Around 400 young people from across the Miao Diocese in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India, gathered at St. George Parish in Deomali for Youth Pascha 2026, a five-day Holy Week program held from April 1 to 4.
Inaugurating the third edition of Youth Pascha on April 1, Bishop George Pallipparambil, SDB, of Miao called on the youth to dedicate the Easter Triduum to prayer for the nation’s leaders.
“Your prayers are needed for our country now more than ever,” the bishop said.
Participants from 30 centers of the diocese, accompanied by priests and women religious, took part in the program, which aimed to deepen their spiritual experience of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ.
Addressing the gathering, Bishop Pallipparambil highlighted the challenges facing both the world and the country.
“The world in general, and our country in particular, are passing through a critical phase. War, hatred, social unrest, and religious discrimination, including violence against Christians, are increasingly becoming common,” he said. “When political interests amplify divisions for electoral gains, it threatens the social fabric and peaceful coexistence of our people.”
In this context, the youth offered prayers that national leaders may be guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, especially amid emerging concerns such as the revised Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) Bill, which many fear could affect constitutional guarantees.
Encouraging the participants, the bishop added, “Dear young people, your prayers today will go a long way in these troubled times.”
Youth Pascha, first introduced in the diocese in 2024 in Miao, has since become an annual spiritual initiative following its positive impact and strong response from young people.
The program provided participants with opportunities to reflect more deeply on the mysteries of Holy Week through prayer, liturgical celebrations, and animation sessions. It also included sessions on health, addiction awareness, personality development, and liturgy.
“To begin Youth Pascha this year with special prayers for our country’s leaders gives a new purpose to our gathering,” said a youth delegate from Khonsa Parish.
Fr. Linus Jamuda, coordinator of Youth Pascha 2026 in the Miao Diocese, said it was encouraging to see young people united in prayer.
“It is heartening to see young people come together to pray for peace and religious harmony,” he said
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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