South Indian Church organizes Catholic Youth Synod

South Indian Catholic youth organized the Catholic youth synod meeting to bring out Unity and diversity in society through an awareness program to raise the marginalized people in society on October 1 and 2, 2023 at Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, South India.

The theme of the Youth Synod meeting was: Inainthu Iyangum Ilaigargal: (Cooperative Youth)

From 17 different dioceses of South India, 95 young girls, 144 young boys, and 58 youth formators participated.

In the meeting, three main resolutions were drafted, including youth work must be collaborative, traveling together should be part of it, and bringing out the report of the youth forum.

Bishop Nazarene Soosal of the Diocese of Kottar oversaw the program and presented the young people with awards.

Father Martin Joseph, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Bishop's Conference Youth Commission (TNBCYC), also participated with all of the youth to encourage and motivate them.  

Synod Statement

1.  Young Catholic Students and Catholic Youth movements are needed in all the dioceses and parishes to oppose the values of the Indian constitution in order to promote democracy, secularism, and sovereignty in society. In order to strengthen this movement, we need to encourage all family members and young people in society.

2.  Youth who live forever: build up youth who can observe the values of the Bible, are rooted in a life of deep grace, and are immersed in spiritual wisdom by following Jesus' example. They will be achieving intellectual, emotional, and relational development, confidence building and fearlessly working for social change.

 3.  Identify and train talented young people with multifaceted skills who can participate in church activities and social media using skill training, leadership training, and social-political analysis.

4.   Assist them in becoming successful church members and train them to deal with unemployment, addictions to alcohol and social media, mental stress, broken relationships, gender discrimination in caste and religion, economic persecution, corruption, hatred of politics, and chief worship in a way that is courageous, clear and mind-centered.

5.  Realizing the social contribution, let them work together with movements that seek social justice and take action against it.

6.  Capitalist profiteering and cultural consumerism are destroying natural resources and separating our lives from nature. In this environmental situation, all youth must work together to save nature, try to live with nature and living creatures, and save the house of human beings.

Father Ronald Richard, Youth director of the Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, said, “After the pandemic, many youths are inactive in all church activities. Their two-day Synod meetings have inspired them to develop their thinking patterns and capacities and how to move to the next level of activities in the church and society.”

He also stated, “The power of youth can bring drastic changes to the world as one team, and they believed that we could do everything with the blessings of God after meeting at the Velankanni Shrine."

“With this synod, the young people have been highly motivated to change the world by working together in a team, just as Jesus' twelve apostles changed the world. It is a new beginning for them to move forward,” he said.

Pavithra, the president of the Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, said, “The experience gave me the opportunity to learn more about the cultures of other dioceses and the various ways they organize team programs. We have exchanged ideas and thoughts as we do in our own diocese."

She stated, "The information helps us form future plans for parish activities, diocese development, and promoting awareness in society."