A MISSIONARY
MOVEMENT
Volume I, Issue No. 01
Dec - Mar 2004
K
û
JYIT meeting in Rome
K JY at FABC
K Global JY Newswatch
K Full time Volunteers
K Event Focus
K Blessed Mother Teresa
K CCBI on Jesus Youth
K New Initiatives
K FIDES on Jesus Youth
World
Youth Day
& af ter a three day pilgrimage in
Jesus Youth
International
Gathering
Germany, Colonge
KFive Continents K150 countries
K1 Million catholic youth
K1000 Jesus Youth Pilgrims
K1 Destination
XX World Youth Day
11th to 21st August 2005
Cologne, Germany
“ We have come to adore Him”
(Mathew 2:2)
Jesus Youth is all set to liven up the
upcoming World Youth Day 2005,
unquestionably the most dynamic
celebration of Catholic faith across
the globe. And this time a record
number of 1000 Jesus Youth Pilgrims
across the world are expected to get
together in Germany for the Youth
Arise International gathering and the
Jesus Youth International Conference
preceeding the W YD.
For details on how you too can star t
preparing for the event and begin
saving for your pilgrimage, contact
jyglobal@jesusyouth.org
First Meeting of
Jesus Youth
International Team at
For the first time in the history of
Jesus Youth, 23 Jesus Youth
leaders, including priests and
animators, met in Rome fr om
September 11th - 18th, 2003 to give
shape to Jesus Youth International.  In the early af ternoon, we had a
These delegates represented the
following seven countries:  Canada,
Germany, India, Singapore, the
United Arab Emirates, the United
Kingdom and the United States of
America.
The of ficial meeting of JYIT star ted
Rome. The venue for the meeting
was a parish centre. All through it
there was the t ypical congenial
Jesus Youth atmosphere- food was
prepar ed in local Jesus Youth
homes and brought to the venue
daily. At night, the par ticipants
huddled together on the bare floor
of the conference room. Altogether,
it was a time of knowing each other
de eply. And each day the JYIT
meeting began and ended with the
Divine Of fice - a decision that arose
from the desire to embrace the
deeper spirituality inherent in the
traditional prayers of the Church.
On the morning of the 16th, we
celebrated Holy Mass in the crypt
of St. Peter’s Basilica, consecrating
the entire global family of Jesus
Youth and r e-commit ting the
movement to the mission of the
Church.
The following day, Tuesday 17th of
September was a memorable day
for the whole team. We had the
privilege of an audience with the
Holy Father, Pope John Paul II,
where we submit ted to him the
Document “Jesus Youth - Its
Charisms and St yle of Working”.
This meeting with the Holy Father
was a true moment of blessing for
Jesus Youth all over the world.
Rome
Later, the Apostolic Nuncio of
Ghana-Ar chbishop Geor ge
Kocherry invited us to lunch. He
was very supportive of Jesus Youth
endeavors.
me eting with Anna and Mario
Capello, the founders of the Glory
of God International Covenant
Community (GOGICC) and Institute
for World Evangelisation (IWE),
both recognized by the Holy See
and Henr y Capello, President of
Youth Arise International. All three
of them encouraged us in our
ef forts.
Towards af ternoon, we had a time
of consultation with Fr. Antony
Kollamparampil of the
Congregation for Divine Worship,
on Jesus Youth spiritualit y,
charisms and working st yle,
especially in the contex t of the
Church. Another ver y impor tant
meeting was also held late in the
evening with Fr. Francis Kohn, the
Youth Director of the Pontifical
Council for the Laity who is also in
charge of organizing World Youth
Day.
Presenting the JY Document to the Holy Father
Af ter the meeting a few delegates
had the privilege of continuing
discussions with Cardinal Seppe
(President, Pontifical Council for
Evangelization) and Archbishop
Rylko (Secretary, Pontifical Council
contd on nex t page K
AT THE SERVICE
OF THE CHURCH
WWW.JESUSYOUTH.ORG
Editor’s Desk
Greetings from the Jesus
Youth International of fice!
It is with immense joy that
we launch this pilot issue
of our newslet ter.
One of the impor tant decisions
taken at the r ecently held
International Team me eting at
Rome was to bring out a newsletter
to ser ve as a link bet ween the
countries with a Jesus Youth
presence.
We can take pride in that this is truly
and fully a Jesus Youth product.
Ever y thing from the editing and
designing to the printing was done
with recourse to Jesus Youth
resources alone! I wish to place on
record my hear t felt gratitude to all
those who worked to make this
newslet ter a reality, especially Mr.
Josun Jose who travelled all the
way from Delhi and worked
tirelessly as editor-in-charge for the
last t wo we eks, Sanil C.A who
designed the layout, Shelton
Pinheiro who added the final
touches on content, and our of fice
team Deepa and Anu who of fered
their unstinted ef for t.
Our Holy Father says in his
Apostolic exhor tation ‘Ecclesia in
Asia’: “The Church is convinced
that de ep within the people,
cultures and religions of Asia there
is a thirst for “living water”
(cf. Jn 4:10-15), a thirst which the
Spirit himself has created and
which Jesus the Saviour alone can
fully satisf y”. Jesus Youth being a
movement with an Asian origin, I
firmly believe that we have a
specific role in the mission of the
Church to help slake this thirst
which is the work of the Holy Spirit.
I sincerely pray that our mot to to
be “a missionary movement at the
ser vice of the Church” may be
realised more fully in the coming
year. And to all of you, my wishes
for a blessed New Year !
Manoj Sunny
Co-ordinator,
Jesus Youth International Team
1

for the Laity) and such others. All
of them were pleased with the work
of Jesus Youth in the Church and
encouraged us to continue
building our unique charisms.
Historic Moments:
JYIT Meeting in Rome
On the whole, the first JYIT meeting
was very fruit ful. Many issues and
concerns were tackled in a period
of four days. As a result of the
various discussions, a core team
was selected to facilitate &
Henry, Anna and Mario( ICPE, IWE, GOGICC)
Fr. Antony Kollamparambil
recieving a memento from Dr. Sindhu & Dr. Manoj
coordinate the activities of the
Jesus Youth International Team for
the nex t 3 years.  Likewise,
continental co ordinators were
selected to help coordinate the
Jesus Youth activities of their
respective regions.
Fr. Francis Kohn,
Congregation of Head - Youth Section,
Divine Worship Pontifical Council for Laity
Both the JYIT and the authorities
in the Vatican strongly felt the need
for a Jesus Youth of fice in the
Vatican as the first step towards
canonical recognition by the Holy
See.
From the humble beginnings of
Jesus Youth in Kerala it was an
overwhelming experience to be in
the heart of the Church in Rome,
coming together from dif ferent
nations and lands to pray, share,
dream and work towards building
the Kingdom of God among the
Youth. Indeed a time of blossoming
hope.
Lisa Jose, USA

Message
Cultural Exchange Programme I am pleased to introduce and recommend the ‘Jesus
Youth Movement’ to our people. The members of the
The Cultural Exchange movement are engaged in the apostolate of spreading
Programme is a unique a true and genuine Christian spiritualit y among all
project by Jesus Youth people, especially the youth. They are trying to spread
India, where tribal and the Good News of our salvation and redemption
rural youth from across through our Lord Jesus Christ. Awakening in the youth
the country are brought the consciousness of their Christian identit y, the
to Kerala for a movement is meant to lead its members to fulfill their Christian
live-in Catholic faith obligations in the world. Firmly rooted in a life of faith, protected and
experience and also an nourished in ecclesial life, Jesus Youth is a strong force to organise
exposure to the Jesus and guide our youth towards their development in terms of their
Youth life style there. spiritual life both individual and communitarian. The ef for ts of
Smiles that tell a story: Youth from Assam & Nagaland
The cultural exchange formation of our youth in the values of the Kingdom of God that are
has been an annual feature for the last three years in Kerala. In the last rendered present in the person and life of Jesus Christ, is a specific
two years over 590 tribal youth spanning 20 states and 46 dioceses of feature of the Movement of ‘Jesus Youth’. Hence the promotion of the
India were par t of the programme. This year over 460 tribal youth from Movement under the protection and safeguards of the Catholic
21 states and 39 dioceses across the country were brought to Kerala Church is not only significant but imperative to keep our youth actively
to be part of the programme. involved in the life of mission of the Church, especially at a time when
our faith - life is challenged all over. This assumes special impor tance
The programme comprises of a thirty-day package, which begins with against the background of our modern world in which peace and
a weeklong retreat. The par ticipants are then invited to stay with Jesus harmony, love and fellowship, fraternal care and concern, are
Youth families for t wo weeks in the various zones of Kerala. During decreasing. Let our youth be liberated from their enslavements
their stay, they undergo training programmes, visit holy places and through the power of the Holy Spirit of God given to them in Jesus
interact with the prayer groups and families of that zone. The grand finale Christ by the saving act of God our Father.
of the programme is the ‘Mahotsav’ (celebration of love) where all the
par ticipants gather in a common venue and various teachings and Most Rev. Cyril Mar Baselios
dynamics are impar ted to them. At the ‘Mahotsav’ these par ticipants Metropolitan Archbishop of Trivandrum
come forward and present folk songs and dances, skits and various President - Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India
other features depicting their diverse heritage.
The ultimate objective of this project is to encourage and help these Jesus Youth at FABC
tribal youth to embrace the evangelistic lifestyle of the Catholic Church
Jesus Youth were invited to the
and return to their communities, villages and life situations as witnesses
t win summits held by the
for Jesus and the Catholic Church. Federation of Asian Bishops
Conference (FABC) in Pattaya,
Thailand earlier this year.
Jesus Youth
presentation Mrs. Beena Manoj, Dr. Edward
at ACCSE meeting Edezhath and Mr. Manoj Sunny
Dr. Edward Edezhath at the FABC Meeting
were invitees to the conference
on “Evangelisation in the light of Ecclesia in Asia”. Here, Mrs. Beena
Manoj presented a paper on the “Evangelisation endeavours of Jesus
Mr. Manoj Sunny- the
Youth in Asia.”
Jesus Youth International
Coordinator was invited At the conference on “Communication
earlier this year to Rome of the e-generation- The concern of
the Church”, Dr. Edward Edezhath
for the annual conference
was invited to present a paper on
Representatives from Asia Oceana Manoj Sunny, Fr. Gino of the Association of “Evangelising the Youth of Asia”. All
Henriques CSSR (Singapore), Mr. Pat Clegg (Newzealand)
Coordinators of Catholic the above conferences wer e
Schools of Evangelisation (ACCSE) to present a repor t on the at tended by various bishops of
Evangelistic Lifest yle and activities of Jesus Youth activities. The dif ferent countries of Asia. They
conference was attended by 40 leaders representing various schools graciously encouraged the Jesus Mrs. Beena Manoj presenting JY
of evangelisation from across the world. Youth in all its evangelistic endeavours. at the FABC Meeting

2
 Global Newswatch
India
Jesus Youth had its beginnings
in the picturesque state of Kerala,
South India. The wave of the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
that swept across the country in
the late seventies gave rise to
many youth prayer gr oups
spread across Kerala. By the
early 80’s these groups were
evolving into a vibrant presence.
In 1985, the International Year of
the Youth, they came together
from all par ts of Kerala for a
Charismatic youth conference
“Jesus Youth 85”. Those youth
who took par t in the conference
were later referred to as “Jesus
Youth” by others. With a clearer
vision for themselves and for the
wider youth reality in the Church,
various ministries under Jesus
Youth star ted taking shape.
Jesus Youth prayer groups, cells
and fellowship groups star ted
spr outing up in college
campuses, parishes, hospitals,
hostels and the like.
As Jesus Youth who experienced
the touch of the Lord, returned
to their jobs, studies and other life
situations, they carried with them
this new found evangelistic
lifestyle that they acquired. In this
way Jesus Youth activities and
lifest yle started spreading over
to various parts of India. And the
Jesus Youth pr esence that
initially centred around cities has
over the years spread to remote
tribal villages.
In order to enable bet ter
net working and more organised
functioning of Jesus Youth
activities in dif ferent par ts of
India, a team was formed in 1998
known as the Jesus Youth
National Team (JYNT). This team
oversees the activities of Jesus
Youth on the national front. Today
Jesus Youth has a significant
presence in colleges, hospitals
and parishes, in various par ts of
India, especially in the Nor th. All
in all, Jesus Youth has 27
ministries functioning with
independent co-ordinators at
various levels.
Put simply, Jesus Youth is all
about bringing more and more
of the younger generation to an
experience of Jesus. As par t of
this objective, the movement is
now working towards a closer
co-or dination with the local
chur ches in dif ferent ar eas
across India.
Canada
Jesus Youth activities in Canada
began af ter a Youth Arise Int’l
programme held in Ot tawa and
the World Youth Day celebrations
held in Toronto in July 2002.
Initially Jesus Youth prayer
me etings used to take place
every Sunday in dif ferent homes.
Now prayer groups take place on
every 2nd Saturday for families
west of the cit y and ever y 4th
Saturday for families living in the
East.
The National Core Team, with
Rev. Fr. Sebastian Arikat as
pastor, co-ordinates the Jesus
Youth activities in Canada.
Besides prayer meetings, Jesus
Youth in Canada are active in
impar ting catechism to students
and conducting prayer ser vices
for the sick af ter Holy Eucharist
every Sunday at the St. Thomas
the Apostle Mission parish.
The couples programme held on
November 22nd and 23rd, “Jesus
in my family”, was a dream come
true for Jesus Youth Canada.
Simultaneously, “ Jesus in my
life” a retreat for the youth was
also conducted by a team
consisting of Fr. Arikat and other
resource persons from the US.
Participants from all over Ontario
at tended the programmes. The
considerable time spent in
intercession bore fruit as all the
families renewed their vows
before the Lord.
Jesus Youth Canada have
created a mailing list
jycanada@jesusyouth.org for
easier access to information for
the members.
UK
Jesus Youth in UK was a dream
to many, for years. From the early
1990’s, a handful of Jesus Youth
in various par ts of the country
wer e inter ceding for the
formation of Jesus Youth in UK.
God answered their prayers in
2001, when nine Jesus Youth
contd on nex t page K
KKWanted Dynamic
Jesus Youth Professionals
China, the abode of one fif th of the world’s populace in the world today,
is surging ahead in the global industrial scenario. And its hitherto closed
doors are opening up to welcome a range of professionals. With our
commitment, dedication and professional excellence, Jesus Youth
Professionals can take up this challenge to ser ve this nation. If you are a
Teacher, Doctor, Engineer, Nurse, Accountant etc., a myriad of
opportunities await you. Interested?
Jesus Youth is joining hands with Youth Arise International in its new
venture “Project 2008” to mobilize thousands of youth for China bet ween
the years 2003 and 2008. We need dedicated intercessors for China.
Want to be part of it? Contact jyglobal@jesusyouth.org
‘Project 2008’ Forum in HongKong and Beijing
We ar e at the Jesus Youth is active in many
threshold of 2004. pockets of the world. It all
It is a leap year. I evidences the fact that walking
wish a ver y happy
with the Lord and seeking His will
bir thday to all at all times is the mission of ever y
those who ar e human being.
born on 29 th
Februar y and a ver y special, May the grace of the Incarnation
fruit ful and happy new year to all of the Lord fill us and flood us
of you because it is going to be a with His compassion and
unique year in our salvation ser vanthood. (Phil 2 : 5-11), and
histor y; the Lord wants it to be so.
make us fully divine, fully national
God’s plans for us have always and totally international, for we
been to prosper us and give us a are pilgrims here on a mission of
future of hope. (Jer 29 :11-14) reconciliation and we have a
planet to heal.
God’s protection and guidance
has be en with our beloved Fr. Abraham Pallivathukkal S.J. - India
( JY International Pastor)
movement all these years. From
the small land of Kerala, today
It gives me great joy to write a message to the
ver y first Newslet ter of our fellowship. I hope that this
let ter will help us to understand what is happening in
Jesus Youth groups in dif ferent par ts of the world. As
we come to know those happenings, it can invigorate
us to do more in our own groups and it will help us to
appreciate what others are doing in their regions. I
request you to share your news and views about Jesus Youth in this
newslet ter. I am sure that this newslet ter will be a great connecting
link to all our regional and national net works.
This newslet ter comes out at an impor tant time of Advent and
Christmas. We are earnestly preparing to welcome Jesus to our hear ts,
families, societies and nations. As the Mother of God contemplated
and listened to the message of the angel, let us also contemplate and
listen to Jesus who is the main focus of our personal life and of the
Jesus Youth movement. What we need at this time of histor y, is youth
commit ted to the cause and values of Jesus. Let Jesus reign in our
body, mind and soul. May you be a par t of Jesus Youth.
I wish you the graces and blessings of the New Year.
Fr.Sebastian Arikat- Canada ( JY International Pastor)
3

gather ed in Birmingham,
marking the formation of Jesus
Youth in UK.
As the numbers grew and the
activities increased, a national
body was formed to oversee the
coordination of the activities of
Jesus Youth in UK. The present
National Team contains eleven
members with pastors and
animators guiding them. Today,
Jesus Youth has an active
presence across the UK with
around three hundred members
including members fr om
Nor thern Ireland and Ireland.  our ver y own Jesus Youth,
Jesus Youth in UK operates as
three zones and each zone is
represented in the National team.
Over five ministries are active in
Jesus Youth UK which ar e
Intercession Ministry, Net work
Ministr y, Finance   Ministr y,   Sunny, the International
Music Ministr y and Outreach
Ministry. One of the strongholds
of JYUK is its strong intercession
ministr y. Prayer and work go
along side by side.
The annual convention of Jesus
Youth UK- ‘Grace 2003’ took
place from May 23rd - 26th 2003
at Birmingham. Ar ound 250
youth  par ticipated in this
convention. Over the three day
period of the conference, the
par ticipants were led across
dif fer ent sessions thr ough
various dynamics like skits,
action songs, choreography etc.
The convention was led by
Fr. Sebastian Arikat from Canada
and Fr. Thomas Kozhimala from
Belgium.
Rev. Canon Kevin Dunn,
Episcopal Vicar of Birmingham
Archdiocese and Rt. Rev. Joseph
Augustine, Bishop of Raipur,
India, graced the occasion with
their presence.
The convention ended with the
final commissioning ceremony,
led by Fr. Pat Brown, Episcopal
V icar of the Ar chdiocese
of Birmingham. The young
missionaries were symbolically
sent forth as the light of the world
with lighted candles in their
hands. This was indeed a very
4
moving scene to all who
witnessed it.
An Evangelization and
Discipleship training programme
was held in Erdington,
Birmingham from the 18th - 20th
of June 2003 conducted by
Mr. Mathachan Madakkakuzhi.
Jesus Youth UK had their second
anniversar y gathering and
election of the new - National
Team fr om the 5th – 7th of
September 2003. Mr. Manoj
Co ordinator of Jesus Youth
moderated the sessions. The
new National team will be in
service for t wo years.
An Evangelisation course for the
Jesus Youth leaders took place
at Erdington, Birmingham from
14th – 16th of November 2003.
The course was given by an
Full Time Volunteers
“These were some of the most
beautiful days of my life which the
Lord used to mould me in every
sense. It was also a formation time
for me to take this lifelong
commitment to serve the Lord all
of the days of my life and to inspire
others to be commit ted”- Dexon
J. Net to, Singapore - 5th batch
volunteer.
“May we be a shining light”
Full time volunteers at the commitment ceremony
“My commitment period was
an unprecendented learning
experience; an experience that
will certainly be an asset for the
rest of my lifetime.”- Fr. Aji
Moolepparambil CMI, Germany-
3rd Batch volunteer. These and
many more are the sentiments
echoed each year by those who
at tend the full time volunte er
training programme of Jesus
Youth.
It all began as a dream about 12
years ago when some Jesus
Youth explored the possibilit y of
having graduates to dedicate one
year of their lives for formation and
International Team from Mary’s
Ministry.
Jesus Youth UK, plans to reach
out to the youth of Europe by
being at the ser vice of the
Church and through a number of
planned phases in the continued
guidance of the Lord.
UAE
Some years ago a handful of
youngsters used to gather
regularly at the basketball court
of St. Mary’s Church in Dubai to
pray, have fellowship and dream
that God’s love may permeate
the UAE. Today Jesus Youth has
become a widespread net work
covering four of the seven
Emirates.
The active Jesus Youth
leadership in UAE has several
teams who gather to pray, plan
and implement various initiatives
for evangelising the youth in
pr eparation for a life time
commitment to Jesus and the
Chur ch. So far, 12 batches
totaling about 600 par ticipants
have undergone this training.
Af ter the 40 day training
programme, these volunteers are
placed in parishes, mission
stations, villages, colleges, etc
where they can minister to the
youth there. As the oppor tunity
unfolds, prayer groups, cells, and
other small fellowship groups are
initiated for the spiritual
sustenance of the local youth.
“Filled with the spirit”
Anointing prayer for full time volunteers
The fruits of this project are visible prayer life, penance and good
in many parts today. As ‘fulltimers’ behaviour of the Jesus Youth has
carr y on with their secular edified our people.” -Bishop Peter
care ers, they also carr y the Celestine of Jammu.
for the youth with the guidance
of their respective ser vice teams.
The Ser vice teams coordinate
the activities of each group. A
Jesus Youth central team under
the guidance of a Catholic priest
oversees Jesus Youth activities in
the UAE.
Jesus Youth has active prayer
groups in the Emirates of
Abudhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and
Fujairah. These groups have
regular me etings on Fridays
where they spend time for prayer
and Scripture study. Various
Jesus Youth programmes take
place in the UAE from time to
time.
Jesus Youth UAE have an annual
day where they come together
from various emirates and pray
and share together. This year, the
programme ‘Arise Shine Out’
was at tended by over 800 Jesus
Youth scat tered across dif ferent
emirates.
burden of sharing Jesus to the
world. Many of the active Jesus
Youth ministries outside Kerala
were the fruit of some fulltimers’
prayer and sacrifice once upon a
time.
As part of Jesus Youth’s dream of
impar ting the same training to
commit ted youth of North India to
enable them to carr y on the
mission in their own local setups,
Jesus Youth along with the
Sant vana Communit y and the
Salesians, for the first time in June
this year collectively conducted
the initial batch of Hindi Fulltimers
training in Delhi. There were about
34 participants from various parts
of Nor th
India.The
training modules
wer e similar
to those in
Kerala but were
exclusively in
Hindi and in the
contex t of Nor th
India.
“The presence
of Jesus Youth
was a great help
for our dioceses.
Besides, the

‘The New Life’ the Annual
gathering of Jesus Youth UAE
was held in December 2003 at
St. Francis Assisi Church, Jebal
Ali. Nearly 950 Jesus Youth from
all over the Emirates at tended
this gathering. ‘The New Life’
was basically a follow up
programme of three one day
programmes that to ok place
previously in Abu Dhabi, Dubai
and Sharjah in July, August and
September 2003 all of which
were commonly named ‘The
Light’.
Jesus Youth has active prayer
groups in the Emirates of Abu
Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and
Fujairah. These groups have
regular me etings on Fridays
where they spend time for prayer
and Scripture study. Various
Jesus Youth programmes take
place in the UAE from time to
time.
Singapore
In May 2001 a few Jesus Youth
who r eached Singapor e to
enhance their career prospects
used to gather together and
intercede for the renewal of the
youth of the land. That was the
humble beginning of what today
is Jesus Youth Singapore. It has
an active presence spread all
over the island. Today there are
5 ministries and about 20 prayer
groups with a strength of over
500 participants.
The various ministries in
Singapore are Campus ministry,
Couples’ ministr y, Nurses’
ministry, Professionals’ ministr y
and Workers ministry.
The functioning of Jesus Youth
Singapore is co-ordinated by a
ser vice team (JYST). Andrew
Mendez is the co-ordinator and
A. V. Pious is the Animator. Each
ministry has a core team which
facilitates the activities of that
ministry. Fr. Thomas Mannarakath
is the spiritual guide.
Its good relations with parishes,
catholic prayer groups and elder’
prayer groups has helped the
Jesus Youth to gain support and
encouragement from various
quar ters. The Catholic centres
and parishes gladly of fer venues
for Jesus Youth programmes.
A monthly gathering happens on
the third Sunday of every month
which ends with Mass.
Jesus Youth is also represented
in the Catholic Charismatic
Malayalam prayer group ser vice
team of Singapore. This ser vice
team is associated with SACCRE
(Singapore Archdiocesan
Catholic Charismatic Renewal)
and SACCRE in turn is af filiated
to the ICCRS.
Ever since Jesus Youth star ted
functioning in Singapore, it has
or ganized various r etreats,
Nurses confer ences, Youth
conventions and other renewal
activities. Jesus Youth Singapore
has taken an active r ole in
initiating the Jesus Youth lifestyle
in Malaysia. Resource teams
from Jesus Youth Singapore
of ten travel to Malaysia and
conduct one-day-programmes
for the Malaysian youth. Today
Malaysia too is a budding Jesus
Youth domain.
Oman
Jesus Youth activities began in
Oman in December 1999 in
St. Peter and Paul Church, Ruwi.
Today, Oman has nine zones
with a Jesus Youth presence:
Ruwi, Gala, Sohar, Salalah,
Mussanna, Nizwa, Ibri, Ibra & Sur.
Jesus Youth in Oman mainly
consists of youth working in
various industrial sectors and
nurses working in Ministr y
Hospitals. An area of thrust for
Jesus Youth of Oman is the
labour camps where many youth
work. Fellowships and small cell
groups have been formed in
many such camps across the
Sultanate.
Jesus Youth Oman is involved in
the activities of the Catholic
parishes in Oman. It functions
under the aegis of the National
Ser vice team, which is the
national body that oversees the
renewal activities in the
Sultanate. A Jesus Youth co-
ordination team was formed to
facilitate the smooth functioning
of its activities.
Elroy Night, January 30th 2003,
Ruwi: Elroy night was the first JY
gathering where around 200 JYs
came together. The JY Team
came fr om Dubai led the
programme. Good mobilisation
helped in reaching out to many
youth. The Ruwi fellowship co-
ordinated the programme. There
was participation from Sohar, Ibri
and Sure, which is remarkable as
all these regions are around 250
kms away from Muscat.
Exodus Night, April 03rd 2003,
Ghala: Exodus night was all
about great teamwork. More than
50 active JYs visited a number of
labour camps in the dif ferent
par ts of Muscat region for the
mobilization of this programme.
400 youth gathered for the
Exodus night at the Holy Spirit
Church, Ghala. Jesus Youth were
able to start prayer groups in the
labour camps af ter Exodus night.
Also more friends from Sohar
joined in this time.
JY Retreat, July 28th to 31st 2003,
Ruwi: Fr. Joseph Thyagaraj,
Fr. Var ghese Chempolil and
Fr. Chacko Mannasseril led the
retreat. From 28th to 30th the
programme star ted in the
evening at 8 pm and went on till
10:30 pm. On the 31st there was
a night vigil. 250 youth at tended
this retreat. This retreat helped
many to grow more in love and
fellowship.
Emmanuel Meet, October 10th
2003, Sohar: It was a great day
for the Jesus Youth of Sohar. This
dream came true af ter lots of
prayer and hard work. The JY
family members from Dubai led
the programme. More than 200
youngsters gathered for the
Emmanuel Meet including 85
Jesus Youth from Muscat. The
Dubai resource team enriched
the programme with music and
inputs and helped the young
people dream more for the Oman
church. In the midst of many
obstacles this pr ogramme
brought down heaven’s
blessings on us.
Kuwait
Jesus Youth activities in Kuwait
are still in its infancy stages. In
1999, intercession for Kuwait by
Jesus Youth who reached the
countr y for bet ter car e er
prospects became a regular
feature. Today by the grace of
God, ther e ar e about 70
committed Jesus Youth spread in
dif ferent pockets of the country.
Much impor tance is given to
small bible study and fellowship
groups that have star ted in the
countr y.The visit of Mr. Manoj
Sunny- the international co-
ordinator of Jesus Youth in
December 2002 has helped to
streamline the activities of the
ministries.
The Jesus Youth intercession
ministry in Kuwait is quite active.
They have an ‘Inter cession
prayer’ regularly every Tuesday.
They also conduct chain fasting,
etc.
In Kuwait, every Jesus Youth is
encouraged to be par t of a cell
group. And stress is laid on the
need to have cell mates to share,
pray and have fellowship with.
The Literature ministry of Jesus
Youth Kuwait collects spiritual
books, ar ticles from magazines,
casset tes, CD’s etc. for
distribution among Jesus Youth.
Kuwait Jesus Youth have
developed a unique Databank &
Net work Ministry. Besides data
about special occasions like
anniversaries and birthdays, the
databank also helps locate Jesus
Youth fr om India who are in
various par ts of Kuwait.
One of the first major outreaches
of Jesus Youth Kuwait was the
Christmas of 2002 when they got
the opportunity to stage a drama
depicting the Christmas message
5

in one of the parishes. It was well
appreciated by all in the parish.
Onam was celebrated not only
with the traditional Onam meal,
but also with a Candle Prayer with
Bhajans and songs. It was a
beautiful time of fellowship for
Jesus Youth in Kuwait.
USA
In the United States, Jesus Youth
began as a combined initiative of
youth who were born in the US
and were connected to the Jesus
Youth in some way and Jesus
Youth from Kerala who re-located
to the US.
In the mid 1990’s, small prayer
groups began to form on the East
Coast and r etr eats wer e
conducted under the name
“Youth for Jesus”. Slowly the
name “Jesus Youth” began to
circulate and it has since been
known as such.
Cardinal on the groove!
Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil
celebrates with Jesus Youth of USA
What began as just a handful of
commit ted youth praying
together is today an active
ministr y with over 300 Jesus
Youth spread across the vast
expanse of the countr y with
prayer gr oups, monthly
gatherings, fellowships, grow th
retreats, and one day seminars/
workshops happening regularly.
With the help of the Rex Band
include developing and
facilitating an action plan for the
formation of Jesus Youth in
America and their animators. The
team also co or dinates the
development of a formal “mission
statement”. The team has a
veteran Jesus Youth pastor, Fr.
Thomas Tharayil as its Spiritual
Director.
Renew Toronto was held as a
one-day follow-up programme to
World Youth Day Toronto, as an
initiative of Jesus Youth of
America and the Syro-Malabar
Diocese of Chicago. It was held
in March 2003 at Pennsylvania.
About 200 young people of all
rites from New York, New Jersey,
Philadelphia, Mar yland and
Virginia attended the programme.
The day consisted of an ice
breaker, skits, praise & worship,
sharings, video presentation
about W YD, music, lunch,
games, a live enacted Way of the
Cross and Holy Mass.
The Syro-Malabar Convention,
was held from July 24th-27th,
2003 in New Jersey. Jesus Youth
contributed with their presence
and in par ticular, the Praise
Night, which was a combination
of song, skits, & dance by the
Audio Visual & Music ministries
of JY, and a few other local
church groups.
Behind the scenes, it was Jesus
Youth of America that co-
ordinated the programmes. they
motivated many young people to
register and actively par ticipate.
The organising commit tee of the
convention congratulated Jesus
Youth for their great contribution.
EVENT FOCUS
INDIA
Discipleship Training Program me
Gujarat : From the 25th of May
to the first of June 2003 a
Discipleship Training Program
(DTP) was conducted in Gujarat.
35 par ticipants at tended the
same.
Bangalor e : 30 Par ticipants
attended the 8 day long DTP held
in Bangalore from the 29th of May
to the 5th of June 2003.
Nagpur : In Nagpur from the 30th
of October to the 6 th of
November, 2003, 33 participants
came to attend the Discipleship
Training Programme organised
by Nagpur Jesus Youth.
South Indian Professionals’
Conference, Kerala : About 961
participants from 72 professional
colleges (Medical and
Engineering) came together at
Vimala College, Trichur from the
10th to the 13th of October for the
South Indian Pr ofessionals’
Conference. The need to share
Jesus through their professions
was emphasized. All were urged
to become carriers of the Good
News where ever they went.
Pr ofessionals to mission,
Kerala : A team of 15 Jesus Youth
professionals af ter their
final exams gather ed at
Snehanilayam in Ernakulam on
17th June for a 10 day orientation
programme, af ter which they
went for a month long mission
outreach to various par ts of
Nor th India. They had the
oppor tunit y to minister to the
local people in the name of the
Lord. With a zeal to spread God’s
Kingdom in Nor th India, these
professionals came back on 2nd
present for the gathering. There
was r epresentation fr om 9
dioceses of North East region for
this gathering.
Nor th Indian Jesus Youth
Leaders’ Gathering, Ajmer,
Rajasthan: About 90 Jesus Youth
Leaders from 19 regions of North
India gathered at the Ajmer
Pastoral Center in Rajasthan from
6th to 7th September. The theme
of this gathering was “Father, it
is your will that we seek”. This
was the first time that Jesus Youth
Leaders from dif ferent regions of
North India gathered together to
pray, evaluate and plan Jesus
Youth Activities in Nor th India.
Youth Conferences
Jeevan Jal – New Delhi: About
200 youngsters came to
participate in Jeevan Jal, a youth
conference organised by Delhi
Jesus Youth from 23 rd to 26 th
October.
Ephphatha 2003, Gujarat:- This
conference was held in Baroda
and at tended by about 250
par ticipants. It was an initial level
programme organised by Gujarat
Jesus Youth.
Galilia 2003, Jaipur, Rajasthan:
This youth confer ence was
organised by Rajasthan Jesus
Youth from 6th to 9th November
2003. About 275 par ticipants
from dif ferent par ts of Rajasthan
at tended the programme. The
theme of the programme was
“Jesus-The Captain of Life’s Sea.”

joynet
August deeply enriched in faith.

tour of 2002 and the trip to World
Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, there
has been steady grow th in the
number of youth actively
par ticipating.
With the increasing activities and
added numbers, a National Team
was formed in August 2003 for
Jesus Youth of America
consisting of 8 members. The
responsibilities of the team
:)
an e-net work of the joy ful
Welcome to Joynet, the vir tual
global Jesus Youth family.
A free Jesus Youth mailing list
to share personal testimonies
and inspiring discussions on
scripture. To join nearly 1000
active members from across
the globe right away, log on to
w w w.jesusyouth.org/joynet
Nor th East Jesus Youth
Leaders Gathering, Diphu, Joy Conference 2003,Kerala :
Assam: 22 Jesus Youth leaders
This programme was held at
of Nor th East gather ed in
Divine retreat centre, Muringoor,
Jirsong-Asong pastoral centre
Chalakudy from 21st to 25th April.
from June 21st to June 22nd to
The theme of this programme
plan and evaluate Jesus Youth
was “Fly like kites and live like
activities in the region. The North
East Regional Youth Director and Christ”. 706 plus t wo students
other Diocesan youth directors, at tended.
priests and religious sisters were

6

It was Sunday the 19th of October
2003, 5.00 am. The morning sun
had not begun to light the
horizons. But literally all roads led
to Rome’- more specifically to
Vatican. Pilgrims of all ages,
colours, castes, religions and
nationalities were flowing to
St. Peter’s Square in Vatican. All
came with one dream and one
prayer: to witness the historic
and blessed moment of the
‘Beatification of Mother Teresa of
Calcut ta’. Many had spent the
previous cold night out in the
streets around the square so that
they could get in early enough to
occupy a convenient spot to view
the event.
The crowd at the square in front
of St. Peter’s Basilica numbering
mor e than four hundr ed
thousand (four lakhs) waved
papal flags along with their
respective national flags, chanted
prayers and sang songs as they
waited. India was ver y well
represented by many bishops,
priests, religious and hundreds of
laity – many holding up the Indian
national flag.
I consider it a great blessing to
have been able to participate in
the historic event and to
concelebrate. While I was at the
altar I prayed in a special way for
our Jesus Youth family all over the
world. This personal note will not
be complete without a shor t
reference to my acquaintance
with and admiration for Mother
Teresa. I saw Mother for the first
CCBI mentions Jesus Youth
In Januar y 2003, zenit.org
repor ted a me eting of the
Confer ence of Catholic
Bishops of India (CCBI). The
meeting was at tended by 116
Archbishops and Bishops of
the countr y on the theme
“Sharing the Good News.”
In its final statement, the
Bishops’ Conference stated:
“Evangelization is to bring the
Good News of Jesus into all
areas of humanity and through
its impact to transform societ y
from within, making it new,”
according to SAR Catholic
News agency.
The Statement made a
mention of the work done by
movements like Jesus Youth.
The statement continues:
“Certain positive developments
Blessed Mother Teresa
time in 1977 when she came to
Kot tayam for founding a home
for the dying destitutes
(Abhayabhavan) in the Diocese
of Vijayapuram. I was a young
student in the minor seminar y
just acr oss the r oad fr om
Abhayabhavan. We, the
seminarians joined the inaugural
ceremony. Af ter the function, the
then bishop of V ijayapuram,
Archbishop Cornelius Elanjikal
brought Mother to our seminar y
where she talked to us for ten
minutes and blessed each one of
us. Her advice was, “Be good
children of God and become holy
priests”.
In 1981 Mother came a second
time to Kot tayam for the
inauguration of the new block of
Abhayabhavan. We were again
given an opportunit y to chat with
her and receive her blessings.
The third time I saw Mother was
af ter becoming a priest. In
September of 1990 I was
encourage the Church in her
task of evangelization: the
emergence, for example, of a
new kind of ‘discipleship’ in the
form of khrist-bhak tas; a wave
of fresh enthusiasm, especially
among young people to carry
out the Lord’s command of
preaching the Gospel to
all nations - evidenced by
movements like Jesus-Youth
and others.”
In conclusion this is what they
had to say: “We conclude:
dif ficulties, oppositions and
even persecution will not deter
us. Our response to all these
is our constant love and prayer
and a greater commitment
to our ser vices to our
countr ymen, especially the
poor and the voiceless.”
at tending the International much, she stayed in the hall until
Retr eat for priests in Rome the last priest and sister could go
organised by ICCRS. St. Paul’s up to her and receive blessing by
Hall in the Vatican was filled with kissing her hand.
over six thousand priests from all
Ther e was no doubt in any
over the world. On the third day
person, even the critics, who
of the retreat Mother spoke to us.
stood before Mother Teresa and
She said, “Be holy as the Father
looked at her face, about the
is holy. A priest is a wonder ful gif t
sanctity and holiness of her life.
of God and God has given
On the fif th of September 1997
wonder ful gif ts to him. A priest
the earthly life of Mother Teresa
has a tremendous responsibility
that began in Skopje, Albania on
to be holy. Let us cling to Mary
26th August 1910, came to an
for this holiness because God
end. From then onwards millions
was at tracted by the holiness of
of people all over the world were
Mary. The more holy we are, the
prayer fully looking for ward to
more docile we will be to God,
the day when this ‘luminous
and He will be able to use us
messenger of God’s love’ would
more. To be with the Lord in
be raised to the honour of the
adoration is the source of this
altar. We, as Jesus Youth, have
holiness”. Af ter the session even
much in common in our vision,
the cardinals and bishops were
mission and life st yle, with
pressing against one another
with the priests to come closer to
her and get her blessings.
My last encounter with Mother
was on January 15, 1993 when
she addressed the IX National
Catholic Charismatic Convention
on Loyola College grounds,
Madras. She was weak but very
clear and strong in her faith.
Again she spoke of the need to
be holy through prayer. She said,
“The works of love are the works
of peace; the joy of loving is the
fruit of prayer; holiness is not the
luxury of a few”. She was greatly
welcomed even by the state
government. Af ter the talk to the
general cr owd there was a Mother Teresa. Like her we shall
special audience for priests and have faith like a rock, be filled
religious. There also she insisted with the light of Christ, and be on
on the need to be holy. She
advised us by saying, “Be holy;
fire with love for Jesus. And so
let us say, “Blessed Mother
always think, ‘I will, I want, with Teresa, pray for us – all the Jesus
God’s blessings, to be Holy’. Do Youth”.
everything for the glory of God”.
Fr. Thomas Tharayil- USA
Though she was asked by the
doctors not to strain herself too ( JY International Pastor)
Prayer Power
Intercession being the backbone of all our
activities, Jesus Youth International has
come up with a noble venture of creating
an International Intercession net work
that will cater to the intercession
needs of Jesus Youth activities
around the globe. Prayer requests/
intentions received via email/phone
etc will be lif ted up in prayer. On a
regular basis, consolidated prayer
requests will be forwarded to other
intercessory net works around the
globe. Prayer requests, information
regarding programs, etc may be sent to
prayernet@jesusyouth.org
7

What’s New?
Bible Calender, Kerala
The Bible ministry has come up
with an initiative the “ Bible
Calender 2004, wherein ever y
month 3 vir tues are put up to be
practiced on a daily basis for
that month. A Bible verse is
prescribed for each day of the
year. For Bible Calenders or
materials please visit our website
or contact the International Of fice
Sunday Roses, Rajasthan
This one year rosary campaign
is a creative response of Jesus
Youth in North India to the Holy
Father’s exhor tation to pray the
FIDES on Jesus Youth
Fides- A Catholic News Agency
in Rome gave a repor t about
Jesus Youth and its activities in
their news por tal fides.org. Fides
highlighted the grow th of Jesus
Youth, its relevance in the Church
today especially among the
youth. Excerpts from their article:
Rome (Fides Ser vice) - To bring
Jesus Christ to young people
with young talk and young
ways is the aim of Jesus
Youth International a Catholic
Charismatic movement star ted in
Kerala, India. The movement is
growing rapidly in popularity and
numbers. At present Jesus Youth
International JYI is waging a
campaign to tell young people
about the nex t World Youth Day,
the 20th, in Cologne, Germany
2005 and encourage them to
par ticipate. Already 1000 young
people are preparing to travel to
Europe for the event and JYI
hopes to involve many more.
Printed and Published by Mr. Manoj Sunny on behalf of Jesus Youth International Of fice, 6F Thadikaran Centre, Palarivat tom P.O., Cochin – 682 025, Kerala, INDIA,
Editor-in-charge : Josun Jose, Layout Design : Sanil C.A., Printed by SR Graphics
Rex Band
The Rex Band, India’s premier
contemporar y Christian Band
with over 500 live per formances
across the world is a musical
outreach of the Jesus Youth. The
Band has over 25 Christian
musicians and artistes proficient
in various genres who have
commit ted their lives to Christ.
Today the band with its signature
fusion music has r eleased
albums both in English as well as
in Indian languages.
Rosary. The theme of this project
is “Behold your Mother”
The Statue of the Blessed Virgin
will be taken from home to home
every week with the recitation of
the rosary for a one year period.
Sunday Roses is an invitation
for all Catholic movements,
social organisations, religious
congregations and prayer
communities to take a step
towards spreading openness to
prayer and peace in families and
communities.
“Young people today have in their
hear ts a sincere longing to be
near Jesus and this is why our
aim is to promote human and
spiritual grow th of young people
and to render them agents of
evangelisation so they may carry
Jesus Christ to their pe ers”
Manoj Sunny, JYI co-ordinator
tells Fides Ser vice. The
movement star ted in India in the
1970s but it has already spread
to Singapore, Arab Emirates,
Canada, United States, Germany.
The movement is Christ-centred,
and gives special at tention to
young people in scho ols,
parishes, universities including
those who do not know Christ.
JYI life-st yle is based on five
pillars: personal prayer, listening
to the Word of God, following
Christ, reception of the
Sacraments, commitment to
evangelisation, the movement’s
stone of foundation. (Fides
Ser vice 7/10/2003)
music that makes sense
Albums:
Dif ferent Vibes
Quiet Waters A instrumental version of popular
Psalms chosen from the NIV Rex Band melodies orchestrated
version of the Bible set to by Stephen Devassy the vir tuoso
contemplative music. pianist of the group.
Best of Rex Band
Roses in Winter A compilation of well known Rex
The landmark album of the band Band hits fr om various
which established its signature collections both in English and
st yle of music, targeted at young Malayalam.
people with a flair for
To order any of the Rex Band albums send
contemporary music. a mail to rexband@jesusyouth.org
O Mary, Mother of God and our mother,
we, the Jesus Youth of fer ourselves
to your loving care and beg you
through the goodness of our Lord Jesus
Christ, your divine Son,
to keep us especially dear to you and
to obtain for us the strength to lead
a holy life, a life of goodness, purity and
love, of fered to God in thanksgiving and
praise. Amen.
New Of fice premises for
Jesus Youth Int’l.
Jesus Youth International has
shif ted their of fice premises
from their old Kacheripady
of fice to spacious new
premises located on the 6th
floor of Thadikaran Centre in
Palarivat tom, Cochin.
The of fice is equipped with
modern day amenities like a
conference room, computers,
email and internet access.
Work is underway for a Chapel for intercession and a Rex Band Studio.
This move was taken in order to enhance bet ter coordination and
other administrative activities of Jesus Youth around the world. The
contact information is given below:
Address: Jesus Youth International Of fice
6F Thadikaran Centre
Palarivat tom P.O.
Cochin – 682 025
Kerala, INDIA
Email: jyglobal@jesusyouth.org
Phone: +91- 484- 3095859
Fax: +91- 484- 2555354