Youth and youth ministry 1

Youth and youth ministry in my life.(200-2006)

I love to see and to live where there are lots of green trees………!

The life of the youth that I passed through when I was young is not the same as what I really have seen in my youth ministry for six years as a coordinator. It is because I was brought up as a seminarian in my youthful age. I did not know the precious beauty of the youth for I was in the carnal of consecrated life and gave no time to think of myself as a youth in the Church.

The beginning of the approach to the youth started in the apostolate work at the weekend when I taught the catechism to the youth since I was in the Major Seminary. I felt the life of the youth as different situation. That gave me lessons to know more about myself and the meaning of the youth.

I was ordained in 6 April, 1997, and as an assistant pastor I was posted to Sancta Maria Parish, Pekhon town-ship, Shan State. In the Diocesan youth course conducted in Sancta Maria, I gave a lecture to the young people and it was the first time to be in touch with the youth after my ordination. I went to eight quarters in the main parish to have a meeting with the young people and drew some plans for the parish youth. But, just after seven months, I was posted to another parish called Hwari Khu. I had to forget everything concerned with Sancta Maria, and started a new plan in Hwari Khu. But I cannot forget my first experience with the youth in my priesthood till now. In Hwari Khu, I tried to organize the young people by small activities including games and course trainings. I conducted a football competition for the girls that I was warned by the parish priest. The reason is that “it is undignified to the ladies” said the parish priest. But I was happy what he said and later I never do it again. It was just five months, not so long to be with the youth of Hwari. And I was appointed for the communication director in the diocese and transferred to Taunggyi. At the same time, I was assistant to the Fr. Paulu Lo, the parish priest of Taunggyi.

Most of the priest who had been the assistants in Taunggyi said that it was difficult to organize the people in Taunggyi especially the youth. Because, there were different tribes and culture among the Catholic. The youth were scattered and not much attached to the Church. They lived by themselves isolated. When I arrived there, there was a preparation program for the Installation of the Archbishop Matthias. I was asked to organize the youth to help in this program. But how could it be. It was really difficult for me to get some volunteers from the youth. They were not like the youth of Sancta Maria and Hwari. I remembered one word spoken by my seminary rector as well as my teacher and my director. It is “Try to make fellowship all people who are around you.” And that was the strength to organize the youth. Unexpectedly, many youth were coming for the preparation for the celebration. Many people were surprised because they never thought of that before. After that celebration, some of the youth came to me to make a wall-literature competition on the Parents’ Day that would be held in 26^th July. I went to the parish priest and asked the permission to perform that program. The youth came to prepare and invited all the faithful of the parish to participate. Lots of articles, poems, cartons, short novels and many writings were gathered for the competition. There were many kinds of abilities I found in the youth. There might be disagreement among them but there were also means to make them together. The youth love to be together, even more than his family when they are united. My ministry lasted two years with the youth of Taunggyi till 2000. I was appointed to be the coordinator for the National Youth in July, 2000 after the meeting of the bishops of Myanmar.