About 150 Catholic youths from across the Pekhon Diocese gathered at Santa Maria Parish Hall on November 4, 2026, to rebuild fellowship and reactivate their diocesan youth commission after a five-year hiatus.

Led by Rev. Fr. Thomaso Chit Thar, former director of the diocesan youth commission, the event marked the first major youth assembly in the diocese following five years of political instability. Organizers held the gathering to encourage young people and restore youth activities that had been dormant for half a decade.

The program began with a Holy Mass presided over by Fr. Thomaso Chit Thar and concelebrated by Fr. Patrick Nyareh, director of the diocesan catechists.

During his homily, Fr. Patrick Nyareh urged attendees to embrace their stage of life as a spiritual blessing.

“Once a youth is always a youth, and love your youthfulness, for it is a priceless gift given by God,” Fr. Patrick Nyareh said. He reminded the congregation that young people possess vital strength, energy, time, and abilities enriched by divine grace.

Ko July, chairman of the diocesan Catholic youths, addressed the severe toll that ongoing instability has taken on the younger generation. He noted that youth participation within the Church had nearly vanished over the past five years.

“Within these five years of political instability, young people are lost, and their hopes, dreams, futures, and lives are at risk, almost collapsed,” Ko July said. “This is the right and favorable time to rise up again. Amongst the difficulties, God still loves us with an everlasting love, and He calls us to be the light of hope for the hopeless.”

Following the Mass, representatives from various parishes discussed the ongoing challenges and local conditions affecting their communities. Participants unanimously agreed to strengthen the diocesan youth commission and move forward with renewed commitment.

The gathering concluded with a shared fellowship meal among the attendees.

For the young people of Pekhon Diocese, the day was more than a meeting. It was a homecoming. After years of isolation and struggle, they came together again—to pray, to share their stories, and to remind one another that they are not alone.

The five-year gap had left its mark. Many young people had drifted from the Church, their dreams put on hold by the uncertainty around them. But as they filled the parish hall, laughter and hope returned.

Fr. Thomaso Chit Thar, who guided the gathering, said the youth are the future of the Church. Their energy and faith, he said, are gifts that the diocese cannot afford to lose.

As the participants shared a meal and made plans for the future, the message was clear: the youth of Pekhon are ready to rise again. They have faced difficulty, but they have not lost their faith. And with the support of their priests and one another, they are ready to become the light of hope they are called to be.

By RVA Kayan Service