SEOUL (UCAN) -- A burning midsummer sun did not hinder young adults from sharing and experiencing their faith during Seoul archdiocese's first-ever Youth Day.

"Although I suffered from the heat, the scent of Jesus from the smell of participants' sweat was unforgettable," Juliana Choi Sun-a said. "It was a great opportunity for me to reflect on my faith and experience Taize prayer and Eucharistic adoration with my fellow Catholics," the 21-year-old college student told UCA News Aug. 14.

Choi was one of about 1,000 Koreans aged 19-35 who participated in the first Seoul Youth Day (SYD), held Aug. 12-14 at Seoul Major Seminary and nearby Tongsung High School. It came toward the end of a heat wave that kept temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius for an unusually long 19 days.

Seoul archdiocese's Youth Ministry organized the event around the theme "Get Up, Let's Go."

Youth Ministry chaplain Father Paul Bae Sang-youp told UCA News, "Due to various social issues like youth unemployment and broken families, young adults lose their strength and even their faith." With this in mind, he said, "we prepared the SYD for them to share their lives and reaffirm their role as future leaders in the Church and society."

According to the priest, the ministry has organized other gatherings for young adults, but these were only one- or two-day events. He added that SYD was based on the Asian Youth Day and World Youth Day format.

The first day focused on the persecution and martyrdom Korean Catholics faced in the past. While the group was praying the rosary, "policemen" dressed in Joseon dynasty costumes interrupted and demanded to know if participants were Catholics. Those who admitted their faith were "arrested" and forced to kneel. The unannounced "performance" was a graphic reminder of the persecution Catholics underwent in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Afterward the young people reflected on the martyrdom of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean Catholic priest, who was beheaded on Sept. 16, 1846. Following the model of the Way of the Cross, participants went around 14 stations, reflecting on one of 14 events leading to the saint's martyrdom at each station.

Choi recalled, "I could say to the sinister-looking policeman that I'm a Catholic, but it was the scariest moment in my life." She resolved to "trust in my Lord for my future."

On the second day the young people participated in Sunday Mass on the grounds of the seminary. Auxiliary Bishop Basil Cho Kyu-man of Seoul, the bishop in charge of the archdiocesan Youth Ministry, led the liturgy.

That day also included prayers in the style of the ecumenical Taize community, Eucharistic adoration and other activities, such as making rosaries and candles at various stalls erected around the venue. In the evening young performers put on a musical concert.

Marina Lee Eun-mi, 26, told UCA News that she felt like she was in a sauna while attending the mid-morning Mass. However, she also saw "participants' passion for their faith while bathing in sweat." Lee said she enjoyed the variety of programs, especially the activities at the stalls. "I made a special rosary and a recycled prayer candle for myself. It was a lot of fun."

The third day was devoted to lectures on topics related to Church and society. These included the Bible, bioethics, Church social teachings, Korean Church history, liturgy, matrimony, other religions in Korea and sex. The young people could choose from among 19 lectures conducted by priests, college professors, lay missioners and a doctor.

Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul presided at the closing Mass, attended by an estimated 1,500 people. Some in the congregation were young adults who could not participate in the other SYD activities.

In his homily the cardinal told the young people: "Do not be afraid of your future -- Jesus Christ is always with you. If you open your heart to Jesus and depend on him, that is enough. You are not alone anymore."

About 150 people participated as volunteers during the three days. One of them, Peter Park Jun-ik, 26, told UCA News, "I'm proud that I'm a part of the SYD and that I kept my promise to God." He recounted that while he was hospitalized for six months last year after a traffic accident that left him partially paralyzed, he made a promise to "be a servant to God and do whatever I can for the Church."

He continued, "I still have pain in my right knee but when I saw the bright faces of the participants, I felt completely healed."

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea is planning a Korean Youth Day in August 2007 on Jeju, an island off the southern coast of South Korea. Some 4,000 young adults are expected to attend.

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