Youth Apostolate

Youth Apostolate 

Dear young people, ‘put on Christ!’ in your life, and you will find a friend in whom you can always trust; ‘put on Christ’ and you will see the wings of hope spreading and letting you journey with joy towards the future; ‘put on Christ’ and your life will be full of his love; it will be a fruitful life.

        Pope Francis at World Youth Day Rio 2013

Youth Apostolate in the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle, Melbourne is the official youth umbrella organisation in the Eparchy. Youth Apostolate is the communion of all youth groups, ministries and initiatives of our Syro-Malabar parishes and missions in Australia and New Zealand. Youth Apostolate is for all teens, youth, young adults and young couples who belong to the Syro Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle who are studying in grade 9 to Generation Y (Millennials) people.

At the historic Second Vatican Council, our Church Fathers declared that: The Catholic Church holds in high esteem the institutions, liturgical rites, ecclesiastical traditions and the established standards of the Christian life of the Eastern Churches, for in them, distinguished as they are for their venerable antiquity, there remains conspicuous the tradition that has been handed down from the Apostles through the Fathers and that forms part of the divinely revealed and undivided heritage of the universal Church. This Sacred Ecumenical Council, therefore, in its care for the Eastern Churches which bear living witness to this tradition, in order that they may flourish and with new apostolic vigor execute the task entrusted to them, has determined to lay down a number of principles, in addition to those which refer to the universal Church (Orientalium Ecclesiarum)

From this decree, the Second Vatican Council calls upon all Eastern Catholic Churches, including our church, to live in the fullness of their sacred tradition and faith life for the salvation of souls and the greater glory of Christ and His heavenly kingdom. Recognizing this responsibility and obligation to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, on 23 December 2013 Holy Father Francis established The Syro-Malabar Eparchy of St Thomas the Apostle, Melbourne for Australia, the second Eparchy outside the territory after Chicago, USA. Pope Francis appointed Bishop Bosco Puthur, as the first Bishop/Eparch of the new Eparchy.

Since then, there were many activities taken place in the parishes/missions teens, youth, young adults and young couples in the Eparchy. Youth Apostolate is in its infancy in the Eparchy, but is blossoming with a vital presence in all the parishes/missions.

The youth apostolate champions and lives out its mission to follow the tradition and beliefs of the Syro Malabar Church for the Kingdom of God and Society, to strive for the holistic development of teens, youth, young adults and young couples in the Eparchy.

Sojin Sebastian

Director

Sojin is a passionate catholic with over 22 years’ of leadership experience with the church and within the church and a management professional over 16 years’ of expertise in the field of training and development, retail, marketing and leadership management.

Hailing from Kottayam, Kerala, he moved to Darwin, Australia with his family in the year of 2009. He started his leadership journey with the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church from his childhood. He was an Arch-Diocesan (Changanacherry Arch-Diocese) president of Cherupushpa Mission League – (CML is the biggest Missionary Organisation for Laity in Asia) in the year of 1995-1997. He held many leadership and advisory positions with Kerala Catholic Students League (KCSL), SMYM – Yuvadeepthi, CSM (Catholic Students Movement) and Jesus Youth in Diocesan and State level.

After reaching in Australia he served the Australian Catholic church in the capacity of the vice chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, Youth Ministry Advisory council member of Diocese of Darwin and Member of Lay Leadership Development committee. When the Syro Malabar Mission started in Darwin he and his wife Priya contribute their time, talent and treasure for the faith formation of the community from the beginning. Currently, he is the headmaster of St. Alphonsa Sunday School Darwin, Parish committee member, Bishop’s youth delegate in the Eparchy’s Pastoral Council, Animator of Jesus Youth, Darwin and also the team member of Jesus Youth National Mission and Family teams.