LET'S take a little test. Say this to the next Catholic youth you meet: Sentire cum ecclesia. Really! If you pose this to the average Catholic youth, you would likely get anything from "huh?" to "u tokking wat?" (what are you talking about) as the standard response. 

In the advent of Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention (PMPC III) in 2006, the theme Sentire cum ecclesia echoed throughout the Peninsular Malaysia Church with really not many people, young or old, understanding what it means To Think and Feel with the Church.  Truth be told, we are still discovering the real meaning of this. 

Having said this, one of the fruits of prayer, reflections, deliberations and decisions at PMPC III is the adoption of a strategy for the pastoral care of young people, in particular university and college students.  Aptly, the PMPT theme for this month is Building Relationships with the Young.  Of course, the "young" could take on many a definition- from toddler to pre-teen to young adult. But thanks to the defined parameters given by PMPC III: college and university students, it's noteworthy to hone in on these youngettes in this issue.

Ask most adult Catholics to single out the one group among the young they are most concerned about, it will be those who ‘graduate from the faith' after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation and enter colleges and universities. Some would add that we lose them and other young adults to other Christian denominations as well as the lure of relativism, individualism and consumerism, amongst others, the ongoing realities of post-modernism.

Certainly, the post-modern world continues to pose both a challenge to and an opportunity for the Church.  Challenge : to reach out to Catholic youth on the threshold of varsity life and to keep them ‘connected' to God as well His Church.  Opportunity : to reach out to youth who have yet to know Christ and embrace them into the faith community.  However, even as the harvest is rich with young people thirsting for Christ and searching for authentic love, the labourers are few.

What can the Church and youth look forward to in 2016? With the year marking the conclusion of the PMPC III timeline and the entrance into PMPC IV, the ongoing task of building relationships with the young is arduous yet exciting.  The whys and hows we will attempt to unravel in this issue, sharing with you the views of the young as well those who hold the young close to their heart. 

As we do so, two questions require our immediate and continuous attention: Are young Catholics in Malaysia, thinking and feeling with the Church?  Are members of the clergy and lay leaders aware and sensitive of the needs of the young?  Perhaps by sincerely answering these questions, we may authentically be able to build relationships with our young and ultimately accompany them to the One who draws us close to Him and Holy Mother Church.  Sentire cum ecclesia!

Guest editorial by Linda Archibald, pastoral youth worker.