RSSA youth group in Hubei province, central China, has been following the example of Saint Paul the Apostle in living out their faith during the Pauline Year.
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Members of the Youth Fellowship of St. Paul |
Father Yan Hua, parish priest of Holy Family Church in Wuhan diocese, said members have evangelized non-Christians who visited the centuries-old church on important feast days by explaining the Catholic faith to them.
“The youngsters’ enthusiasm has also inspired other parishioners to become better Catholics,” he observed at the eighth anniversary celebrations of the Youth Fellowship of St. Paul on May 30.
About 90 people attended celebrations at the 120-year-old church in Wuchang district in Wuhan city that included a Mass and cultural program.
Pope Benedict XVI declared June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009, as the Year of St. Paul to commemorate the 2,000th birth anniversary of Saint Paul, who is also known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Historians have placed the saint´s birth between A.D. 7 and 10.
During the celebration, Father Yan said the Pauline Year was “a good start” for the youth “to develop a correct and firm understanding of their faith, without fear of suffering” and to foster a “new generation of Christians who are ready to sacrifice for their faith.”
During a special commissioning ceremony at the Mass, 36 new members vowed to “model their lives after their patron saint and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.” They also vowed to live a life worthy of the Gospel, sanctify themselves and evangelize others. In addition, they promised to maintain solidarity with one another and study the Bible thoroughly.
Father Yan presented a Bible to each new member and imparted his blessing. The liturgy ended with participants singing “The Lord’s Prayer” hand in hand.
Ma Hongfei, a member who is a university student, pointed out that although the youth group was already eight years old, this was the first time it has accepted new members through a commissioning ceremony.
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Members of the Youth Fellowship of St. Paul posing with a priest, Father Wu Zongping, who concelebrated the May 30 Mass |
Wang Hui, a founding member, recalled that she and some other young Catholics decided to start the group after they realized that some of their peers were losing their values and focus in life due to materialism.
Seminarians of the Central and Southern China Theological and Philosophical Seminary, located in the church compound, had helped to establish the youth group. The regional seminary each year assigns some senior seminarians to provide spiritual guidance and fellowship to youth members through activities such as hymn singing, catechism and Bible-sharing sessions each Sunday.
The group now has 200 registered members, 50 of them based in Wuhan diocese. The rest have left Wuhan city after completing their studies there but continue to maintain contact with one another through the Internet.
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