Jabalpur Youth Sunday Celebration Focuses on Forgiveness and Youth Leadership

JABALPUR, September 16, 2026: Forgiveness, personal potential and youth leadership were the focus of the National Youth Sunday Celebration 2026 organised by the Jabalpur Deanery Youth Commission (JDYC) on September 13.

The celebration, held at St Thomas Church, Ranjhi, brought together 119 young people from four parishes for a day of fellowship, cultural activities, formation and spiritual reflection. The programme was organised around the theme “Forgiveness – Tools for Joy.”

Dance and song competitions provided participants with opportunities to demonstrate their creativity, teamwork and talents. The young people took part actively in both events, adding a cultural dimension to the celebration.

Fr Davis George, the chief guest, addressed the participants on recognising and developing their God-given potential. He encouraged the youth to overcome complacency, discover their abilities and pursue meaningful academic, professional and social goals.

The session also underlined the responsibility of young people in the Church and society. Reflecting on Pope Francis’ emphasis on youth, the participants were reminded that young people are not simply the future of the Church but have an active role in its present mission. Discipline, prayer and service to the community were presented as practical ways of exercising this responsibility.

A session on forgiveness was led by Fr Rejji Mathew, who reflected on the Christian call to forgive without limit. Referring to Peter’s question to Jesus about forgiving seven times, he explained the biblical teaching of forgiving “seventy times seven” as a call to continual forgiveness.

Fr Rejji also examined the effects of prolonged anger, resentment and the desire for revenge. He noted that unresolved interpersonal conflicts can contribute to emotional and physical stress, affect sleep and diminish a person’s sense of well-being and energy.

The celebration concluded with the distribution of prizes to the winners of the various competitions. The programme sought to encourage young people to recognise their potential, take an active role in the Church and society, and embrace forgiveness as a means of fostering peace, joy and personal growth.

By Catholic Connect Reporter