Catholic Youth Society (CYS) is an organization of unmarried young adult men and women in the Roman Catholic Church operating at the deanery, regional and diocesan levels and serving the youth within the Catholic community in its religious, recreational, cultural, and social needs. Membership in CYS is based on regular participation. Activities are geared toward Baptized and Confirmed Roman Catholic men and women between 18 – 30 years of age and are designed to develop character and prevent unrest. The organization’s main purposes are focused on guiding the young Catholics to live a Christian life from the teenage stage in life, developing trust between peers, and living a happy life in a positive manner. Usually, the youth group uses the church for meeting and gathering. Activities vary in accordance with local culture but often includes Prayer, Liturgy, Bible Study, Arts and Cultural activities, Charity, Sports, Fundraising and practicing Corporal Works of Mercy.

The aim of a youth ministry is to help young people survive poverty and neglect in society by moral, ethical formation thereby to live a life based on Gospel values and Christian witnessing. It also can help to meet a variety of community needs. It can be counter cultural by providing childcare and services for the sick and elderly within the parish limits of Katukurunda. It offers nourishment both physical and spiritual providing opportunity to be more socially connected. Youth can be the guardians providing means of assistance to the individuals too frail to live without support. CYS work is guided by the belief that every life has intrinsic value, and every person has dignity and deserves respect. CYS serves all ages regardless of race, religion, or national origins. It seeks to help young people find true happiness by coming to know and love Jesus Christ in His Church through participation in Youth Ministry Programs.

Through the Office of Youth Ministry, it can offer young people the full truth about life, love, competition, education, and solidarity. The society seeks to foster the personal and spiritual growth of young people in such a way that they will be able to confront the real challenges and sorrows of human life and develop their talents in service of their family, parish, and neighborhood. Its mission is to be rooted in Catholic values and participate in the mission of the Church.

  • Provides training, resources and consultation to parish communities to assist in the development of Youth Ministry initiatives
  • Provides specific programs to children, teens and families in Youth Ministry,camping and athletics
  • Provides Christian Leadership development programs for teens; and creates opportunities for teens to share these skills
  • Ensures that marginalized children, teens and families have access to all C.Y.O. programs and services

The name Catholic Youth Apostolate reminds us that we are the Church “sent” into the world; to inspire a deeper experience of communion for generations of young people in their evolving relationship with God.  Our continuing mission of evangelization: to explore new ways to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. To bring new Life in Christ, and seek to be inspirational living examples of Faith, Hope, and Love today. To go boldly where no Apostles have gone before!

Established since 2003, the Catholic Youth Apostolate has begun at Katukurunda Parish with the aim of forming a vibrant and a dynamic generation of young men and women who can rejuvenate the parish community life and inspire both clergy and laity to be more collaborative and proactive witnesses of the Christian Faith together. Its goal is to inspire an experience communion that impels our clergy and our laity to work together to exercise the Apostolate like leaven, with the ardor of the spirit of Christ—regardless of whether young or old—in every activity of the Mystical Body that aims to spread the Kingdom of God (Apostolicam Actuositatem 2; cf. Lumen Gentium 31; Catechism of the Catholic Church 863).  An experience of communion that extends beyond attending the Mass out of obligation and into the midst of the world and its concerns is something still far from realization in the parish. Sadly most of these aims are still to be realized.

We advocate that parish youth development is not just for young people or youth groups alone, but also the shared responsibility of all adults in the community regardless of age (or seniority). Parish youth apostolate is about everyone in the parish taking co-responsibility for leading Catholic Action or facilitating outreach events that engage the young people of the parish and beyond.  Our ongoing challenge is to change outmoded and parochial mindsets that assume the Youth to be a separate or less important category from other church ministry groups—because we are sent forth together as missionaries, both young and old, to revive faith and rekindle charity in the Church and in the world and bring all to unity in Christ.

In the Katukurunda area youth suffer from unemployment, drug addiction, violence, abuse, lack of learning opportunities and becoming victims of various forms of malpractices prevalent in the area. Especially young women suffer from sexual harassment and sexist abuse at various levels even within the community due to archaic patriarchal mindsets of the ultra-traditionalist elders unwilling to change. This is the reason for the noticeable lack of young female participation in the youth activities organized in the Church. Gender equality is something that the youth of the Katukurunda parish can work on to achieve in the local community for the future.

A group of young men and women are now co-journeying as the youth in the parish of Katukurunda both at St. Mary’s Church and St. Joseph Vaz Church. Both these groups are not strongly structured and organized as a society with office bearers. The St. Joseph Vaz’s Youth group took responsibility of organizing the 2021 Church feast amidst the pandemic and pulled it off with great success. The St. Mary’s Youth group organized the common Holy Hour during the 2021 Maundy Thursday and accomplished it admirably. Both these youth groups must now emerge in the parish by taking more and more initiatives as a strong unit helping the Parish Priest in carrying out the mission of Christ in the Parish of Katukurunda. Young men and women are in need for this parish if it is to develop to its fullest potential.

Coordinators:

St. Mary’s Church – Tharindu (0715756465), Tharushi (0762748840), Sasunika (0770876487)

St. Joseph Vaz’s Church – Anjelo (0778169484), Sohan (0715998428), Nirmal (0721853099)