(ANS – Daejeon) – Korea’s Second Salesian Youth Day (SYDK) was held at the Daejong Salesian Youth Centre from 15-17 February 2013. The theme was: “My Lord and my God!” The SYDK, thought up jointly by the Korean SDBs and FMAs, after the World Youth Day in Spain in 2011, will be held until 2015, the year in which the Salesian Family celebrates the bicentennial of Don Bosco’s birth.

SYDK was planned and led by the TF Team, Testimonies of the Faith, as we call it, made up of representatives from the SDB, FMA, Sisters of Charity of Jesus, youth groups, and Vides volunteers. The principle aim was to offer the young people an occasion to renew their faith and reinforce their sense of belonging to the Church.

There were about 340 participants, coming from the various regions of South Korea. In addition, there were diocesan priests, and sisters of other religious institutes who followed the three days, sharing what the young participants did.

At the conclusion of the experience, the young people expressed the following: “I am content and happy just at being here”. “It was beautiful because I was able meet people who think like me and are happy and I am happy because I experienced God very close to me”. “These three days were filled with meaning, and now I return home with my heart touched and modelled on that of the Lord”. “I would like to live here forever, without returning home!”.

The topics studied were the following: memory, confession, and mission. The day of memory favoured remembering experiences of God’s love in their life and sharing with others on this. The second day, dedicated to Confession, was developed with an interpretative talk show entitled, ‘I believe’. The presence of the Bishop of Daejeon, Lazarus Yoo Heung-Sik, was fundamental insofar as he used a variety of expressions to explain evil, suffering, God’s existence, the meaning of the sacraments, and the importance of the Church.

The mission was presented by Fr. Marcello Baek, who helped the young people to consolidate their Christian and Salesian identity, and choose to lead a new life in the love of Christ, with a Salesian spirituality.

The gathering concluded with Mass celebrated by the SDB Provincial, Fr. Stefano Nam, who invited the young to encounter the Risen Christ and thus become in turn passionate apostles of Christ. During the celebration, seven young people publicly made a commitment o live according to Salesian spirituality. All the young participants received a medal of Mary Help of Christians and Don Bosco as a reminder of their commitment to be apostles of love.

Published 25/02/2013