In “A Message to Youth,” the bishops of the United States expressed their esteem and respect for the young people in whom they see the face of God. It is often said that today’s youth are the future. The Holy Family Igbo Catholics in the Diocese of Camden are conscious of the spiritual growth of their children, as this will significantly affect the Igbo church in this part of the state.
I consulted with the parents and guardians of young people in our Igbo Catholic community on how to design a summer vacation program that would spiritually, emotionally and psychologically benefit young people in Igbo Catholic community in the Diocese of Camden. Parents and guardians welcomed the idea.
In our monthly Holy Family meeting, we created a youth committee to plan a program for the youth. This committee was steered by Dr. Jacob Nwosu.
The weeks of July 10 and Aug. 10 were declared the Holy Family Igbo Youth Week by the committee members. This committee is made up of both adults and the youths. The youth programs were made up of social, educational and religious programs. The committee members decided and approved the provision of T-shirts emblazoned with Holy Family Igbo Catholics, Camden Diocese.
In all, 45 children participated in the youth week.
The most engaging aspect of the youth week was the religious competition programs, where the youths were divided into four groups: St. Theresa, St. Michael, St. Jude and St. Matthew. The committee members collaborated with me to create Bible-based questions. St. Theresa group took first place.
The activities of the Holy Family Igbo Catholic Youth Week were both challenging and engaging. The goal of the week was to help youth members become better disciples of Jesus Christ. It was an opportunity to empower the Holy Family Igbo youths. It inspired them to find their own voice.
We embarked on the Youth Week to help the youth be more knowledgeable and open minded. Now, after the week’s activities, our youths can boast of knowing the Bible better. It was an opportunity to let the youth know, in the words of St. Jerome, that “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” One big thing we achieved during the Youth Week is to motivate the youth to read the Bible because the Word of God is life.
Father Joachim Ifezuo Oforchukwu is in residence at Christ the Redeemer Parish, Atco.
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