Nearly 100 delegates, including diocesan youth directors, priests, religious, youth coordinators, advisers, and representatives of Catholic youth movements from the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, gathered on July 4 to formulate the Telugu Catholic Bishops' Council (TCBC) Youth Action Plan for 2026–2027.
The planning meeting was held at the Kolping Youth Centre in Guntur, a city in Andhra Pradesh, marking a significant step in strengthening youth ministry across the Telugu-speaking dioceses of the region.
Organized under the guidance of Bishop Rayarala Vijaya Kumar, PIME of the Diocese of Srikakulam, chairman of the TCBC Youth Commission, the meeting was coordinated by Fr. M. Sleevaraju, Regional Youth Secretary, and hosted by Fr. Karunakar Thumma, Executive Director of the Kolping Youth Centre, along with his team.
Participants reviewed the current realities facing young people and developed a pastoral roadmap for the coming year. Discussions focused on youth leadership formation, evangelization, faith formation, parish-based youth ministry, social outreach, digital evangelization, and strengthening collaboration among diocesan youth commissions and Catholic youth movements.
A major highlight of the meeting was the announcement of Jwala 2027, a regional Catholic youth gathering scheduled for January 12–16, 2027, at Loyola Public School in Nallapadu, Guntur. The five-day event is expected to bring together thousands of Catholic young people from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for prayer, leadership formation, fellowship, and missionary outreach.
The newly adopted Youth Action Plan for 2026–2027 provides a common pastoral vision for the dioceses under the TCBC and will guide youth initiatives at the diocesan, deanery, parish, and institutional levels.
The commission expressed confidence that implementing the action plan, together with preparations for Jwala 2027, will usher in a renewed era of youth participation, evangelization, and leadership across the Telugu-speaking region of southern India.
The meeting concluded with a prayer of thanksgiving and a renewed commitment by participants to accompany young people in their journey of faith and empower them to become joyful witnesses of the Gospel and builders of hope in the Church and society.
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