A Message at Advent

Juventutem Advent message 2007

December 18, 2007

Ad Deum Qui laetificat + Juventutem meam

Dear Juventutem Friends,
With the Nativity of Our Lord now nigh, we all want to unite in prayer to prepare for this liturgical dawn of our Redemption.
For weeks now the Juventutem Bureau and I have been willing to send you an update on the encouraging developments of our little Federation. Since our President Gregory Flash is currently very busy professionally, I am now sharing with you the following.


October 2007 in Rome:
In October (2007) several Juventutem members met in Rome on the occasion the Una Voce International Federation (FIUV) Open Forum. We had the deep joy of meeting with new Italian and Spanish supporters of Juventutem, as well as with cofounders of Juventutem from Russia and England. Juventutem Secretary David Oostveen and Juventutem Treasurer Cosimo Marti where also attending. At the invitation of the FIUV, I gave a brief presentation of Juventutem. FIUV delegates were apparently pleased to hear about younger generations’ commitments with the Roman traditions of the Church. We had various informal meetings and meals together, and some Juventutem pilgrims attended Holy Mass at Saint Mary Major.


Groups worldwide:
Since then, several groups have applied for formal membership with Juventutem. Keeping paperwork as basic as possible, we ask each group to print out (from the Juventutem blog), fill in, sign and post the official application form. On receiving the form, the Juventutem Bureau can then make the decision of issuing a certificate of affiliation to the International Juventutem Federation (FIJ).

Thus Juventutem now gathers groups in Chile, Argentina, Ireland, Scotland, Hungary, France, Hong Kong, Kenya, Italy, Brazil, Switzerland*, The Netherlands* and Columbia* (*: affiliation soon to be completed). Juventutem also maintains promising contacts with supporters in Spain, Nigeria, Australia, England and the USA. A website is under construction, which will replace our blog within a month, and will help us keep in contact.


Small and prayerful:
This is but a humble network, spread thin across oceans and deserts, and thus exposed to the many difficulties of any human undertaking. Our very frailty however points out to the One by whose mercy and for whose glory we are building up this mystical web. Juventutem indeed is not a lobby, but a living manifestation of the universal attraction felt by youths from very different backgrounds and cultures on every continent towards the Roman traditions of the Church. We have discovered that these traditions are genuinely fruitful channels of God’s grace in our lives. Plainly, they help us better know and love and serve God and our neighbor.



Commitments:
Each Juventutem member commits to praying each day for the sanctification of youths, as well as to visiting weekly Our Lord truly present in the tabernacle, and finally to partake in some faith or charitable activities at least once a year. All this is to be achieved in a spirit of joyful friendship among members and of filial trust towards Church authorities. The backbone of Juventutem activities would seem to be a monthly meeting including an informal meal, a doctrinal talk given by a (sound) cleric, preceded by Holy Mass (whenever the extraordinary form is made available) and/or followed with Holy Hour. Juventutem groups are encouraged to sign up on their local parish Holy Hour rota, particularly at nights when older parishioners are prevented from attending. Eucharistic adoration is a very valuable contribution of Juventutem to the life of the Church at a local level, which God will reward with many graces.


Upcoming plans:
Gathering in Bern, Switzerland (February 9-10, 2008):
You are ALL invited to partake in the Juventutem international gathering in Bern, Switzerland. From Saturday 9th February afternoon until Sunday 2pm (First Sunday of Lent), we will meet for Holy Masses, meals, official presentation of Juventutem to various youths, adults and benefactors.

Each group is requested to send a delegate or a proxy for decisions to be made at the annual general assembly which we will hold on this week-end. A surprise for you – as it has been for me – will be to discover the new Juventutem office in Bern. Thanks to the zeal and generosity of various benefactors, Juventutem now has a place where all correspondence is kept and where, most importantly, Holy Mass may be offered in a truly worthy manner.

Juventutem Treasurer Cosimo Marti has indeed brought together in the new office some very fine furniture, thus offering a most inspirational setting for private Masses there. I should like to mention here how much Juventutem owes to him, as well as to Mr Hans Müller, an ebenist of outstanding skill and discretion, who has literally donated hundreds of hours of his precious time for making or restoring the furniture for the sake of Juventutem which he enthusiastically supports.


Paris-Chartres Pentecost Pilgrimage in France (May 19-11-12, 2008):
Like last year, we intend to have a Juventutem chapter at the famous pilgrimage from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres in France on the week-end of Pentecost. All Juventutem members are cordially encouraged to come and walk this itinerary of grace with over 8,000 youths from various nationalities. Those who have already attended will know that this pilgrimage is the largest yearly all-walking Catholic pilgrimage on a week-end. Come and be uplifted for the next 362 days through this unique embodiment of Christendom “live”!



International Eucharistic Congress in Québec, Canada (June 18-19-20, 2008):
None of us will ignore that the Juventutem logo depicts… a monstrance. Devotion of youths towards the Holy Eucharist is part and parcel of the Juventutem identity. Therefore Juventutem is glad to be able to partake in this important event. As members of the “Summorum Pontificum generation”, Juventutem youths will travel to Québec and partake in Eucharistic events (liturgical and doctrinal) as encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI: “young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them”(cf Letter to the Bishops on Summorum Pontificum, July 7th, 2007).


We are very grateful to a successor of the Apostles, Right Rev. André-Mutien Léonard, Bishop of Namur (Belgium) for having kindly accepted to offer a pontifical High Mass in the extraordinary form for Juventutem on this occasion with the approval of Congress authorities. You are invited to attend on Saturday 19th June 2008 in St Francis-of-Assisi Church at 10am in Québec City. The Congress lasts one whole week, but many youths will rather attend the final week-end (18-19-20 June) when in particular various Juventutem chaplains will give lectures on the Eucharist, offer Holy Masses and preside at Vespers, Complines and adoration.



World Youth Day in Australia (July 10-20, 2008):
Already since the success of Juventutem’s participation in WYD 2005 in Germany, Juventutem supporters in Australia have been working hard to prepare for the 2008 edition. Again Juventutem youths intend to bear witness to the beauty and variety of the Roman traditions of the Church, through solemn liturgies, doctrinal workshops, Eucharistic adoration and other activities. Our programme consists of one week in Melbourne, followed with another one in Sydney for the official WYD. Some Juventutem pilgrims have planned to stay one more week after WYD to explore the Australian outback. Consider travel to Australia and meet with many youths who might like to share your enthusiasm for the Roman traditions of the Church as most valuable means of conversation and evangelization.


Please forward this message to any Juventutem supporters and kindly translate it whenever needed. You may also post it on your websites.
Let us be united in prayer and friendship, preparing for the coming of the Lord, the same Savior in whose real Presence we can already gather together, whatever the distance, during Holy Mass and Eucharistic adoration. I will remember all of you especially during Midnight Mass at Christmas.


Yours cordially in Emmanuel, God made Man,
Fr Armand de Malleray (Eccles. Assist. Juventutem) and the Juventutem Bureau.


Foederatio Internationalis Juventutem,Kirchbergerstrasse 42, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland.Tel/fax: 0041 (0)31 371 29 20; fij_malleray@fssp.org ;
http://juventuteminternationalisfoederatio.blogspot.com/