May 12, 2018, Saturday, is going to be a very interesting weekend for our young people in the diocese as as they gather at Mount Carmel Cathedral for the Diocesan Youth Camp 2018, from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. This event will bring together Pre-Confirmation and Confirmation students, as well as young adults serving in the church.
The youth camp, which is the fifth since the diocese started it a few years ago, aims to foster friendship and teambuilding among the youth, and to nurture their faith and relationship with God. This year’s theme, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke 1:30, when the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary to announce that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. The last youth camp was held in San Roque Parish in 2016, and this year is a collaboration between San Antonio Parish and the newly-established Youth Commission, which is among the ministry priorities of the Diocese’s Pastoral Plan published last year.
Preparations began shortly following the release of Bishop Ryan’s Aviso which officially established the youth commission naming Edward S. Dela Cruz, Jr. as its head. Participants to the diocesan youth camp will have a first-hand preview of the World Youth Day and the commission is working hard to produce an exceptional experience for them. Their first meeting was held on March 3, 2018 with various committees created and assigned for specific tasks. Personnel and Accountability committee will keep track of the registration as well as generating the Identification Tags. They will also be in charge of tracking every participant and personnel on the ground on event day. Logistics committee will provide the supplies that will be needed as well as food and drinks. Public relations will spread word of the event and provide live streaming. Communications committee will keep track and relay information to all concerned. Activities and Games committee will take care of the games and other fun activities for the day.
Edward S. Dela Cruz, Jr., head of the Diocesan Youth Committee shared, “You can expect that this year’s event is definitely an upgrade from the previous youth camps. The main difference is that this year is a one-day event due to circumstances but 2019 will definitely be an overnight event. It’s only Saipan youths attending but we will be conducting a youth camp at Tinian and Rota for the students there before the year ends. I expect nothing but a fun-can-do attitude for the participants this year. I just want them to have fun with the event. It will be less rigid and strict from the past youth camps.” He added, “All youths are highly encouraged to bring fully charged cell phones, go pro and any other electronic devices to the event. They are more than welcome to bring mats, beach chairs or anything else that will keep them comfortable for the day. Cell phones are authorized to be used during the whole event. If parishes wish to bbq at the field they are more than welcome to as well.”
Sam Santos, one of the members of the commission and a long-time active youth and altar server said, “I just really want to invite the youth to take advantage of this event to enrich their faith and relationship with God and their peers. As a Diocese, I believe that we are making an amazing effort to reach out to them because we truly love and care for our young people. But this love needs to be met half-way, it needs to be reciprocated. This is where they come in. The invitation of God is always there. Like what St. Pope John Paul II said in this Mass for the Beginning of his Pontificate back in 1978: “DO NOT BE AFRAID. OPEN WIDE THE DOORS FOR CHRIST.”
The youth camp will include talks on various topics relevant to the youths, booths where they can gather resources as well as team-building activities and concert towards the end. There will also be confession and Eucharistic celebration. It will be a day of fun, faith, friendship and fellowship, and going by the theme, “fearlessness.” No fear to know and love the Lord, to worship and serve Him and inspire others to do the same. God bless to all the participants and, May the force – and power, of the Holy Spirit be with you!
For more information, please check with the CCD teachers or coordinators of your respective parishes.
