Catholic Youths Doing Cultural Dance On Their Cultural Day. Youths Are The Glory Of Mbaise Catholici

Young people provide the tonic and dynamism for Mbaise Catholicism. They are an essential part of every aspect of the parish and diocesan church activity. They make up the choir, serve at Masses as altar servers, prepare and decorate the altar as altar girls, constitute the lay readers group, provide security around the church during masses, especially the ones that train as members of Man of Order and Discipline [MOD], serve as ushers or Church wardens as they are locally called, clean up the church premises when overgrown with weeds or dirty. Young people of Mbaise do a lot of essential work keeping the local parish church lively and dynamic. They are a very powerful group in church life in Mbaise Catholicism.

All youth programs are done under the umbrella organization uniting young Catholics throughout Nigeria. It is called the Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria [CYON]. CYON is a recognized organization for young people in the Roman Catholic Church of Nigeria. It allows the bishops and leaders of the church to address issues concerning young people in a more pointed and focused manner. CYON has mainly four levels of operation. There is the national organization which provides some sort of a big tent for the branches of the organization in the provinces, dioceses and parishes.

CYON has a powerful local branch in Ahiara Diocese. The current leader is Mr. Sylvester Ugwuamaka who has managed to keep the flame of the Catholic faith alive among the otherwise infuriated young people of Mbaise Catholicism who are embarrassed and shocked over what they see as the domineering presence of injustice in the Catholic Church of Nigeria. CYON has a very rich program for young people all year round.

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. There is no dress code for such celebrations. Many youths dress to amuse, or 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 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 encourage the up-tight and disgruntled lifestyle that is in vogue in the new age Pentecostal 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 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 and evening programs. Each day starts with a morning mass in which youth participants 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.