the Lord is in the barque, that the barque of the Church is not mine, not ours, but His - and He shall not let her sink. It is He, who steers her: to be sure, he does so also through men of His choosing, for He desired that it be so. This was and is a certainty that nothing can tarnish. It is for this reason, that today my heart is filled with gratitude to God, for never did He leave me or the Church without His consolation, His light, His love.

We are in the Year of Faith, which I desired in order to strengthen our own faith in God in a context that seems to push faith more and more toward the margins of life. I would like to invite everyone to renew firm trust in the Lord. I would like that we all, entrust ourselves as children to the arms of God, and rest assured that those arms support us and us to walk every day, even in times of struggle. I would like everyone to feel loved by the God who gave His Son for us and showed us His boundless love. I want everyone to feel the joy of being Christian. In a beautiful prayer to be recited daily in the morning says, “I adore you, my God, I love you with all my heart. I thank You for having created me, for having made me a Christian.” Yes, we are happy for the gift of faith: it is the most precious good, that no one can take from us! Let us thank God for this every day, with prayer and with a coherent Christian life. God loves us, but He also expects that we love Him!

At this time, however, it is not only God, whom I desire to thank. A Pope is not alone in guiding St. Peter’s barque, even if it is his first responsibility – and I have not ever felt myself alone in bearing either the joys or the weight of the Petrine ministry. The Lord has placed next to me many people, who, with generosity and love for God and the Church, have helped me and been close to me. First of all you, dear Brother Cardinals: your wisdom, your counsels, your friendship, were all precious to me. My collaborators, starting with my Secretary of State, who accompanied me faithfully over the years, the Secretariat of State and the whole Roman Curia, as well as all those who, in various areas, give their service to the Holy See: the many faces which never emerge, but remain in the background, in silence, in their daily commitment, with a spirit of faith and humility. They have been for me a sure and reliable support. A special thought [goes] to the Church of Rome, my diocese! I can not forget the Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood, the consecrated persons and the entire People of God: in pastoral visits, in public encounters, at Audiences, in traveling, I have always received great care and deep affection; I also loved each and every one, without exception, with that pastoral charity which is the heart of every shepherd, especially the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of the Apostle Peter. Every day I carried each of you in my prayers, with the father's heart.

I wish my greetings and my thanks to reach everyone: the heart of a Pope expands to [embrace] the whole world. I would like to express my gratitude to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, which makes present the great family of nations. Here I also think of all those who work for good communication, whom I thank for their important service.

At this point I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all the many people throughout the whole world, who, in recent weeks have sent me moving tokens of concern, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone: now I experience this [truth] again in a way so great as to touch my very heart. The Pope belongs to everyone, and so many people feel very close to him. It’s true that I receive letters from the world's greatest figures - from the Heads of State, religious leaders, representatives of the world of culture and so on. I also receive many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply from their heart and let me feel their affection, which is born of our being together in Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write me as one might write, for example, to a prince or a great figure one does not know. They write as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, with the sense of very affectionate family ties. Here, one can touch what the Church is – not an organization, not an association for religious or humanitarian purposes, but a living body, a community of brothers and sisters in the Body of Jesus Christ, who unites us all. To experience the Church in this way and almost be able to touch with one’s hands the power of His truth and His love, is a source of joy, in a time in which many speak of its decline.

In recent months, I felt that my strength had decreased, and I asked God with insistence in prayer to enlighten me with His light to make me take the right decision – not for my sake, but for the good of the Church. I have taken this step in full awareness of its severity and also its novelty, but with a deep peace of mind. Loving the Church also means having the courage to make difficult, trying choices, having ever before oneself the good of the Church and not one’s own.

Here allow me to return once again to April 19, 2005. The gravity of the decision was precisely in the fact that from that moment on I was committed always and forever by the Lord. Always – he, who assumes the Petrine ministry no longer has any privacy. He belongs always and totally to everyone, to the whole Church. His life is, so to speak, totally deprived of the private sphere. I have felt, and I feel even in this very moment, that one receives one’s life precisely when he offers it as a gift. I said before that many people who love the Lord also love the Successor of Saint Peter and are fond of him, that the Pope has truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters all over the world, and that he feels safe in the embrace of their communion, because he no longer belongs to himself, but he belongs to all and all are truly his own.

The “always” is also a “forever” - there is no returning to private life. My decision to forgo the exercise of active ministry, does not revoke this. I do not return to private life, to a life of travel, meetings, receptions, conferences and so on. I do not abandon the cross, but remain in a new way near to the Crucified Lord. I no longer wield the power of the office for the government of the Church, but in the service of prayer I remain, so to speak, within St. Peter’s bounds. St. Benedict, whose name I bear as Pope, shall be a great example in this for me. He showed us the way to a life which, active or passive, belongs wholly to the work of God.

I thank each and every one of you for the respect and understanding with which you have welcomed this important decision. I continue to accompany the Church on her way through prayer and reflection, with the dedication to the Lord and to His Bride, which I have hitherto tried to live daily and that I would live forever. I ask you to remember me before God, and above all to pray for the Cardinals, who are called to so important a task, and for the new Successor of Peter, that the Lord might accompany him with the light and the power of His Spirit.

Let us invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Mother of God and of the Church, that she might accompany each of us and the whole ecclesial community: to her we entrust ourselves, with deep trust.

Dear friends! God guides His Church, maintains her always, and especially in difficult times. Let us never lose this vision of faith, which is the only true vision of the way of the Church and the world. In our heart, in the heart of each of you, let there be always the joyous certainty that the Lord is near, that He does not abandon us, that He is near to us and that He surrounds us with His love. Thank you! -