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Tag: Youth Ministry

  • NCYM 2024: In my point of view

    NCYM 2024: In my point of view

    A Reflection by Diovelene Francisco, Youth Coordinator

    It was on the 17th of July, 2024 that we arrived at St. John the Evangelist School of Theology Academic building inside the Seminary Compound. At that moment, the learnings, encounters and opportunities opened up for us and the participant-youth leaders of the National Conference for Youth Ministers hosted by the archdiocese of Palo. NCYM: “Abound in Joy: Christ is our Hope”, is the theme where the whole event surrounded. On the very first day, hope flowed as we met youth ministers from different dioceses all over the Philippines, from Northern Luzon to Sulu, one by one, we got to encounter youth that are as excited as I was; and just like that, our NCYM journey started.


    There are a lot of realizations this event has graced me.

    First; the grace of God through hope and patience. Day two of the NCYM was blessed with a Holy Eucharist where in God touched my heart as the homily gave emphasis on how the Lord carries us in every step of our lives, that revenge, grace, and justice is His, and we only need to be patient and hopeful.

    But how are we really embodying these graces? Are we only hopeful and patient to the ones we love? Do we offer a listening ear to the ones we find hard to even look at, more so, listen to? Do we include everyone, reaching out to the peripheries, especially as a youth leader?

    These are some of the points in the homily, that was also reflected in the talks during the event, making it not just an encounter of our co-youth ministers, but an encounter of ourselves.

    This also challenged me to reflect, re-evaluate, and listen; what can I do? What can I impart in this synodality of the church, in my way of reaching out to everyone, and in offering a safe, hopeful, and including space.

    Second, how do we rejoice in hope despite the personal challenges that we face? How do we practice a joyful attitude, a hopeful attitude, when things do not go as we expect them to be?

    One of the plenary speakers shared, that in times of things going far from what we have planned, we either begin to blame others, the joy is replaced by anxiety, frustration, and anger. Then, we, most of the time become reactive, we react negatively in a negative situation.

    This posted a challenge to us, participants, in being proactive in times of negative circumstances, practicing a good attitude in a not-so-good situation, then, we may see the grace of that certain situation.

    Bishop Rex, in this talk, left us with a saying to ponder, it goes “When we resist and we grasp, we become disturbed, so, we have to accept and let go.” And so, as youth ministers, we face circumstances that frustrate us, draw negative reactions from us. Thus, we are challenged to look for the circles that we have to prioritize; the circle of concerns – which are the things that is beyond our control, beyond our influence. We have to loosen, then, our grip to this circle, and the circle of influence – the things that we can change.

    As youth ministers and servant leaders, we tend to do things as we see best, forgetting this is a ministry and not a one-man team performing in a business market, and so we have to learn how to listen, never stop learning from other ministers, connect with the people, accept the inevitable plot twists in our lives and help ourselves and the people around us find purpose in this synodal journey.

    Third, I was enlightened in a topic: health and wellness – in a more spiritual perspective. An issue-based workshop was part of the event where in participants were grouped in their chosen topics and focused on it for an hour. I was in this group, and to my surprise, we didn’t discuss the topic on a conventional scientific approach, its more of spiritual, and what’s truly surprising was the realization, that when you look at and treat your body, the way you look at Christ, the way you revere and give value to our God, then, taking care and loving yourself is way easier and fulfilling than pressuring yourself to achieve the societal beauty standard.

    The health and wellness should not only talk about the body, physically, but should also include our mental state, and spiritual state. Our speaker for this issue-based talk closed his sharing by saying “Do not be contented with just looking good, be good.”

    He gave an emphasis on “be good”, you as a person, the being, seeing yourself as good is equal to treating yourself good by eating good, doing what makes you feel good physically and mentally, and radiating that goodness to others.

    The being, the self, wholeness of a person reflecting the good, is our new view of health and wellness, a new challenge of relearning what’s traditional “looking good” to the appreciation of different beauty in physical, spiritual, and mental aspect, and that what is inside you, in your heart and mind, shines in your face, outside, physically.

    A spiritual challenge in honoring one’s body as we honor Christ, and creating a beauty that radiates, for true goodness diffuses.

    Lastly, as this event culminates, we are challenged to bring a wider and clearer view of the ministry and the church, the needs of the young people and how we can include them in our synodal journey.

    We are challenged, as youth leaders, to include everyone, to reach out to the peripheries, to invite them and make a space where they will feel safe and welcomed, if not, bring the ministry to them, join them, sit on the ground with them.

    The very essence of the NCYM journey, for me, is to inspire our young people to be someone who’ll be the bridge of the traditional and the modern, to reshape our ministry to be more inclusive, to become a safe space, and to embody Christ as we offer our company in this synodal journey, this all, by starting to be good on ourselves, as the saying goes; “you cannot pour from an empty cup”.

    My NCYM experience summarizes in one of the speakers words saying “We will always carry the weight, but by grace, we are able to carry”. It is in God’s grace that we are able to attend the National Conference for Youth Ministers. It is by God’s grace that we are able to learn, understand, and experience, and it is by God’s grace that we are send off for the mission.

  • The National Conference of Youth Ministers : HOPE IN CHRIST

    The National Conference of Youth Ministers : HOPE IN CHRIST

    A Reflection by Miss Jossivel Rodriguez, PYM Youth Leader

    I can’t get these questions out of my mind, questions that fill me with doubts about serving the church, the youth, and especially God. Why me? What is my purpose? What would my mission be?

    Being able to attend the NCYM was a big opportunity for me, especially since I was facing a significant crisis in my life—self-denial and self-doubts. I thought I couldn’t make it; I was sick, and my body resisted attending the NCYM. But then I prayed, and my prayer went like this: “Lord, just let my fever return after the NCYM, please, it’s only for 5 days.” It may sound strange, but yes, God answered. It was July 16 in the morning that I was able to stand, take a shower, and prepared myself for the journey.

    On July 17, 2024, we arrived safe and sound in Palo, Leyte, where the NCYM was hosted. A warm welcome greeted us as we encountered youth leaders from all over the Philippines, from different dioceses. The opening mass was a great eye-opener for me, making me embrace the beauty of the word “Hope.” It touched me deeply when Archbishop John Du shared their stories on how Typhoon Yolanda brought devastation.

    My first realization on the first day of NCYM was this: everything given by God in your life, whether good or bad, is a grace from God for us to see the beauty of life when God is present, sustaining us and giving us hope to continue living, just as God works in the lives of the victims and survivors of Typhoon Yolanda.

    Before NCYM started, I had many questions about myself that I couldn’t answer because I was planning to step down as a youth minister. However, this became a challenge for me as a leader in our parish. The Day Two talk taught me a lot of realizations about why I should continue serving Christ, the Church, and especially the youth.

    The Gospel for Day Two, Matthew 11:28, where Jesus invites those who labor and are burdened, resonated with me. Bishop’s homily made me realize about my presence in the ministry that I was invited by God to encounter Him through the lives of my fellow young people.

    This invitation made me think, “Ah, this is my purpose—to bring youth to synodality, to accompany them with Christ’s image, and to provide a joyful journey together as we commemorate the beauty of God’s love for us.”

    Each talk by the speakers touched my heart, sharing stories and applying the purpose of the word “hope” given by God to everyone. This is in terms of journeying together and reflecting with those who are in the peripheries and those who needed to be reached out.

    Bishop Rex emphasized on not resisting and grasping, which are the characteristics I sometimes exhibit in my service. He taught me to gradually let go of these traits and open my heart and mind to learn from every life’s difficulty, especially in animating and serving the young ones. He also stressed the importance of being prayerful, connecting with God, and entrusting, hoping, and surrendering all worries and burdens to Him.

    I am one of the luckiest people to have participated the NCYM. This presented me with challenges that I need to face for the benefit of the youth and to discover what more I can contribute to the ministry. As I return home, I carry these reminders of my duties in serving the ministry:

    Hope in Christ: No matter what challenges test my faith in Christ, I will remember that God is present and is the only constant in my life. Though unseen, He gives me the strength to continue facing life’s challenges and to serve Him faithfully.

    Be Joyful in Serving God: Regardless of what I achieve, the problems I face, or the evils of the world, I will always stay connected to God. I will serve with love, embrace small wins, reflect on my purpose, grow with Christ’s image, practice gratitude, trust God, and express joy.

    Patience and Perseverance: In service, patience is essential to continue despite many obstacles. This can be achieved through perseverance in prayer, as God is generous and loving.

    Lastly, NCYM 2024 was a blessing and a way of calling me to address the concerns of our community. It reminded me to abound in joy and that Christ is our hope in continuing to transform the image of the youth into the image of Christ. Being one of the youth leaders means that God sees the goodness in my love for Him, which can bring change to the community, especially to the youth who are still on the fringes. I believe He has chosen me for a brighter future for the youth in the Church.

  • Building and Making Life-Giving Encounters

    Building and Making Life-Giving Encounters

    June 14, 2024 – Friday 10th Week in Ordinary Time

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061424.cfm)

    Just like many of you, I was also excited to join and participate in this youth leadership training. This is not the first for me to have such kind of training, but my first in DOPIM. Some might have been surprised when they knew that a Youth Director joined and become a participant in this training. Harlyn, one of my groupmates, whom we fondly also call as Belinda, said, she could not believe that I was a priest. On the first night, she excitedly greeted us and exchanged conversation with us. But when she knew, she became extra respectful to me.

    I actually have my own reasons why I joined and become a participant just like you. And these reasons reveal the priorities that I have now as a youth minister and of what I want to impart to the Young Ministers in particular of the Prelature of Marawi. I canceled parish schedules and told my mother I couldn’t be home for her 60th Birthday last Tuesday because of a youth gathering that I have to attend – just to make way for this event. But more than these reasons, there are more important ones (three reasons) that I want to share with you all and not just for the Youth Ministers of the Prelature of Marawi.

    First, a youth leader is a youth minister. Let us remind ourselves that though we are leaders exercising authority, but our first vocation is to be a minister, in giving service for others so that we may journey together to bring each one closer to Christ. In this ministry, I remind myself that I am called to learn and unlearn with you and from you. It does not diminish the direction of a team or youth leader, or pastor or youth minister but it rather enhances the process of learning and unlearning things. This helps the ministry to slowly discover the gifts and talents of the young, affirm and correct one another so that we bring ourselves closer to Christ. This makes the ministry to be Christ-Centered.

    Second, as a youth minister, I am friend. This calls me that to be a friend I also need to develop a listening ear, to have an understanding heart, and to learn the art of a welcoming embrace. This is also the reason why I want to be identified as a friend rather than as an authority figure. Being a friend is a gift that I can offer to the young, a grace that I ask from the Lord so that my presence will be a non-threatening and non-intimidating presence. I am aware that I am a youth minister and not a police who checks youth activities and would just give a mouthful of curses when something wrong happens in the program. The gift of my presence means my ability to feel what others feel, to accompany and journey those who feel afraid and confused. And a presence that builds life-giving friendships (healthy relationships), not romantic relationships, neither a master-slave relationship with the youth nor a manager-staff relationship. This makes the ministry to be Human-Oriented.

    Third, as a youth director, I am a companion and a mentor by inculcating to you the value of building and creating relationships. We, indeed, need companions, friends and mentors who will assure our co-young people that they are not alone. Today, one of the biggest difficulties of the young is the tendency to be lonely and alone. Let our co-young people know and feel that they are not alone and that God and our community are much bigger than their problems and struggles. Each of us is called to be a companion and a mentor of the young and of one another so that we may be able to go out from our own comfort zones, accompanying the young to be more self-giving, reaching out to others with much love and understanding. Meaning, being a companion and a mentor calls me to journey with you so that we may be able to go out together, to meet and encounter more young people. This makes the ministry to be Mission-Directed.

    This is what we discover in the story of Prophet Elijah. God himself whom he discovered in a “tiny whispering sound,” meaning in a non-threatening and non-intimidating presence, ministered to him, became his friend, companion and mentor in his life as a prophet who was overwhelmed with fear, anxiety and doubts.

    We also remind ourselves that for us to become true, effective and compassionate young leaders and ministers, we also need to cut off anything that is unhealthy in our ministry to the young. This is how Jesus reminds us today in the Gospel, “cut off and throw away” anything that separates us from the grace of God and from one another.

    We may have the tendency to be controlling and manipulating in our ministry, stop and cut off those attitudes. We may be emotionally driven and highly sensitive of comments and suggestions from others, learn to be more objective and rational. We may be self-centered and image-conscious, then, cut them off and bring Jesus to the ministry rather than ourselves. We may also become merely activity-oriented and output-driven to the point that we overwork ourselves and our co-young people with so much programs, but forgetting how to talk with them personally and lovingly.

    Friends, my co-youth ministers, as leaders, we are called to build and make life-giving encounters with our co-young people in this transition of life of the young so that we may be able to encounter Christ in all things and in everything. And it is through these life-giving encounters, no matter how insignificant they can be to others, that we can make significant impact to a struggling young person, in the hope of a transformed-self according to God’s desire for us. Hinaut pa.

  • MSPC Youth Congress 12

    MSPC Youth Congress 12

    A Reflection by Bam Francisco, Youth Coordinator, Prelature of St. Mary’s in Marawi

    For the past years, seven, to be exact, the Mindanao-an youth was not able to held a huge gathering (face to face) due to factors and some reasons unknown to me. What was clear to me was that, the MSPC had her own fair share of troubles. The stories of growth, friendship, fun, and journeying together of the Mindanao Youth despite the geographical barriers were shared by my Ates and Kuyas, and for a very inspiring tale, inspired and lived with us in the community; and we were able to witness a lifelong friendship due to the doors that opened for them during their active times as they were once upon a time, youth of Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference. Now, our time has come, to experience and once again, live for the Church through prevailing over the geographical, cultural, and personal differences.

    The first ever Youth congress after the Pandemic was held on September 13- 16, 2023, at Sto. Niño de Bula Parish, Diocese of Marbel, in General Santos City. It was attended by youth and youth-at-heart from the MSPC five sub-regions that is composed of 21 ecclesiastical territories namely: CABUSTAM[1], DOPIM[2], KIDMACO[3], ZAMBASULI[4], and DADITAMA[5].

    This opportunity was presented to me and to other youth of the Prelature of Marawi early this year, around the month of May. It was a bit of a hanging invitation since I, myself, is not certain on how it will fit my schedule. At first, I thought, this will be a mere attending of a 3-day activity, so, I just have to be present, interact, learn, and re-echo; but God works and plans in ways you’ll never realize until you look back and see how everything makes sense.

    Prior to the Youth Congress, our Prelature had to change the Youth Director, and the Youth Ministry was in crumbles. We do not have an established ministry structure and the parishes of the Prelature are, at the very least, an hour away from each other, thus the youth from the different parishes rarely know any active youth other than those of the same locality. Then we were given the chance to gather in a small group, and slowly making small steps to re-organize the Youth Ministry of the Prelature.

    Everything for the youth ministry seems to fall into place since then, struggles are part of the journey, and knowing my co-youth ministers as we journey together makes this re-living, re-igniting, and renewing the youth ministry worth it. And on the same year, the Prelature of St. Mary in Marawi were able to send eight delegates to the MSPC Youth Congress.

    The 12th MSPC Youth Congress started by pointing out the struggles of the present generation in terms of maintaining a healthy state of mind. Mental health is one of the issues that surfaced during the pandemic; the mental problems faced by the youth was exposed as we faced the limits of connection and relationship. This has been a battle of understanding, opening up, acceptance, and courage since then.

    The plenary talk given by Sister Angie Vergra revolved on determining what is real and not real in social media as a platform, since this is the most accessible and one of the main sources of negativity that greatly affects the mental state of a person nowadays; from believing the things that they see, to viewing one’s worth based on how the virtual world perceives what is acceptable, normal, and beautiful. This talk made me understand more the value of being open, the courage to reach out to friends and family, and to God, who understands and accepts the real me, despite the flaws that, I believed, made me unlovable, unworthy, and unacceptable.

    The opening topic reminded me, and hopefully everyone who listened, to be critical in what we see and hear on social media, to check and verify the information we get, and to avoid the negativity brought by the skewed unrealistic standard of the virtual world. This plenary talk then relates to the following topics given by Fr. Marbendear Morallas, and Fr. Mark Ivan I. Monjardin; as these respected speakers gave me another perspective and understanding of freedom and commitment. The freedom that finds comfort in knowing the truth and leans on justice; and the commitment that is defined by love and gratitude, not by obligation and reward.

    As the whole congress moves around the theme “Open the door of the cage, go out and fly” from Cristus Vivit #143, the Eucharistic celebrations and homilies also gave emphasis on the problems we experience today, the poverty in spiritual, in socio-economical, and in evangelical that symbolically become our “cages” in our lives. Yet, upon realizing the blessings of God, and how He guides and carries us in times of troubles, the doors that are unlocked by Jesus’ love, awaits us to give a little push, to be fully open in front of us, to let us know that we can fly unapologetically in this society where the present of the Church is drowning in the disadvantageous side of technology.

    The whole MSPC Youth Congress journey taught me a lot of things that would surely be shared to our growing ministry.

    My favorite take-away from this four-day experience are the words from Rev. Fr. Romeo Q. Catedral’s homily, he said “ You become so dependent on your wealth, you’re so full of your wealth that you become blinded of the needs of your brothers and sisters;……… we need people who would really decide to live a simple life, decide how much is enough, so that we can have enough for ourselves and enough to share to others.”, that deciding how much is enough so to have enough for others takes humility, and we are all called to be humble like Mama Mary, for humility breeds patience, understanding, and love.

    The doors that opened in this event, the friends we have met from different parts of Mindanao, our co-ministers, and the unity that was shown despite the diversity of people present in one venue lighted the torch of hope as we grow together in the Church, and reaching out to take care of our community, the most in need brothers and sisters, and to our common home.

    The stairs of growth and mission is far ahead of us and our ministry, but, sure enough, that the MSPC Youth Congress 12 was one of the steps we took hand in hand and offered a strong foothold for us to continue the journey with enthusiasm, for through this event, we know that we will not be walking in this path alone and lonely.

    [1] Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, Diocese of Butuan, Diocese Of Tandag, and the Diocese of Malaybalay.

    [2] Diocese of Dipolog, Diocese of Ozamis, Diocese of Pagadian, Diocese of Iligan, and the Prelature of Marawi.

    [3] Diocese of Kidapawan, Dioceses of Marbel, and the Archdiocese of Cotabato.

    [4] Archdiocese of Zamboanga, Prelature of Basilan, Vicariate of Jolo, and the Diocese of Ipil.

    [5] Archdiocese of Davao, Diocese of Digos, Diocese of Tagum, and the Diocese of Mati.

  • We too can bring others closer to Jesus

    We too can bring others closer to Jesus

    November 30, 2022 – Wednesday Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle

    Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/113022.cfm)

    Who was that significant person who brought you closer to the Church and closer to Jesus? I am sure, each of us here has a particular person or people who became significant in our faith journey. Others could have their grandparents who were the very instruments for them to grow in their Catholic faith. Or perhaps a relative, a parent, a sibling or a friend, or an intimate friend who inspired us to come to Church and encounter God.

    Indeed, the celebration of our Vicariate Youth Day with its theme, “Pamatan-on: Padayon sa Misyon Kaupod si Maria,” is an expression of that experience of being inspired and motivated to come closer to the Lord. Certainly, this is a good reason to thank them for being an instrument for us in our journey of faith. So, I want you now to close your eyes and imagine that person to be in front of you and in silence, say to that person your words of gratitude for being an instrument of God for you. Say, your “THANK YOU.”

    As we express our gratitude to the people who have become significant in our journey of faith, let us be reminded as well of the feast that as a Church, we celebrate today. This is the Feast of St. Andrew, one of the original 12 apostles. So, allow me now to explore a bit this person of St. Andrew, how he has become significant to our church and on how the Lord invites us today as young people.

    You know, we know very little of St. Andrew. According to our tradition, Andrew became the first bishop in the community of Constantinople until he was martyred through crucifixion on an X-shape cross. The gospels tell us also that he was the brother of Peter. They were from Bethsaida, a town near the Sea of Galilee. In John’s gospel, we were told that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist at first. In the same gospel, we found that Andrew had actually brought Peter to Jesus, telling his brother, “We have found the Messiah!” In the other gospels, it was Andrew who called the attention of Jesus about the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Again, it was Andrew who told Jesus that there were some Greeks who wanted to see and meet Jesus.

    From here, we can sense that Andrew was actually an apostle with a typical role. Unlike his brother, Peter, he was not able to witness the transfiguration of Jesus at Mt. Tabor. Andrew was not part of Jesus’ inner circle composed of Peter and the 2 brothers, James and John. He was in fact an ordinary guy, an ordinary apostle of Jesus.

    However, Andrew had a remarkable faith in Jesus. Remember, his brother Peter doubted and even denied Jesus three times. But for Andrew, he was the first one to realize that Jesus was truly the Messiah. In his conviction, he joyfully shared what he found to his brother. He himself became an evangelist, a preacher of the good news to his own brother. Moreover, he brought others to Jesus like the boy and those Greeks. Andrew became a bridge between Jesus and other people. Thus, Andrew became the significant person for many people to encounter and to know Jesus more.

    This is what St. Paul told us in the first reading. As there is a need but there is also beauty in sharing one’s faith in Jesus to others. And we can preach Jesus by making our faith be manifested through words and actions so that what we preach will be heard by many. Paul’s letter to the Romans would help us ponder our own call to be a kind of apostle or bearer of the good news to others like St. Andrew.

    This reminds us now of our theme in this VYD, “Pamatan-on: Padayon sa Misyon kaupod kay Maria.” Mary, is indeed, another significant person in our journey of faith. This celebration of the gift of the young people in our Vicariate of St. Peter calls us to mission by preaching Jesus through our words and actions with Mary.

    Now, we usually think that preaching is only proper to bishops, priests, and deacons. Definitely, public preaching of the gospel in liturgical occasions like what I am doing now is proper to me as a priest and not to you as lay persons. But it does not mean that you cannot preach the Gospel or share Jesus anymore to others. As young Christians, we share the prophetic role of Jesus by virtue of our baptism. It means that each of us has both the responsibility and the privilege to be God’s messenger to others, and this makes us young missionaries.

    The Gospel tells us how we are being called as young missionaries today. To each of us, Jesus says, “COME, FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISH FOR PEOPLE! I WILL MAKE YOU MY OWN APOSTLE!” This can surely be materialized when we preach with joy by our own example. But how? These are few examples.

    First, when we are happy with what we are doing and when we are honest in our relationships and dealings with others – we preach the person of Jesus.

    Second, when we are sensitive to others and volunteer to help without any selfish motivations whenever someone needs a helping hand – then, we preach the person of Jesus.

    Third, when we become joyful givers to those who have less;  when we become more understanding and compassionate with those who are experiencing difficulties in their life; then, we preach the person of Jesus.

    Fourth, when people around us feel the deep expression of our faith as we pray in the church, in our homes or with others… then, we preach the person of Jesus.

    Fifth, when we are able to stand and fight for justice, when we are able to confront what is evil and unjust in our institutions and society, when we choose life not violence and death, then, we preach the person of Jesus.

    Friends, people will see these things and will recognize that we are Christians. Then like St. Andrew and our Mother Mary, we will be able to bring other people closer to Jesus, by becoming bearers of the Good News through our very life. Kabay pa.