Jesus Youth India: A missionary call to ‘wake up and reach out!’
By Andrea Rego - Bangalore
Around 17,500 faithful Jesus Youth from across India are set to attend the Jaago National Conference from 21 to 24 October, an event hosted by the Jesus Youth National Council of India.
Taking place at CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Bangalore, and across venues in the surrounding areas, Jaago will be attended by over 1,500 families. Attendees range from kids, youth, couples, and seniors to priests, religious sisters, bishops, and cardinals.
The conference will witness multiple streams coming together for seminars, lively musical nights, challenging workshops and exhibitions. The faithful will also engage in sharing of testimonies, Eucharistic celebration and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Jesus Youth is an International Catholic Movement with a Charismatic Spirituality. The movement was recognized as an “International Private Association of Christian Faithful of Pontifical Right” with juridical personality approved by the Holy See.
What is ‘Jaago Yatra’?
The “Jaago Journey” (Yatra meaning “Journey”) began when Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, the Archbishop of Goa and Damao, and President for Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), launched the logo for “Jaago 2023” at the 34th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI.
In an attempt to reignite the missionary spirit in the Catholic Church all over the nation, the theme for the conference is “Wake Up. Reach Out.” It urges the youth to “wake up to a new life as a missionary in Christ and spread the love.”
To commemorate the Jaago Yatra, a relic of Pope Saint John Paul II, journeyed to Archdioceses all over the country.
Thousands of people venerated the Saint in their respective parishes before they began their own journey to attend the conference.
‘Empowered by the Holy Spirit, transforming lives’
Bishop Alex Joseph Vadakumthala, the Ecclesiastical Advisor of Jesus Youth India and Bishop of Kannur, praises the Jesus Youth movement for “touching and transforming the lives of countless young people, preparing them to be effective missionaries of God's love and grace.”
Following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he told Vatican News, the Jesus Youth Movement “fosters an environment of prayer, worship, and fellowship where the Holy Spirit is invited to work miracles of the heart.”
“Lives are being transformed, and souls are finding purpose and meaning in their faith,” said Bishop Vadakumthala, noting that young people are “not just learning about faith; they are living it.”
The Bishop added that the Bishops’ Consultation Meeting, which will take place at the same time as the Jaago Yatra, will provide a platform to understand and tend to the pastoral needs of Indian youth.
“This conference is not just a gathering,” he said. “It is a divine appointment where hearts will be set on fire, souls will be renewed, and the mission of Christ will be amplified.”
“Jesus Youth is a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of young people,” concluded Bishop Vadakumthala. “It is a movement of hope, transformation, and mission.”
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