1978 Youth Convention, the First Leap Forward (BJEP013)

1978 Youth Convention and Its Preparation

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal began in Kerala in 1976. In 1978, steps were taken to establish a coordination structure. In February of that year, under the initiative of Bp Jerome Fernandez of Quilon diocese, a leaders' conference was held, and a coordinating team for the state, the Kerala Service Team (KST), was formed. When all these were happening, I was in college, and I, too, had an active part in it. I became a member of the first KST. 

In May of that year, Fr Fio Mascarenhas, a Jesuit priest from Mumbai who was the National Chairman of the Charismatic Renewal, wrote a letter to the KST. In his letter, Fr. Fio said that in Kerala, there is already a service team, the KST, and perhaps the first area KST should focus on is youth. He suggested that we have a convention for youth. 

The next KST meeting, along with its advisory team, KAB, was held at Trichur. After much debate, the decision was taken to organize a youth convention that year if there was a good youth response, and it was scheduled for December 1978. The meeting asked me to be the Convener of the convention. I asked them for two helpers, Alicekutty and Fr. Justin, and they agreed. So, three of us were the first team of the Youth team in May 1978.

The KST also asked me to go around Kerala to explore the program's feasibility. I was to gather youth and ask them whether they are interested in a program like that. We agreed on a travel plan for me: one meeting in Ernakulam, one in Trichur in Vimala College, one in Calicut Nirmala Hospital, a fourth meeting at Pala Alphonsa College, and the final one at Kolam Infant Jesus School. Thus, five meetings were held, resulting in a wave of youth connectivity across the state and an overwhelming youth enthusiasm among youth connected to the renewal movement. This began so many steps of the formation of a movement that followed.

Another significant step in preparation for the 1978 Convention was that the KST, along with the youth, planned a series of retreats. All Kerala Retreats were held parallelly in English and Malayalam in St. Albert's School, Ernakulam. So, there were two growth retreats: one in English by Fr. Marcelino and Br. Fritz and one in Malayalam. 

These preparations led to the 1978 youth convention at SH College, Thevara, Ernakulam. Under the coordination of the KST, many of us worked with a clear direction and enthusiasm. Youth in Ernakulam, especially those in St. Teresa’s College group, took active leadership, along with a good line of youth and elders from all over the state. Though Fr. Fio proposed the program, he could not attend it as he was undergoing part of his religious formation at Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. So before the program, in October, Sr. Cleopatra CMC, the secretary of KST, and Edward Edezhath, the convention convener, went to meet Fr. Fio to update him on the preparations and pick his brains on the future leads. 

The first youth convention of December 1978 was attended by around 800 young people and many elders from all parts of Kerala and a few from outside. It became a turning point in the foundation laying that led to the formation of Jesus Youth movement.