Purwokerto, dozens of young people attend two-day retreat sponsored by the Diocese
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Solemn Masses and pilgrimages, worship of the Virgin Mary, novenas to Our Lady and prayer services have been for decades the most popular events of the faithful and the key moments in the life of the Church in Indonesia. Parishes and dioceses, especially in areas with a larger Catholic presence, have promoted several times pilgrimages at home and abroad, prayer meetings, ceremonies; Jakarta, among others, has organized trips to the Holy Land, Europe Rome and the Vatican. However, for decades programs and initiatives for youth work, dedicated to young boys and girls around the country have been lacking.
But now, thanks to the initiative of some priests, even the
local Church seems to pay more attention to the formation of young Catholics, for
too long not one of the "priorities" for priests and bishops. Leading
the local church is the Diocese of Purwokerto, in the province of Central Java,
which has focused on the formation by organizing a series of initiatives.
The first event was held last October in the parish of Sidareja, and was replicated
last weekend with another event dedicated to the youth formation in the area. Speaking
to AsiaNews Julius Pudjo, of the parish of Theresia in Majenang (Pangandaran,
West Java), described a two-day retreat attended
by more than 70 young people, along with educators, seminarians and family
members.
The aim of the initiative - which was attended by youth from elementary, middle and high schools and strongly supported by the charismatic local bishop - is to strengthen the morale among Catholic students, who in most cases attend non-Christian schools. For a long time the local Church has almost "forgotten" these kids who attend institutions not linked directly to Catholic institutions; they, in fact, are of particular value because they represent a kind of bridge to the faithful of other religions.
Only in the 1980s, thanks to the
vision and commitment of the Jesuits, even for these young people - dubbed "Persink"
- special opportunities for encounter, formation and aggregation were developed.
ndonesia is the world's
most populous Muslim nation. Christians represent 5.7 per cent of the
population with Catholics just over 3.6 per cent.
The latter are an active part of society. Over the years, they have contributed to the nation's development and played a major role in emergency operations, as was the case during the devastating floods of January 2013.
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27/06/2008
01/08/2017 12:39
