Kuching Archdiocesan Youth Day

VISION (Nature):

  • We envision young people from all over the Archdiocese of Kuching gathered together celebrating their Catholic vocation (who am i) and mission (what am i called to do) through moments of prayer, fellowship, formation and service.

 

OBJECTIVES (Mission):

  • To nurture the seed of faith planted in the hearts of the young.
  • To enable the youth to participate more fully in the vision and mission of the church, both universal and local (as an archdiocese and in parish level).
  • To move the youth to inspire, encourage and support one another in living out their Catholic faith.
  • To help the youth understand their role and importance in their families and communities (both Church and society).
A bit of “historical background’ on celebrating local Youth Day…
 
In 1984, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, St John Paul II summoned young people to a gathering on the occasion of the International Year of Youth (1985). That occasion… marked the beginning of the long journey of World Youth Day. ST. Pope John Paul II said, “On this feast day, the Church proclaims the Kingdom of Christ…. You, young people, are indispensable bearers of the dynamics of the Kingdom of God, the hope of the Church and the world….  All young people must feel that they are cared for by the Church.”. This, then, was the genesis of WYD.
 
In 2020, at the end of Mass on the Solemnity of Christ the King, Pope Francis called for a relaunch of the celebration of WYD in the particular Churches (parishes or dioceses/archdioceses). He announced that this celebration (ideally)… be held on the Sunday of the Solemnity of Christ the King.
World Youth Day celebrated in a particular Church has great significance and value, not only for the young people who live in that particular region, but for the entire local ecclesial community.  It would offer the young the possibility, even if at a local level, of a personal experience of a “festival of faith” that can be a powerful occasion for witnessing, communion and prayer.
The celebration of these Youth Days at a local level is therefore extremely useful in keeping the Church mindful of the importance of walking with young people, and of welcoming them and listening to them with patience while proclaiming the Word of God to them with affection and power…. Let this then be a celebration “for young people” and “with young people”.
from the “Pastoral Guidelines for the Celebration of World Youth Day in the Particular Churches” issued by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, 18.05.202