By Matters India Reporter

New Delhi, June 17, 2019: Three young Catholics from India are traveling to Rome on June 17 to attend International Youth Forum.

They are among some 250 young people from all over the world expected to attend the follow up meeting to evaluate the implementation of the 2018 Youth Synod.

Vatican-based Youth Office of Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is organizing the International Youth Forum in Rome as a part of the implementation phase of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on youth.

The Indians are Jesvita Princy Quadras from Mangalore (former Young Christian Students president), Becaremeo Nongtdu from Jowai (North East regional youth president) and Percival Holt from Delhi (national president of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement under the Conference of Catholic Bishops’ of India and Synod Auditor).

The June 19-22 meeting “is a follow up of the synod on youth to see and know what different countries have done in last six months. Three persons from India are going to attend it and I am one of them,” said Holt.

The 25-year old Holt, who holds a master’s degree in biotechnology, was one of the five Indian participants of the Synod of Bishops in the Vatican in last October in Rome.

Quadras from Mangalore, national president of YCS/YSM India, is completing her BA in Journalism and Psychology from St. Aloysius College, Mangalore this year.

Nongtdu is pursuing doctorate in Philosophy from North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya.

Some new people who have not been to Rome for Synod and pre-synod are likely to take part in it. Some participants were the auditors (listeners) at the October Synod, including Holt.

Asked on the significance of the forthcoming meeting, Holt said, “It is important to see and know if such an important synod is being taken seriously by Bishops’ conferences around the world and international lay associations, considering the amount of efforts, money and time put into the synod.”

Quoting Pope Francis, Holt said, “The synod is not the culmination of a process but just a major intermediate step. It will continue, it has to disseminate and reach the grassroots to nourish the future countenance of the church.”

The International Youth Forum will be part of the implementation phase of the recent General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

The specific objective of the post-Synod meeting will be the application of the Synod proposals seen from a youth pastoral ministry perspective.