Youth camp participants with the brothers and sisters of St. John Community.
(CONTRIBUTED)
In preparation for the upcoming 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), the Community of St. John headed by Fr. Steban Savary held a “Crossroad 2015” mini youth camp at the Good Shepherd in Banawa Hills, Cebu City last Oct. 24-25.
About 140 youths from different groups and organizations joined the camp.
With the theme “Your love be on us Lord, as we hope in you,” the activity aimed to prepare and motivate the participants for the 51st IEC that will be held in Cebu City on Jan. 24-31, 2016.
“Everybody should realize how significant IEC is in the history of the Catholic Church and so, everybody should take part especially you, the youths,” Youth Camp organizer Maria Corazon Donaldo said.
Donaldo said that every youth should bear in mind the message of Pope Francis during his visit to the country this year “The youth is not the church of the future, the youth of today is the church now.”
The two day camp included talks, testimonies, praise and worship jams, and Eucharistic adoration and recitation of Divine Offices with the religious in the community.
Reinaflor Capin, a participant from the University of the Philippines, said every moment in the camp was precious and the time she spent knowing and glorifying the Lord is something she wouldn’t learn in school.
“Bahala’g sakit na kaayo akong tuhod tungod sa four hours nga Adoration, I still don’t mind. (Even though my knees are already painful because of the four hours of Adoration, I still don’t mind) After all, it’s for Him),” Capin said.
IEC food committee chairman John Paul V. Ardoña ended the youth camp with an orientation on the history of the International Eucharistic Congress and the different activities that will happen during the whole week. He also shared the preparations of the IEC committees. Finally, Ardoña encouraged all the youth to participate as a volunteer or as a delegate for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress. /UP Masscom student Dhapnie M. Andales