1924 CIAO Camp for Asia organised by FMA
austraLasia #1924

First CIAO camp in Asia an enormous success

CANLUBANG: 14th August 2007 --  The first CIAO Youth Camp for all of East Asia concluded on 13th August, after four days of activity, reflection and fun, focused on 'life'.  The camp, organised by the Salesian Sisters' Inter-Provincial Conference of East Asia (hence the CIAO acronym from the Italian version of that conference title), was a four day event involving several hundred participants from 11 Asian nations. It was held at Mary Help of Christians School and St Mary Mazzarello Novitiate Canlubang, Laguna, Philippines.
    The CIAO camp took the biblical icon of the boy with five loaves and two fishes (Jn 6:1-13) as its theme for promoting commitment to solidarity and celebration of life in joy and faith in order to respond to today's negatives of hatred, war and cynicism.  Leaders were drawn from the Salesian Sisters (FMA), lay mission partners and five SDBs from Hong Kong. Sr Alicia S. Fulgencia FMA, provincial superior of the Philippine-Papua New Guinea province, welcomed those taking part at an opening Eucharist celebrated by Bishop Joel Z. Baylon, the chairman of the Philippines episcopal commission for youth.  Sr Wilma de Souza FMA and Sr Maria del Carmen Canales FMA, Visiting Councillor and Councillor for Youth Ministry respectively, were also present.
    Participating youth were divided into six groups, each group named 'life' in one of six of the Asian languages represented.  The largest of the delegations came from China.  Each group and indeed each delegation from one or other Asian nation expressed itself according to language and culture.  On one day the groups explored their theme of 'encountering the source of their treasure' through a lectio divina on 'the boy who offered five loaves and two fishes'. After a well-prepared celebration of the Eucharist, they took up a series of workshops on major issues facing youth today, exploring these via workshops on Media, ecology, Dialogue in building relationships, Peace, Life and Servant Leadership. They were encouraged in their search by key speakers: Fr Ka Fai Ho SDB, China, Sr Elizabeth Phyu-Phyu Aung FMA, Myanmar, Mr Angelo S. Felix, Philippines, and Ms. Dinh Do Quyen, Vietnam.  On another day participants were offered the opportunity to share their experience of Jesus in a range of 'immersion' sites which included ABS-CBN Radio Veritas-Asia for media, the Botanical Gardens, Centre for Philippine Raptors, Baker Field and Scout Jamboree Site for ecology.  Fr Martin Macasaet, Youth Ministry delegate for the SDB FIN province anointed campers with oil and blessed them on their departure for the various sites. The immersion experiences gave participants a chance to identify signs of life and also things which block life. These experiences were integrated in prayer on their return. Later in the evening the six groups gathered together around the Light of Christ, symbolised by a bonfire.  There the groups presented themselves through song and dance.
   
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