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. _________________ AustraLasia is an
email
service
for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions
as an
agency for ANS based in
Rome.
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