Convention urges youths to change attitude

THE Yia Blong Marimari (Year of Mercy) youth convention held at the Angoram Parish Catholic Archdiocese of Wewak last month taught Sepik youths a valuable lesson about being young.
More than 1300 youths from the outstations of Kaup, Kiss, Nup, Boik, Arapan, Waskarina and Caranas in the Angoram cluster and Kandanum parish met at Nup from July 25 to 31.
They were addressed by speakers, including Wewak Diocesan youth coordinator James Taku, Angoram Parish priest and Dean Fr Patrick Pangoara, and Charismatic leader of the Catholic Diocese of Mt Hagen Joseph Tep.
Tep who was accompanied by his colleague Anis Robert from Mun Parish, Western Highlands, told The National about 750 youths repented and 160 received the Holy Communion.
“If a Sepik in Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare can teach Sepiks how to change the nation at a very young age, other young Sepiks today can follow the same footstep,” Tep said.
Tep said Taku reminded the youths that they were the future of the Catholic Church in Mamose and should change their attitude to be better people.
Taku urged the youths to refrain from illicit activities prevalent in communities today such as alcohol abuse, drugs and sex before marriage.
He urged them to respect their body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Tep thanked the Archdiocese of Wewak for inviting him to the convention.
“It was a very fruitful convention where most of the young people received conviction and decided to change their lives and be good disciples of Jesus Christ in serving others,” Tep said.
He is a former member of the Asian Pacific School of Evangelism in Mt Hagen.