Matters India Reporter

Azimganj, Jan 25, 2025: Kolkata’s youth-fest icon of the 1980s on January 25 celebrated the 60th year of his religious profession among Murshidabad’s tribal youth at Azimganj.

Salesian Father K.K. Anthony Kariyattil is currently the confessor and teacher of Salesian pre-novices and aspirants at Savio Bhavan in Azimganj.

Some 20 priests and several religious sisters and scores of young people participated in the solemn Mass marking the diamond jubilee of Father Kariyattil becoming a Salesian.

Born in Valapad, Thrissur district of Kerala in 1944, Father Kariattil became a Salesian of Don Bosco in 1964.

As a youth animator in Calcutta in 1974, living in Don Bosco School Park Circus Salesian community, Kariyattil, was engaged in ministry with high school students.

“A youth leader from college days in Salesian College Sonada, I became an animator of Young Christian Students as well as the Leadership Training Service students in Calcutta in 1974,” the 82-year-old priest recalled.

Kariyattil, who was the youth fest director for 13 editions, recalled the first fest held at Don Bosco School Park Circus Calcutta in 1977, initiated by the late Brother Trophy D’Souza, Head of the Department of English at Salesian College Sonada, Darjeeling.

Brother D’Souza organized the event with the help of Salesian College Sonada, Kariyattil was then a teacher and youth animator residing in Don Bosco Park Circus.

After his ordination by Jesuit Cardinal Lawrence Picachy of Calcutta in 1978, Kariyattil was appointed youth commission delegate of the archdiocese and, in 1978, chaplain of YCS Calcutta.

Under Kariyattil’s leadership, Youth Fest Kolkata grew into a mass movement of youth, with zonal events in the four deaneries of the archdiocese culminating in a day-long event at Don Bosco School Park Circus grounds.

It was preceded by catechetical themes with specific social action following Cardijn’s Review of Life method: “See, Judge and Act.”

This method, initiated by Joseph Cardijn, a Belgian priest and founder of the Young Christian Workers movement, encouraged young people to engage in social action by observing their surroundings (See), reflecting on what they observed in light of Christian teachings (Judge), and taking action to address issues.