Youth Cultural Day Celebration In St Gregory The Great Parish, Ihitteafoukwu, Ahiara Diocese, Mbaise

[A group photograph with Catholic Youths after the Mass concluding their cultural week celebration at St Gregory the Great Church, Ihitteafoukwu, Ahiazu-Mbaise LGA, Imo State, Nigeria]

In September each year CYON organizes youth programs such as a Youth Week or Cultural Week. An essential element of such programs is the cultural music and dance that feature prominently in them. Youths usually present themselves in their local costumes. Some dress like local kings, chiefs and queens. Others dress like villagers or ragtag ruffians and palm wine tappers. There is no dress code for such celebrations. Many youths dress to amuse, or to entertain or just for fun. No immodest dressing is ever allowed though. But over-dressing is not a sin. It is usually permitted as a part of the fun.

The whole goal of such a celebration is to entertain young people in their Catholic faith. It is geared towards teaching young people that their Catholic faith is large enough to accommodate and even encourage social and fun-filled life. It is also meant to help young people appreciate the fact that their church is tolerant towards their local cultures. It is a signal to them that their church maintains openness to positive inputs from local cultures.

The Roman Catholic Church does not usually encourage the up-tight and disgruntled lifestyle that is often associated with new age Pentecostal and fundamentalist churches. Rather in the Catholic Church everyone is free to practice one's faith with the full integration of social and cultural life in as much as one keeps the teaching of the Church in view.

There are different activities showcased during Youth Week or Cultural Week all across Nigeria. But in Mbaise Catholicism the whole program reaches its maximum level. There are sporting competitions, intellectual competitions like religious quizzes and debates, dramas and plays, shooting and showing of movies, charity works like visiting the homes of the less privileged members of the society, going out on sight-seeing excursions to places of interests including the monasteries and seminaries etc. Young people are always excited to participate in these programs.

Within that week youths participate actively in both the morning evening programs. Each day starts with a morning mass in which youth participants in the program fill the church to the brim. Then there will be lectures on the different aspects of life as a young person in the Nigerian and world settings. There is of course entertainment and refreshment. The Youth week is always a very important time in the youth ministry in Mbaise Catholicism.