First ever diocesan junior youth camp takes place in Kumbo

By Emmanuel Werdzerem
The first ever Diocesan Junior Youth Camp has taken place in Kumbo under the theme; ‚ I Will Show My Faith in the Way I Act‘ (James 2:18b). The five day event, which took place at the St John Paul II Youth Centre, Tobin, brought together close to 300 young people and their guardians from 19 parishes in Kumbo Diocese.

Organised for youths between 7 and 13 years of age, the event was aimed at helping the diocese’s youths to cultivate a responsible spirit by sharing with people of their age group and contributing to the development of the Church.

Opening the august event with a solemn Eucharistic celebration, the acting rector of the Tobin Quasi Parish, Rev. Fr. Edwin Boye Kinga, in a thought-provoking homily, exhorted participants to exercise maturity during the camp so as to return home fully enriched. He advised youths to avoid the elusive blur of hedonism which has become the order of the day in contemporary society so as to live the theme of the camp to the letter.

For five days, youths demonstrated lots of skills in a variety of games, sketches, choral music, and cultural displays. Presentations were also done on important religious and social issues like Youths and the Provincial Pastoral Plan, Youths and Capacity Building, Self Awareness and Acceptance and Youths and the Mass Media.

While presenting a paper on Youths and the Provincial Pastoral Plan, Godlove Chem of the
Diocesan Pastoral Formation team described youths as the „nursery of the Catholic Faith.“ He said young people ought to be kept abreast with functioning of the Provincial Pastoral Plan since they are the Church of today and tomorrow. He also revealed that his team has been doing a commendable job to guide youths and other Christians in the diocese on matters of Faith and their role in Small Christian Communities.

Given the prevailing moral, social and economic atmosphere in Kumbo in particular and Cameroon as a whole, participants were cautioned to be prayerful, to know and accept themselves as they are and to adopt a selective and discerning attitude with regards to the audio-visual landscape. Participants were agreed these are some of the measures that could permit youths can to move closer to God and be responsible citizens.

In a chat with the acting chairperson of the Diocesan Youth Council, Shey Peter Njoka Yungye, he disclosed that the camp was very timely and has come to stay. He also affirmed that henceforth the Kumbo Diocesan Youth Ministry would function as recommended.

The official closing Eucharistic celebrations was supposed to be presided at by His Lordship, George Nkuo, but he was unavoidably absent. The Diocesan Youth Chaplain, Fr. Evaristus Kiven, who celebrated the Mass on the bishop’s behalf, reminded youths of their obligation to bear witness to Christ and for Christ. Youths, he said, must be true disciples of Jesus in both words and actions. „Your actions must be a mirror image of your Faith. Prophesying one’s faith through actions must be an indispensable element of your Christian lives,“ he noted

At the end of the camp on Monday, June 23, Fr. Kiven was satisfied with the general conduct of the camp, which he described as a sign of growing responsibility on the part of Kumbo Diocese youths. He urged the close to 300 participants to spread the news they gathered from the camp to their various destinations.

As the youths and their guardians retire to their respective parishes, all attention is now turned towards Tatum that will host the Diocesan Vocations Camp come July 28, 2008.