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October 22, 2018
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE: 22 October 2018
More than 1,000 young Catholics between the ages of 18 to 35, from across the Arabian Peninsula, will make their way to Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates for a two-day event titled ACYC (Catholic Youth Conference in Arabia) 2018. The two-day event will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church from 26-27 October 2018. The Festival of Faith will be the largest gathering of young adults of the Catholic faith from across the Arabian Peninsula with attendees from all the parishes in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Young catholic faithful residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will also be attending. It is the third time that the conference is being held in the United Arab Emirates, the first being in Dubai in 2009 and the second in Abu Dhabi in 2012.
The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God’ is in line with the Marian themes for the last two diocesan World Youth Days and the upcoming World Youth Day 2019 which will be held in Panama. Participants are invited to look up to Mary as a model of a young adult who found favour with God and through whom God was able to work great things.
Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia (UAE, Oman, Yemen), Bishop Camillo Ballin, Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia (Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar) and Archbishop Francisco Padilla, the Apostolic Nuncio will be present at the conference.
“The conference calls on young adults to not be afraid and to know that their dignity and preciousness is not the result of recognition by any power and authority in this world, but by God who tells us that we are his beloved children. Mary, who opened herself to the Word of God in a way that enabled him to take flesh in her womb, is also the one who can teach us in a unique way how to live as children of God”, commented Bishop Paul Hinder.
The conference has an impressive line up of international speakers: Archbishop Christopher Prowse, Archbishop of Canberra, Australia; John Pridmore, who will share his journey of conversion and how he became an international Catholic speaker and author; Sr. Anne Flanagan, a singer, writer and speaker for Pauline books & media; J. C. Libiran, an author, life coach and the founder of Project Courage Zone from the Philippines; Mark Nimo, an evangelist, actively involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal; and Fr. Wissam Mansour, the youth chaplain in Jordan.
Besides the keynote speeches, there will be several breakout sessions in English, Arabic, Hindi and Malayalam. On day two, panel discussions will be held with the Bishops and the resource persons. The conference will also showcase live musical performances by leading local bands which include Ablaze, Masterplan, InsideOut, Coheirs and Redeemers. While day one, Friday will focus on saying ‘Yes’ to life, love and faith in the Church, day two, Saturday will focus on being “Sent forth” - “Go forth and live the joy”, “Go forth and be fruitful” and “Go forth and proclaim”. Additionally, the two-day celebration of Catholic life will be enriched with a Holy Mass and time for Adoration, where all the participants will worship together with their Bishops and priests.
More than a hundred young people from the UAE have been working round the clock for the last few months to put the conference together. Arrangements have also been made for transportation and accommodation for the participants.
The conference, the largest of its kind in the region, answers the call of Pope Francis to meet young people right where they are and to understand their problems, struggles and difficulties - to present the face of Jesus and the church always ready to “welcome, integrate and journey together side by side.” The organisers hope that the event will unleash within the participants the joy of discovering the friendship of Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, while strengthening their bonds with one another through the church and in their particular context as migrants in the Arabian peninsula.