2011 and is the 'Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Year of the Youth'.
To coincide with the coming of the relic of Saint John Bosco in December 2010, December 2010 to January 2012 has been marked as the Year of the Youth. Saint John Bosco was the father, teacher and friend to the young so it is appropriate that the year commenced with the visit of his relic.
The year will celebrate the young, their contribution to life and to the Church and in the hope of strengthening the young in their faith and ideally converting more to the Church.
Learn more about Youth Pinoy which is connected to the CBCP here: www.youthpinoy.com
As part of the Year of the Youth there has been a year long nationwide pilgrimage of the National Youth Cross and Mother Mary icon. On Wednesday a replica of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon came to Pasil.
World Youth Day was started by Pope John Paul II. A cross was built, which was 3.8 meters high as a symbol of the Catholic faith and placed in St. Peter's Basilica in 1983. At the end of the year Pope John Paul II proclaimed that the cross should travel around the world to show Christ's love for humanity.
On April 22 1984 Pope John Paul II said, "My dear young people, at the conclusion of the Holy Year, I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: The Cross of Christ! Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ's love for humanity and announce to everyone that only int he death and resurrection of Christ can we find salvation and redemption."
Many claim that venerating the cross has led to conversions, healing and the young being touched by God.
Many claim that venerating the cross has led to conversions, healing and the young being touched by God.
The replica of the cross arrived in Pasil on Wednesday evening. The DBYC members went to the edge of Pasil to welcome the cross. It was escorted by many riding motorbikes. The children waved streamers and cheered when they first saw the cross. A procession then followed as the cross made its way to the Church.
Once inside the Church there was a handover ceremony. The cross and the Our Lady icon was officially given to the Santo Nino Parish Church in Pasil for the night. Many prayers and introductions and explanations were said.
Next there were Taize prayers said in front of the cross. The Taize community is made up on over 100 brothers in a small town in France. They consist of both Catholics and Protestants and their strength is that they are a "parable of community" - they have come together despite being from different denominations. The men accept celibacy and a simple life dedicated to God.
The community was started by Brother Roger during WWII where men who were escaping the conflict, children who had lost parents in the war and Prisoners of War all came together to unit as one.
Lots of young people have been attracted to the community. The Taize way of praying has also been very influential on the young people. The prayers focus on meditative singing - repeating phrases as a way of listening and opening up your heart to God.
To learn more about the Taize Community visit their website here: www.taize.fr
After the Taize prayers the young people then had the opportunity to touch the cross and icon and pray in front of them. It was extra special that the young people had organized everything themselves and the priests had a minimal role.
On the Thursday evening there was mass in the church followed by a talk by Buboy about the history of the cross and the year of the youth. The cross and icon were then paraded around Suba and Pasil as the children followed saying the rosary. The cross was then loaded onto a van and transported to the next parish by the animators. There they handed over the cross and icon to the next youth group.
 |
| Animators from the other parish |
On the Thursday evening there was mass in the church followed by a talk by Buboy about the history of the cross and the year of the youth. The cross and icon were then paraded around Suba and Pasil as the children followed saying the rosary. The cross was then loaded onto a van and transported to the next parish by the animators. There they handed over the cross and icon to the next youth group.
 |
| Procession |
Watch the Year of the Youth, 'Make a Stand' video here: