MANOLO FORTICH, Philippines (UCAN) -- A Salesian who has dedicated most of his 27 years as a priest ministering to youths will not go to Sydney, Australia, for the World Youth Day (WYD) celebration in July 2008.

Moreover, Father Mario Antonio Baclig is also asking other long-time youth ministers to pass up the chance and instead let "budding" youth ministers attend the international gathering.

In this commentary for UCA News, the former national director of the bishops' youth apostolate secretariate and co-organizer of the 1995 World Youth Day in Manila appeals for a revival of the original spirit of WYD. He calls for serious efforts toward actualizing Pope John Paul II's vision for the youth when he instituted the special fellowship in 1986.

The late pope's ultimate goal of communion and genuine youth involvement in the Church relies heavily on difficult daily work, which the allure of the more exhilarating festivity of WYD can overshadow, Father Baclig says.

The priest continues ministering to youth from his base in Manolo Fortich, a town in Bukidnon province, 810 kilometers southeast of Manila, and Davao City, south of Bukidnon. In 2006 he completed a two-year assignment as operations manager of his order's Salesiana Publishers in Makati City, southeast of Manila.

After his priestly ordination in 1980, Father Baclig obtained master's and doctoral degrees in organizational development from Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute in Antipolo, east of Manila. He also studied pastoral theology at Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.

In 1988 he went to Italy as representative in the Salesian Confronto, a traditional international fellowship of the Salesian Youth Movement. The next year he joined the international World Youth Day celebration in Spain.

Later he served as consultant to two offices of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences -- the Office of Laity and Office of Education and Student Chaplaincy. After decades of involvement in various Don Bosco schools and other Philippine youth networks, he served as a member of the Youth Ministry Department at the Salesian headquarters in Rome 2002-2004.

Father Baclig's commentary follows:

All paths lead to Sydney next year for World Youth Day 2008. Half a million participants from 166 countries are expected, and from the Philippines 6,000!

Already the journey of the Youth Jubilee Cross and the icon of Our Lady is underway, hoping to reach the 28 dioceses of Australia. An aboriginal message stick accompanies the cross and invites young people to the celebration. Pope Benedict XVI is expected on July 17, sailing into Sydney on a Captain Cook Harbor Cruise vessel. He shall lead the vigil the following day and the concluding Eucharist on July 19.

The road to Sydney extends to 1984, at the end of the Jubilee Year of Redemption. Seeing the large numbers of young people, John Paul II was inspired to entrust to them the Jubilee Cross. His words: "I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the Cross of Christ! Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ's love for humanity, and announce to everyone that only in the death and resurrection of Christ we can find salvation and redemption."

A year later, proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Youth Year, he wrote a special letter "To the Youth of the World." It was special indeed, for he called the youth "a special treasure" of the Church and society. He challenged them with these words: "We are praying in the community of the Church, so that -- against the background of the difficult times in which we live -- you may always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you. Yes, precisely you, because on you depends the future, on you depends also the end of this millennium and the beginning of the next."

That was a trailblazer. It sparked the rapid growth of Catholic youth ministry worldwide, as a special ministry of the Church "for, to, with and by the youth." John Paul II himself became the youth minister par excellence. In his words and deeds, he mirrored Jesus, the Good Shepherd, for today's youth. One of his inspired inventions is now the phenomenon of the World Youth Days.

The first meeting, held in Rome on Palm Sunday 1986, started what is now a precious tradition of world, national and diocesan youth gatherings. The principal objective was clear right at the start: that the young would discover the person of Jesus and welcome him as the center of their faith and the constant point of reference in their daily lives.

Through the years, the World Youth Day has been the Church's privileged moments set aside for and with the young. We can still recall the 1989 celebration in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. During the final Eucharist, the priests were given a place a bit at the side, so that the young people could have the privilege of celebrating (which meant chanting and singing) around the altar and closer to the Pope.

World Youth Day has been an experience of Church as family and communion, but with special attention given to the young. For the 1995 celebration in Manila, local organizers made sure that the theme song and logo were prepared by the young themselves, through a nationwide contest that brought in close to 50 original compositions and more than 100 designs. It would have been simpler to ask professionals to do the job, but the refrain was: "This is World Youth Day, so let the young prepare it."

World Youth Day was never meant to be "an alternative to ordinary youth ministry, often carried out with great sacrifice and self-denial," as expressed by John Paul II in 1996. Rather, it was intended to trigger new interest and involvement, and to consolidate existing participation and commitment. It can be considered a break, or better still, a peak moment in the ongoing growth-journey of young people.

The 1996 letter of the Pope continues with these words: "I exhort all those responsible for youth ministry to make use of World Youth Days, with ever-greater generosity and creativity, as events which, inserted in the normal process of education in the faith, may become the privileged manifestation of the whole Church's attention for the young generations and her confidence in them."

Catholic youth ministry in the Philippines was fortunate to have Bishop Jose Sorra [now retired] at the helm. Through his foresight and efforts, a separate episcopal commission for youth was established in 1986, with its corresponding National Secretariate. His vision and convictions were clear: Youth are a special category in the Church; they are no longer children but not yet adults. They are youth, deserving special attention and care.

Not everyone shared such vision and convictions. It was an uphill climb to spread the message of youth ministry among the leaders of the Church on all levels. One bishop was asked: "How is youth ministry in your diocese?" His curt reply: "What is that?" Fortunately it did not take long for him to change paradigms. "We are being youth-ilized," he remarked a year later.

A parish priest was unable to understand the purpose of, and the expenses involved in, the Youth Encounter, a basic formation program especially designed for Catholic youth. It took the persuasive creativity and charm of his young parishioners to get him involved and committed.

The 1985 letter of the Pope and the World Youth Days came at the right moment. Here was Catholic youth ministry personified right at the top. For the pioneers, this was unmistakably kairos [moment of opportunity]. Formation programs for youth and youth ministers, coupled with regular meetings and conferences, pushed ahead the new paradigms. The rest is history.

In 1995, the Philippines was given the privilege and responsibility of hosting the 10th World Youth Day. The Youth Jubilee Cross was brought to all the dioceses of the country -- three days each for close to 80 dioceses spread through 7,100 islands! Seeing the 14-foot cross brought around by a Philippine jeepney [public transportation fashioned from military jeeps], people could not help but ask: "What is that?" The answers focused on youth -- their dreams and needs -- and on the urgency of youth ministry.

When the cross was brought to Basco [in the Batanes Islands, off the northern Philippine coast], continuously buffeted by typhoons, the people fell on their knees weeping and saying: "You alone, youth, have managed to reach our island. Thank you." The vigil and concluding Eucharist at Luneta Park in Manila caught the attention of the country, and in fact, of Asia and the world, not only because of the sheer number of youth -- close to 5 million! -- but most of all, because of the message proclaimed: "For the young, a special ministry!"

The journey appears to be well underway! Catholic youth ministry is alive in parishes, schools and centers. There are formation programs tailored for youth, youth leaders and youth ministers. There are meetings and conferences for better planning and coordination. There are published materials of various kinds. There are celebrations on all levels -- diocesan youth days lead to the National Youth Day and the Asian Youth Day. But the numbers seem to spell a different story. Thousands of young people have still to taste that "special care and ministry." Thousands of young people remain lost, confused, abandoned.

One new paradigm rightly insists that youth ministry is more than just "activities galore." It is, rather, the growth-enabling relationships between youth and youth ministers. Building such relationships takes time and effort, one day at a time. Hence the best setting for good youth ministry is the youth group, where young members and the moderators or animators grow together in an ever-deepening relationship.

Unfortunately big celebrations have become more of activities and less of relationships. They attract young people just as John Paul II foresaw. But they can also hamper genuine Catholic youth ministry. The mad rush to bring in, transport and accommodate big numbers, and the gargantuan efforts to raise funds and organize the logistics often overshadow the slow and daily effort of building interpersonal relationships and animating groups. World Youth Day itself has fallen into this trap. Many youth ministry offices are more of travel agencies and fund-raising centers that shift into high gear a year before [international celebrations of] World Youth Day. Anyone who has the money and undergoes an instant preparation program is accepted.

Because of the allure of traveling abroad and because of the once-in-a-lifetime chance to get a visa and remain in a foreign country, young people suddenly pop up and join the crowd. Youth ministers barely have time to know them and establish meaningful relationships. In fact, how many have suddenly disappeared, passport and all, upon landing in a foreign airport?

Another new paradigm goes further and describes youth ministry as a journey after the example of Jesus walking along with the disciples to Emmaus. The Philippine paradigm details the three phases of this journey: 1) formation, 2) organization, 3) mobilization. The goal of the journey is young persons formed in the image of Jesus Christ, the perfect human person, and at the service of the Church and society.

There are no shortcuts in this journey. In fact there are countless turns, detours, crossroads and obstacles. No wonder genuine youth ministers are a committed lot! They have to give their time, talent and even treasure. They have to struggle day in and day out to form the young, guide them in getting organized and accompany them as mobilized youth. Many parishes have retreats and recollections for youth, but fail to organize them in groups and councils, and to allow their leaders to emerge and act. Many schools start with children and continue treating them so, failing to let them grow up into young agents of transformation. Many young people remain superficial in their Christian faith and never reach that person-to person encounter with Christ.

Unfortunately World Youth Day and many other big celebrations can become a facade, giving the semblance of a dynamic youth ministry and absorbing the time, talent and treasures of youth ministers. So much investment for the few! What else remains for the more important task of accompanying the daily growth of thousands of young people on the grassroots level? Moreover, what growth is there if participation in World Youth Day does not have a comprehensive youth ministry plan to back it up, or if the few who make it have no growth-journey as preparation and follow-through, or have no youth groups with whom to share its fruits?

John Paul II started the phenomenon of World Youth Days. He also penned the "Letter to the Youth" and championed the new paradigms of Catholic youth ministry. What can we, called to serve youth, do today in preparation for Sydney 2008? Return to John Paul II and to his vision of genuine Catholic youth ministry. Renew our love for every young person under our care and the commitment to journey with them every day. Exert serious effort to organize youth and youth ministers and draw up a comprehensive youth-ministry vision and plan, hopefully to include World Youth Day. And if we have the chance to make the trip to Sydney, why not choose to stay home with most of our youth and pass on this opportunity to some other budding youth minister?

END

(Accompanying photos available at here)