AdZU hosts National
Youth Day
“From all walks of life, they gathered at Bethlehem,
to celebrate a Faith that never grows old.”
Around
2000 youth pilgrims from all over the country gathered at the Ateneo de
Zamboanga University for the celebration of the National Youth Day last
November 6-10, 2017. Zamboanga City, particularly the Ateneo was among the 4
schools chosen to host the biggest gathering of the youth.
The
Ateneo, bearing the name Bethlehem Site, welcomed pilgrims from dioceses both
from in and outside Zamboanga City.
The
5-day event had for its overall theme: “The Mighty One Has Done Great Things
for Me, Holy is His Name.” Each day had lectures, activities, small group
sharings, and TED Talks pertaining to the daily Day Sub-themes “We Are
Blessed”; “We Are Flawed”; “We Are Good and Gifted”; “We Are Called To Make a
Difference”; and “Holy is His Name”, and Evening Sub-themes “Zamboanga Night”;
“Family Night”; “Parish Night”; and “Evangelization Night”.
The
National Youth Day hopes to deepen the pilgrims’ faith-experience and
fellowship with fellow youth by urging them to rediscover, be more aware, be
more discerning and socially engaged, and speak out their giftedness and
potential in committing themselves to serve God and the country.
The
NYD featured various morning talks from key note speakers Fr Roseller Atilano
SJ, a newly-ordained priest who hails from Zamboanga City, Most Rev Leopoldo
Jaucian SVD DD, Bishop of Bangued and Chairman of CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Youth, and environmentalist and former DENR Secretary Gina
Lopez.
The
pilgrims were also divided into small groups for the NYD RUN, an activity
immersing the pilgrims to the different social, cultural, religious, moral, and
environmental realities in life. The run, held in and out of the Festival Site,
had talks and immersion activities on Indigenous People, HIV Awareness, Public
Service, and using film and sports to promote peace among others. Some of the
speakers of the NYD run are Zamboanga Councilor Myra Abubakar and Rev Fr Dan
Vicente Cancino MI who talked about the true meaning of Public Service and HIV-AIDS
education respectively.
Part
of the gathering was a series of Eucharistic Celebrations held at the Shrine of
the Nuestra Señora la Virgen del Pilar and the four festival Sites Bethlehem
(Ateneo de Zamboanga University), Cana (Claret School of Zamboanga City),
Jerusalem (Pilar College), and Nazareth (Immaculate Conception Archdiocesan
School).
