Papua New Guinea – ADMA Youth Camp 2023
Boroko, Papua New Guinea – May 2023 – With the theme of the 2023 Strenna of the Rector Major “AS YEAST IN TODAY 'S HUMAN FAMILY. The lay dimension of Don Bosco's family”, was held from 26 to 28 May at the camp held by the Association of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) - Youth 2023. Originally called “300 young people for Mary”, the group was founded in 2008 by the late Fr Valeriano Barbero, Salesian pioneer missionary in Papua New Guinea, today the group has evolved into the current “ADMA younth”. The event was attended by Catholic schools in Port Moresby some 268 students and leaders. The first session was led by Fr Gregorio Bicomong, Superior of the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (PGS) Vice-Province, who urged young people to act as leaven in their families and communities, applying the social teachings of the Church and becoming agents of social change. The second session was led by Salesian Cooperator Sheryll Extra-Isoaimo, who explored the 2023 Strenna of the Rector Major from the point of view of a laywoman. After group sharing, each school was asked to develop its own project for animating the school's Marian group and raise awareness in the nearby community. In order to promote devotion to Mary Help of Christians, the participants then had the opportunity to visit the Marian exhibition set up in the Shrine, curated by the PGS Vice-Province.