Young people, Fully Alive!

May 26, 2023

By Karltwin Kerol
Fully Alive! — describes the experience of young people living in Christ.

The Shalom Catholic Community (SCC) and the Archdiocesan Single Adults and Youth Office Kuala Lumpur (ASAYO) organised a gathering of 34 young people at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre on April 22.

The event was an opportunity for the locals to meet two missionary representatives from the SCC international office in Rome, Italy. Rainara Barbosa Dos Santos and Deacon Francisco Tiago Soares were in town to understand and learn the context of the youth here. They were invited by the SCC Alive in Christ virtual prayer group members Sham Lorenzo Ruiz and Kathysia Kerol.

After an introductory ice-breaking session, attendees were divided into several groups to get to know each other. The groups then spent time in prayer and sang SCC original praise songs. Later, Deacon Francisco shared his experience of answering God’s call to become a missionary and join the SCC 13 years ago.

The local youths joyfully welcomed Rainara and Deacon Francisco and enjoyed listening to their experiences of encountering the Lord and what it means to be a young missionary.

Fully Alive! concluded with Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament led by Deacon Francisco. Most of them felt touched and strengthened in their faith to become young missionaries in their community. The event ended with fellowship.

During their visit, the international representatives attended Mass in various languages, met youths from the community, and visited some local city sites. Before their departure, the pair were presented with Malaysian souvenirs to commemorate their visit.

Overall, this programme with the SCC aimed to inspire young people — the youth are the future of the Church, and they should be the living Gospel, bringing Christ to people.

Hopefully, this experience will fuel the spirit of the youth to continue forward as missionaries wherever they serve.