ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Youth on missions in Oecussi, the Timor district located on Indonesian territory

Dili (Agenzia Fides) – A small part of the land on East Timor, on the western part of the island, is under the national sovereignty of Indonesia. Its name is Oecussi, a coastal district where Timor's citizens can arrive by sea, without crossing the Indonesian border. Forming an integral part of the land of East Timor, the district of Oecussi forms a part of the Diocese of Dili and is, thus, an area where the Church carries out her pastoral plans, catechesis, liturgy, and charitable works.
Not long ago, the Catholic youth of the Diocese of Dili carried out missions in Oecussi, offering their own testimony of Christian life to other youth and inviting them to take part in the Church's activities. Over 100 youth, inspired by a mature enthusiasm brought by the World Youth Day held in Sydney, traveled over 240 kilometers to preach to Gospel, to speak about the Bible, and to share their experiences as Christian youth who have found the meaning to their life in Christ.
Oecussi has one parish with 47,000 Catholics. The youth visited the parish, but also went around to the entire area inviting the local youth to Mass, to seminars, Bible studies, prayer, and a chance to develop fraternal communion. Leading the youth, says the agency of the MEP, “Eglises d'Asie,” was Fr. Angelo Salsinha, head of Youth Ministry for Dili, who stressed the importance of the diocese's task in looking after the youth of Oecussi, caring for their spiritual, cultural, and even professional formation.
The Diocese, in fact, has plans to begin a professional training course in the area, to help even the poorest youth to find employment and be able to fully integrate themselves into society.
The rebuilding and rebirth of the social and economic fabric of East Timor have played a strategic role in the area of education and formation of young people. The government, the Church, and the social powers are all working to re-establish an educational system for the Asian youth that can guarantee a future of human and cultural development for generations to come. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/11/2008)