CYO Charged To Promote Youth Evangelisation
The Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO) has been charged to promote the revival of youth evangelisation among Catholics.
Rev. Fr. Paul Sanagya, a Priest of the Sunyani Diocese made this call in a homily during a Eucharistic Celebration at the Holy Cross Parish in Tamale to climax a homecoming organised by the CYO in the Tamale Archdiocese.
The week-long event was on the theme: Rooted In Faith And Reuniting In Love For Growth and aimed at bringing back lapsed and aged Crusaders, help revamp relationships, increase oneness and propel the growth of young Crusaders through guidance and mentoring.
The homecoming event was also to help raise funds for activities of the CYO in the Archdiocese, support the renovation of its national office, and also to facilitate a national registration exercise.
Fr. Sanagya expressed concern about the current dormant state of the once vibrant CYO, underscoring the need to revive it. “Through this, the little ones can also evangelise their peers and make Christ known,” he stated.
He appealed to parents to allow their children to be active members of the CYO. He further entreated the organisers and leaders to direct and mentor the youth adequately, reminding them that their work is also a means of evangelisation and therefore must be done well.
“Your dancing, marching and choreography is a means of evangelisation, do it well”, he advised.
Preaching on the theme, The Priestly Prayer of Jesus Christ; That They May Be One, (Jn. 17:21), he urged Christians to be promoters of unity founded on true love. He stressed that Christians must eschew divisiveness and make conscious efforts to practicalise this prayer in their lives. He said the Church in promoting inter-religious dialogue and ecumenism, is a perfect example of this prayer.
Senior Crusader Jennifer Tembile, a member of the Organising Committee expressed gratitude to all who contributed in cash and in kind to ensure the success of the homecoming. She appealed to non-members to join the CYO.
Sixteen (16) Senior and old Crusaders who have supported the activities of the CYO in the Archdiocese were awarded Citations. Among them were Mr. Martin Adam Chinto, the Chief of Malshegu; Mr. George Nego Fuguluu, Rev. Fr. Tonye, a retired Catechist, Joseph Neindow; Mrs. Barbara K. Osei Fordjour and Dame Matilda Zenabu Pipio Eib. The St. Charles Lwanga R/C Church at Malshegu was also awarded for its community involvement and support to Crusaders, and the dedication of the parents.
Activities organised during the event included visitations to the sick, aged, lapsed and busy Crusaders and parishioners; an inter-parish quiz competition was won by the Holy Trinity Parish with the St. Charles Lwanga R/C Church and the Our Lady of Annunciation Cathedral taking the first and second runner-up positions.
Among the other dignitaries who attended the homecoming was Senior Crusader Rose Boateng, Vice President of the St. Theresa of Child Jesus Society.
The Eucharistic Celebration was concelebrated by Very Rev. Fr. Jonathan Kuuyonongme the Parish Priest and Rev. Frs. David Kokaa, a Formator and Lecturer at the St. Augustine Millennium Major Seminary and Pascal Tonye, a Curate of the Parish.
From Benedicta B. W. Wiabrega
