SYD-7, see you in Lahad Datu, 2028!

Oct 12, 2024

By Liza Magnus
"The presence of thousands of young Catholics here showed that Christ is alive in every one of you, then, now, and forever," said Cardinal Sebastian Francis, who was overjoyed to see so many young people at the sixth Sabah Youth Day (SYD).

The prelate presided over the SYD-6 closing Mass at Dataran Solidariti, near the Cathedral of St Francis Xavier . The day also marked the commemoration of Korean martyrs Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Paul Chong Ha-sang, and their companions.

Over 3,000 young people were registered for SYD-6 from September 16 to 20. The participants came not solely from Sabah but also from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, the Dioceses of Penang, Malacca Johore, and the Vicariate of Brunei.

Kada korosi! (Do not be afraid!)
“Your participation in SYD-6 shows not only the presence of the Holy Spirit, but also empowers you to be a Missionary. And that mission is yours. You are the mission. You are the ‘now’ of God! (Christus Vivit)

”It is not a coincidence why you are here; you are chosen, called, and sent by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel. Do not be afraid to be called and sent as a missionary of Christ because the Holy Spirit lives in you! As Christ's missionary, you are not only strengthened by the Holy Spirit, but also by Mother Mary, all the saints, and martyrs from Asia, as well as us, the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, who will always pray for you.

Referring to the women in the Gospel from the reading of the day, Cardinal Sebastian prayed that the SYD participants, like Mary Magdalene, Yohana, and Suzana, “you too are forgiven, touched, healed, and transformed by Jesus Christ and now become members of a family and community freed from slavery sin.

“Dear young people! You are young ambassadors of the Good News. You are the young missionaries of the Holy Spirit’s mercy and hope. You are the young missionaries of Joy, Mercy and Hope. Tell other young people in Sabah and outside Sabah, about the Gospel of Joy when you go back to your parishes.

“Remember to serve the youth so that the Church does not lack young prophets and missionaries.”

Our Lady of Mount Kinabalu
Cardinal Sebastian was also inspired by Bishop Cornelius Piong, who gave the title to Mother Mary, “Our Lady of Mount Kinabalu.”

“Our Lady of Mount Kinabalu will become the identity of not only Sabah but also Malaysia and Asia. With the spirit of Mother Mary, our first missionary, let us prepare for the following great events:

1. Malaysian Youth Assembly in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, in April 2025
2. The Malaysian Way of the Cross begins in April 2025 and ends in Majodi, Johor, in conjunction with the Malaysia Pastoral Convention 2026.
3. World Youth Day 2027 (WYD 2027) in Seoul South Korea

“After SYD-6, let us rise with Jesus and Mother Mary across Sabah and Malaysia! Be ready! The youth of Sabah lead the youth of Malaysia. See you at MPC 2026. Amen. Amen. Amen,” Cardinal Sebastian Francis said.

After the closing Mass, a gimmick was performed to unveil the host of SYD-7 - St Dominic Lahad Datu Parish in the Diocese of Sandakan in 2028!

SHARING
During the youth-serving youth session, I was able to be vulnerable and share about myself while relating to the videos that they showed. This session was very well thought out with the aid of facilitators. I truly enjoyed it because I could get to know my groupmates better and make a new friend who was our facilitator. After that session, it inspired me to go to confession. While praying my penance, I cried because of how touching it was to feel the love of God and how much I could feel His presence. It felt like a weight was off my shoulders. Going to a caregiver session was also a perfect opportunity to open myself up and talk about my worries when I had no one to talk to. It felt comforting and I felt like another set of weights were off my shoulders. All these made this SYD6 impactful for me. It made me realise how much God loves us, and how he uses his people to show it to us.

SYD has inspired me to create events as impactful as SYD for our youth in Brunei. I want to touch the hearts of our youth and make the fire of faith grow stronger for the Catholic youth in Brunei. To spread the good news to our youth.

SYD opened my eyes about the Synodal church and the 2026 Malaysia Pastoral Convention. As a Bruneian I have never realised that the Catholic youth in Malaysia are so strong in their faith and enthusiastic about Catholic events. There is so much hope here for Catholics.

For SYD-7, I hope that more Brunei youths will be able to experience the joy and love for our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope that our youth will be inspired by other Catholic youth in SYD7, who are full of hope in the Lord so that they can feel hopeful too and become stronger in their faith. --Faustina Thane Ee Hui, Apostolic Vicariate in Brunei Darussalam