Indonesian churches hold "spiritual camp" to inspire youth to be creative and active in Church’s Mission

The Parish of Saint Paul Lambing and John the Evangelist Melapeh of the Archdiocese of Samarinda held a youth spiritual camp to inspire them to be active and innovative in the church’s mission on November 12–13 in West Kutai, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The focus of the spiritual conference was "Creating Creative, Innovative, and Critical Catholic Youth in the Society 5.0 Era."

Father Vinsensius Dus, MSF, the parish priest of St. Paul and seminar's speaker, said that the activities with the youth of the two parishes were meant to help them think creatively and critically about how modern technologies affect their own faith and the faiths of others.

"Young people must participate actively and creatively in church life. In today's society, young people are also expected to develop their faith, hope, and love for God and others," said the priest to Radio Veritas Asia News. 

Father Dus also said that young Catholics should use their creativity, imagination, and critical thinking to adapt to technological changes, especially for their own good, the good of the church, and the good of the country.

As many as 150 youths attended the Catholic youth camp. There were a lot of activities, like seminars, concerts, dances, choirs, volleyball, tug-of-war, and sack races.

Argina Septiana, a young Catholic from St. Paul Lambing who took part in the event, said that the spiritual camping had brought back the interest of Catholic teens who had lost interest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These kinds of activities help young people get ready for the era of society 5.0 by giving them a new lease on life," she said, adding that “during these events, everyone has the same chance to show off their best qualities in areas like spiritual service, sports, arts and culture, entertainment, and social media."

Talmoso, another youth, thought that the activity taught young Catholics how to work together and talk to each other better.

He said, “These activities teach young people to be self-reliant and confident enough to plan and carry out activities from start to finish."

“It is hoped that this gathering will give all of the world's young people a boost and remind them that they need to stand up and get involved in a society that is getting more complicated,” he added. 

The Archdiocese of Samarinda, where the two parishes of St. Paul Lambing and Yohanes Penginjil Melapeh are located, has an area of 211,440 square kilometers and is located in the eastern part of Kalimantan, Indonesia's southern territory of Borneo Island.

The archdiocese covers the cities of Samarinda, Balikpapan, and Bontang, as well as the districts of West Kutai, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kutai, Pasir, Penajam, and North Paser.

With 24 parishes and 35 priests serving 135,000 Catholics, the archdiocese has a Catholic population percentage of 6%. - Kasmir Nema