By Cl. Kenji Lorenzo Ruiz Hasegawa, SDB

       Miyazaki, Japan, 3 April -- After having restricting gatherings due to the spread of the pandemic for three years, it was with great joy that the annual Youth Catholic Camp (YCC) was held face-to-face in Miyazaki, Japan from March 28-30 under the headship of Fr. Shinjiro Michael Urata, SDB, the head of the Commission on Youth Ministry of the Salesians of Don Bosco Japan Province. YCC began with an aim to gather high school students attending catholic schools in Kyushu area to provide them with an opportunity to experience a faith-sharing camaraderie. During the pandemic, YCC organized online animation activities to substitute the annual gathering for the past two years. With this year’s endeavor of resuming the onsite gathering, it involved 31 high school students and 21 staff from Catholic schools all over Kyushu including the Salesians based in Miyazaki and some Salesians and Salesian sisters from Tokyo, and other religious (La Salle brothers and Junshin sisters) working in Kyushu.

       Despite the fact that the program was shortened by a day compared to the usual program being followed in the previous years, this year’s camp was indeed filled with a rekindling spirit. The participants arrived at the Hyuga Academy Beach House at around 3:30 in the afternoon. The staff gathered to be given a briefing on the running of the camp for the duration of the scheduled 3 days. After the briefing, the staff met the participants in the hall until the time for assembly. In the assembly, the participants were asked to join their respective groups. The staff were introduced to the participants. As the participants were waiting for their turn to take showers, each group gathered to introduce oneself and play some table cards to experience a kind of bonding with the rest of the members. At around 6:30 in the evening, everyone had a sumptuous dinner prepared by the volunteer group coming from the nearby Catholic Church community of Southern Miyazaki that included members of the Salesian Cooperators. After dinner, the participants and the staff joined in the recreational activities that were designed to engage everyone to be familiar with each other and establish a rapport. To end the day, night prayer was said and a Salesian cleric delivered the traditional Good Night in order to help each one reflect on the past day.

       The following day started with a blissful morning beholding the spectacular panorama of the Pacific Ocean. It was in such an atmosphere that everyone engaged in the morning prayer meditating on the “Peace of Christ.” After breakfast, the participants gathered in the hall for the talk of Most Rev. Shinzo Sulpice Moriyama, D. D., the Bishop of the Diocese of Oita. Bishop Moriyama, in his talk, highlighted the biblical and connotational meaning of “Shalom” in the Judeo-Christian context, establishing the idea that ‘peace’ is a state of restoring the wholeness. It is through this concept that the participants engaged themselves into relating their already-conceived ideas of peace through group discussions with a hope to make them see the light of resolutions especially with the recent world events that about to distort the true peace in the world. After the talk, the Holy Mass was celebrated. For lunch, everyone proceeded to the beach. It was an opportunity for everyone to appreciate more the beautiful scenery while enjoying lunch with the group members. Recreational activities were also conducted at the beach where everyone was engaged to firm the bond that has been formed with the group members and other co-participants and staff. Upon arriving at the Beach House, the groups were asked to take showers in turns and finalize the presentation on what has been shared during the group discussion in the morning. The presentation was conducted after dinner. After the presentation, everyone participated in the “Gathering of Lights” celebrated by Fr. Tadashi Thomas Hamabe, SDB, where each contemplated on the “Christ” who is “Light and Peace himself” and presented each one’s resolutions. A solemn exchange of peace was done greeting each of the participants the ‘Peace of the Lord’ through the gesture of fist bumps.

       The last day of YCC began with morning prayer and meditation based on the resolutions each one had made in the previous night’s “Gathering of Lights.” Breakfast was served after the prayer. The participants were asked to arrange their belongings and do some chores. Before finally parting ways, Holy Mass was celebrated as a culminating activity with a ray of light that everyone commits oneself into establishing true peace on earth.

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