Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ulan Bator (Fides Service) - About 150 young Mongolians gathered for a Eucharistic Youth Festival Festival organised by the local Church in Hangait, 20 km north of the capital Ulan Bator. The four day festival consisted of shared eucharistic adoration and prayer as well as catechesis, discussion and festivities.
Korean missionary Fr. Stephen Kim, one of the organisers, said the idea was to help young Catholics deepen their relation with the Blessed Sacrament in this special Year of the Eucharist as well as to provide an opportunity for spiritual communion and evangelisation among non Christians. Participants included a group of Korean seminarians on a visit to the local Church in Mongolia.
For the young participants the Festival was an opportunity to pray, celebrate, witness to the faith and be involved spiritually and with the organisation, and also to learn about the faith, in fact many non Christian friends were invited to the event. The festival closed with a solemn concelebration of the Eucharist in a large tent set up for the occasion attended by 400 people including many non Catholics.
Mongolia is experiencing a new springtime of the faith as people rediscover religion and the number of catechumens grows. Today there are about 300 baptised Catholics in Mongolia and a good number, young people especially, are preparing to receive the sacraments in Christian initiation. During the Easter vigil Mass this year 50 people were baptised and 100 are preparing to do so in Easter 2006. Although small the community is actively involved in helping homeless children and adults, orphans and poor families bearing witness with this service to God’s love for all men and women.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 6/9/2005 righe 26 parole 275)
