KUCHING – The Kuching Archdiocesan Youth Day (KAYD) ended with participants and servants alike having high hopes of seeing each other in the next KAYD, to be held in 2011. This biennial event was held on 28-30 August at the Christian Ecumenical Worship Centre. The first KAYD was in 2007.
Organised by the Kuching Archdiocesan Youth and Vocation Commission (KAYVC), about 500 youths gathered from both rural and urban parishes, including a few from Kuala Lumpur, during the weekend under the theme ‘1 Love’ taken from John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
The opening Mass was celebrated by Archbishop John Ha, together with Fr Simon Poh and Fr Felix Au, Chaplain for the KAYVC. The opening ceremony followed with each parish and youth group representative reading a Bible verse while the KAYD candles distributed during the launching of The Heart of KAYD in May were brought up to the stage as a symbol of unity after the months of preparation.
An invited guest speaker, Jude Antoine, a full-time lay missionary under the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) movement in Malaysia, was present with his wife, Veronica, and their two daughters, Lavinia and Alicia. Focusing on God’s love for each individual, family and friends, sessions and workshops were held where participants were grouped into different age groups for sharing and discussion.
During the event, each participant and servant was given five red ribbons with a mission to spread God’s love through affirmation phrases or Bible verses written on the ribbons. Those ribbons were then given to five other youths whom they did not know, and for the next seven days they were to pray for them.
The weekend was filled with the Holy Spirit during talks, praise and worship sessions, and every other fellowship time where many were healed from hurts and had burdens lifted up. A concert-rally was also held on the second night which drew a crowd of over 1000 youths and adults.
Claudia Law
For more photos of the event, please visit the Archdiocesan Youth Blog.
