A youth conference in Maynooth was attended by 270 Catholics of Indian background over the weekend of August 18-21.
The iConnect conference was organised by Jesus Youth, an international Catholic lay movement with a special focus on a life centered on Jesus.
Initiated in Ireland almost 10 years ago, the movement has a presence throughout the country and has organised numerous retreats, training programmes and events over the years, but conference organizer Suresh Joy told The Irish Catholic this was the movement’s first large-scale conference.
The three-day conference ran in two streams, one for youths aged 13-17 and one for young adults aged 18-25, and included catechesis from domestic speakers as well as speakers from India and Australia, as well as concerts, exhibitions and theatre presentations.
Although many of Ireland’s Indian Catholics use the Syro-Malabar rite rather than the Latin rite, Mr Joy told The Irish Catholic that the organisation transcends these differences and is for all Catholics.