Communication on August 18, 2006
The
On the occasion of the 160th anniversary of martyrdom of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon the Archdiocese of Seoul celebrated “the Seoul Youth Day (SYD) 2006” from August 12 to 14, 2006 at the Catholic University of Korea, the Catholic Catechetical Institute, and
His Eminence Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jinsuk, Archbishop of Seoul, presided the closing Mass and said in his homily, “It is a blessing for the youth to come together to give thanks and praise to God”. And he added, “It is great that the youth are united in the love of Jesus.”
As the youth gathered in one place, they shared their life and experience one another. The SYD was prepared to confirm their vocation as the future of the Church.
Under the theme “Get up, let us go.”(Mt 26;46) the SYD had three subjects, as Martyrdom, Freedom, and the Future, which were the daily sub-themes.
About 1,000 participants from over 60 parishes took part in the following programs; experiencing Liturgy, the Youth concert, a street festival. And there also were seminars with the theme of 'The Church history of Korea' and 'My vision and Jesus'.
The Rev. Paul Bae Sang-yeop, in charge of the department for the youth in the Archdiocese of Seoul, stated, “It is very significant that the Catholic youth gathered in one mind to imitate and follow the example of Jesus.” And he continued, “I believe that the SYD provided all participants with an opportunity to go forward to Our Lord.”
It is a special time, especially for the youth who have suffered from unemployment and broken family to be encouraged in the faith.