The small church of Pernal saw a major milestone on this afternoon this Sunday, on the 21st of July, when the Christian youth of Shirva in Udupi gathered together to inaugurate the Beginner’s Camp.
The event began at 1.45 pm and, like any successful deanery event, began in a sombre atmosphere of prayer, which the members of the deanery conducted with pious devotion, after which the deanery president Sweedel Mendonca, welcomed the entire gathering with heartwarming words.
The ceremonial lamp was then lit by prominent figures, including Fr Ronson Pinto, Fr Jerome Monterio, Fr Pascal Menezes, Fr Steevan Fernandes, Richard Alvares, Maria Jacintha Furtado, Anson Nazareth, Flavian Mendonca, Jiya Coutinho, and Joshwa Fernandes.
Fr Steevan Fernandes and Fr Jerome Monterio delivered insightful speeches, setting the tone for the camp. Anson Nazareth, the National YCS YSM president of India, led an engaging ice-breaking session with action songs, fostering enthusiasm among the youth.
Richard Alvaris, a veteran YCS YSM animator, conducted a session on the movement’s vision, aims, and objectives, emphasizing the YCS methodology. Dr Leslie Clifford D’Souza, dean of Shirva deanery, inspired the participants with the See, Judge, and Act approach introduced by Cardinal Joseph Cardijn.
The camp saw active participation from 110 first-year PUC students. The event concluded with a group activity led by Anson Nazareth, followed by a vote of thanks and a closing prayer song.
