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YCW empowers young workers: German bishop

I send you my warmest greetings and congratulate you on the centenary of the Young Christian Workers (YCW). 100 years—on such anniversaries, it is customary to congratulate the centenarian on a lifetime of achievements and honor their accomplishments in the final stages of their life. But the YCW is different: it is a centenarian bursting with youth!

You are celebrating this as it should be, with an impressive program for a gathering of generations and international exchange. What would your founder, the future Cardinal Joseph Léon Cardijn, have said if he had known this in Brussels in the early days of your movement? He would certainly have been very proud. At the same time, I imagine he would be shocked by the working conditions that many people around the world still face every day. This is not a problem specific to one country—an international organization like the YCW certainly knows this better than I do. We are confronted with the concerns and problems of working people, especially young people and young adults, on our own doorstep in every country, wherever we live.

The YCW advocates a Christian and socio-ethical attitude

The YCW has a proven tool for identifying situations of abuse, recognizing them as such, and then empowering people to take responsibility. The formula for this method, which is also found in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church, is “see – judge – act.” If we commit ourselves to others in the footsteps of Christ, this is at least as necessary today as it was when the YCW was founded in 1925. I associate the attitude of the YCW above all with the following values and principles: human dignity, solidarity and justice, education and training, tolerance and an international outlook. These values and principles are reflected in the Christian view of humanity and society. I share the attitude of the YCW, which means that for me, for our dioceses, for the German Bishops’ Conference and for the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) in Brussels, these values and principles are indispensable.

The YCW brings a perspective of work in dignity

Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical letter Laborem exercens that work serves to make us “more human.” Pope Francis said during his general audience on May 1, 2013: “Work […] fills us with dignity; it makes us similar to God.” This is the key point and the appropriate conclusion: good work is based on the dignity of every human being. On this subject, on April 2, 2025, the Commission for Social and Societal Issues of the German Bishops’ Conference published a discussion paper entitled “The Reconciliatory Power of Work.” We are aware that the world of paid work causes conflicts, differences of interest, and questions of distribution. But it is precisely in the face of poor working conditions that we draw attention to the positive power of work. For work is not only a means to an end. Good work contributes to a fulfilling life and good coexistence. It creates community, because work brings together people from different backgrounds and with different life experiences. The YCW realized 100 years ago that work needed an ethical compass and that it presupposed the equal dignity of every human being.

The YCW aims to promote the skills and social participation of young people

To achieve this, a good social and training policy is needed to enable people to do their jobs and participate in social life. Good work can therefore also be a place where democracy is learned in practice: in everyday working life, we learn to get involved, take responsibility and tolerate different opinions. These are not secondary things – they are basic democratic training! Work thus enables people to participate in social life. This has always been your goal within the YCW, especially for young people – in accordance with the spirit of your founder Joseph Cardijn. Thus, the conviction that “The life of a young worker is worth more than all the gold in the world, for he is a child of God” is perhaps more relevant than ever. That is why I would like to encourage you in your commitment to the YCW and send you my warmest regards, wishing you every success for at least the next 100 years and God’s blessing for your activities.

Bonn/Hildesheim, April 2025

Dr. Heiner Wilmer SCJ Bishop of Hildesheim, President of the Commission for Social and Societal Issues (VI) of the German Bishops’ Conference and Bishop Delegate to the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE)

Advocating for workers: Sinapan Samydorai

Friends and human rights colleagues are remembering former IYCW Asia-Pacific leader Sinapan Samydorai, a founding member of the Cardijn Community International, who died on 27 March 2025.

We send our condolences to his wife, Yun Shan Shum, their sons, and all family, friends and colleagues.

IYCW International Team meeting, Leuven, Belgium, 1990

This is a tribute from Hans Goh, a former YCW leader from Singapore:

Samydorai had a keen sense of justice and he cared for workers. He spent about 45 years of his life advocating for the dignity of workers, workers’ rights, and human rights.
In 1984 he worked in a factory with a mission to extend Young Christian Workers Movement (YCW). He spent time getting to know his fellow workers, listened to their stories to understand their reality. He visited them at their hostels and homes. He built friendship with his fellow workers and brought them to the YCW Workers Centre in Jurong for leisure, friendship, learning and to know about YCW. He contributed to the formation of leaders.
Sam spoke up for his colleagues who faced poor and unsafe working conditions. He worked with them to seek better protection including writing to the Ministry of Labour.
Fr Patrick Goh, former National Chaplain, YCW paid tribute to Sam. “He is always there for the workers in Singapore, Malaysia and Asia. Always faithful to the Review of Life (See, Judge and Act), seeing me almost every week to review his work in the factories, the YCW groups in the parishes and in Asia.”
Sam was the President of YCW from 1983 to 1986. He worked Part-time for YCW for about two years. During his leadership YCW Singapore published the Report on 12-hour Shift, and Retrenchment Report, calling for better protection of workers and job security. In 1987, he worked full-time for Asia Pacific IYCW based in Hongkong. Sam continued his apostolate work with the Christian Family Movement (CFSM), Singapore.
After that he spent many years working for different Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), worker organisations and human rights groups. He built networks and organised many training sessions for workers and the leaders of NGOs. He was the Regional and International Team member of World Movement of Christian Workers (WMCW) for two terms. In this capacity, he had an audience with Pope John Paul II to share the reality of workers in Asia.
Sam was a leader of Think Centre, Singapore. He organised the 1st and 2ndAsean Civil Society Conference in Singapore where civil society organisations from Asean and around the region met to share ideas, network, and support one another’s works in the promotion and protection of human rights.
Sam was elected to Forum Asia’s Executive Committee where he helped to take the organisation forward. The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development is regional human rights organisation in 23 countries across Asia.
He was involved in labour work for International Labour Organisation (ILO). He helped start the Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers. This is a group of representatives of civil society organizations and trade unions working for protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers. The group bought many parties together and was recognised by governments, unions, and employers in ASEAN.
Sam was a resolute leader. He had some health issues. Despite that he was always on the move working for and with the workers. His contribution and expertise will be missed. The workers have lost a good friend,
Former YCW members, friends in Singapore and oversea have asked me to convey our deepest condolences to Sam’s family and thank them for their support for Sam through the years. The family support was important for him in his mission.
I end this tribute to Sam with a quote from Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept faith.”
Sam, indeed, you have fought a good fight for workers. Rest in peace.
Hans Goh
Former YCW and long-time friend of Samydorai.
Note: This tribute includes the sentiments of former YCW members and Sam’s friends.

Cardijn Community International convenor, Ruben Joseph, also recalled Sam’s enthusiasm and dedication to the cause:

I have always admired Sam’s enthusiasm and dedication. He gave his all to the cause he chose as the priority of his life. He spent most of his life outside the comfort zone of his family.
I share the sentiments expressed by Hansern. I know the health issues he faced but that never stopped his work. He was always on the move. His love for Cardijn and his methodology was something to be greatly appreciated. He was a good trainer.
As a member of IYCW Asia Pacific Team he made a mark especially in terms of extension and training.
Sam was very supportive of Cardijn Community International (CCI) from its very foundation. He participated in all CCI programs and encouraged us. Thank you Sam for being a ‘model leader’. You have fulfilled the meaning of your life. Rest in peace Comrade!
Ruben Joseph

In Malaysia, Glorene Dass, executive director of human and worker rights NGO, Tenaganita, also honoured Sam with this Facebook tribute:

Cardijn Community International, General Assembly, Bangkok, 2011

Foundation meeting of the Cardijn Liaison Committee, original name of CCI, Bangkok, 2001

In Loving Memory of Sinapan Samydorai
I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sinapan Samydorai, a passionate advocate, a tireless defender of migrant rights, and a dear friend to so many across Asia.
I first met Samy in 1999, when I began my journey at Tenaganita as a mere case officer. From the very beginning, he was someone who radiated warmth, wisdom, and an irrepressible sense of humour. Even in the face of personal health challenges, he was consistently positive ,full of life, laughter, and encouragement. Conversations with him were always filled with inspiration, and his unwavering belief in justice gave strength to many of us in the movement.
He was a true giant in the fight for dignity and rights for migrant workers, dedicating decades of his life to causes often overlooked and underfunded. His work across regional platforms has left an profound mark on the regional human rights landscape. He connected communities, bridged movements, and nurtured leadership across generations.
Thank you, Samy, for your relentless pursuit of justice, your laughter in difficult times, and the love you poured into this struggle. You have touched countless lives, and your legacy will continue through every step we take for a more just and compassionate world.
Rest now in strength and love. You will be dearly missed, but never forgotten.
With heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who walked this journey with him.
Glorene A. Das
Executive Director, Tenaganita

Remembering Sam

IYCW History Project meeting, Hong Kong, 1998

Keep moving forward: Kenyan bishop

“Life is about moving forward,” Bishop John Oballa Owaa of Ngong Diocese in Kenya, counselled YCW leaders in a homily on 29 October 2024.

Bishop Oballa was presiding over the blessing and opening of St Stanislaus Eor-Ekule Catholic Church, an outstation of St. Joseph the Worker Nairagie Enkare Catholic Parish.

In your faith journey, Bishop Oballa told YCW members in his homily, do not wait “until old age to get closer to God; that time is now.”

“Continue upholding your faith in Christ, your Savior and Redeemer, regardless of your situation, whether employed or not, facing joy or struggle,” he said, alluding to the challenges young adults face in the East African nation.

The movement that is under the patronage of St Joseph the Worker is made up members who “strive to create or nurture things that will outlast them.”

They are guided to be guided by the commitment to “making your mark on the world by caring for others, as well as through creating and accomplishing things that make the world a better place,” the Kenyan Catholic Diocese indicates on its website.

In his homily, Bishop Oballa called upon young Catholic adults under his pastoral care to let Jesus Christ be their light and hope.

Jesus Christ “invites you to listen to His Word, participate in His mysteries, and receive Him for spiritual nourishment,’ he continued.

He also cautioned YCW members against the tendency to hesitate “to transition” to the Catholic Women Association (CWA) and Catholic Men Association (CMA) when they turn 40.

“When you reach 40, it’s time to transition,” he said, noting that “many say, ‘the transition is challenging,’ and people want to stay on into their 40s, feeling safe as YCW.”

“No, life is about moving forward,” the 66-year-old Kenyan Catholic Bishop emphasized during the October 29 Eucharistic celebration at which he conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation to 148 candidates and commissioned new YCW, CWA, and CMA members.

He encouraged young Catholic adults to “transition to the next group so you may continue to defend your faith there as well.”

FULL STORY

The Time to Be “closer to God … is now”: Catholic Bishop in Kenya to Young Christian Workers (ACI Africa)

Remembering Fr Reid Shelton Fernando

Former CCI, Christian Workers Movement and Sri Lanka YCW chaplain, F Reid Shelton Fernando, a renowned human rights activist during the nation’s bitter civil war and a former head of UCA New’s bureau in the country, was laid to rest on June 3.

Fr Reid died at a retirement facility in the national capital, Colombo, on June 1 at the age of 80, the Colombo archdiocese said without giving a cause of death.

He was buried in the cemetery of St. Carlo Borromeo’s Church in Willorawatta, on the outskirts of Colombo.

Fr Reid was also known for extending his vocation beyond his regular Church duties to help support people from all walks of life.

Ruwini Sithara, a member of the Kithudana Pubuduwa, the country’s most significant Catholic renewal movement, highlighted Father Fernando’s leadership roles as a human rights defender and a lay Catholic leader.

“The priest rendered invaluable services by training lay Catholic leadership as the national chaplain of the Christian Workers’ Movement (CWM) and Young Christian Workers’ Movement (YCW). He mobilized factory workers in the Free Trade Zones with the backing of the CWM and the YCW,” Sithara told UCA News on June 3.

She said Fr Fernando was a member of the Congress of Religions and the Inter-Religious Peace Foundation.

Soon after the civil war, the priest testified before the government-appointed Lessons Learnt Reconciliation Commission “to present evidence” in 2010, said Sithara.

Fr Reid stood as the sole advocate demanding justice for enforced disappearances, including ten priests who were reported missing during the 26-year conflict in the island nation that claimed more than 80,000 lives when rebels sought to carve out a separate state.

The priest also compiled a theological dictionary in Sinhala, the most popular language in the Indian Ocean nation, to popularize theology among local lay students.

“Seven volumes have been already published,” said Sithara.

He also edited the local theological magazine, the Shravaka.

The priest was widely recognized in Sri Lanka for his writings and commentaries on social and political issues in newspapers.

Joe William, chairman of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, said, “We mourn his passing and acknowledge his invaluable efforts in advancing peace and reconciliation within and beyond the Church.”

Sunimal Sudeera, a rights activist and former YCW colleague of the priest, said Father Fernando was against the executive presidency followed by Sri Lanka and started a campaign to abolish the sweeping powers given to the nation’s president.

In his autobiography, the priest recounted being transferred to a remote parish in 1992, where authorities urged him to “produce results” because of his outspokenness.

Fernando was born in November 1943 and graduated from the National Seminary in 1970, after which he was ordained a priest.

SOURCE

Renowned Sri Lankan activist priest laid to rest (UCA News)

RIP Russ Tershy: YCW and Peace Corps pioneer

Russell Joseph Tershy passed away on 29 June 2022, marking a century that began before the Great Depression and continued into the Internet age.

Russell Tershy believed in every person’s potential, and he believed that luck and circumstances, not ability, shaped people’s trajectories. He understood this first-hand. Tershy, born in Enid, Oklahoma, fled the Dust Bowl to California with his family in a Model-T Ford in the 1920s. He, his four siblings and his parents, Lebanese immigrants who opened a successful general store on the High Plains, lost everything and became migrant farm workers. They picked peaches in southern California, and through the generosity of a man who rented them a plot of land and a chicken barn in Robla, California but never collected full rent, the Tershy family emerged from financial ruin. They converted the barn into a home with a wood stove and an outhouse, and Russell helped grow and sell fruits and vegetables door-to-door. They started buying fruit from other farmers and reselling it to stores. By age 15 Russell was driving a truck full of fruit back and forth from Robla to Los Angeles and negotiating sales and purchases. Kindness extended was their luck.

Education was an engine of upward mobility for Tershy, as it was for so many Americans. He attended the one-room Robla Elementary school and New Deal era progressive Grant High School which sparked a lifelong commitment to education. His valedictorian speech was about the role of education in building a prosperous future. He attended Sacramento City College, the first member of his family to attend college. When World War II started, he left college to fight facism with the US Calvary. He was stationed on a cold, remote island off Washington State, but after his basic training IQ test was finally processed, he was sent to Stanford University where he spent two years studying Chinese language and culture, mule packing and survival in preparation to be parachuted with a mule into China to aid the resistance to Japanese occupation.

Much to his surprise, he was shipped off to the Philippines where he was retrained as a radio operator and undertook countless patrol missions searching for Japanese soldiers in areas transitioning from Japanese to US control. Next he was on a ship bound for the invasion of Japan and was then among the first groups of soldiers to land in the country after the Japanese surrender.

When he returned from the war after five years overseas, he visited his parents, sister and baby nephew in Robla. They then drove to San Francisco to visit two of his sisters, while his mother stayed behind with the baby. When he returned a few days later, no one answered the door. He climbed in through a window and found his mother dead, his baby nephew asleep in the cradle.

The family was convinced that his mother would have been alive had they been able to afford good medical care. Russell poured his grief into making money. With his father he rented and ran a residence hotel on Polk St in San Francisco. Within a few years they were making over $US300,000/yr in today’s dollars, and Russell was living the life in San Francisco.

His family was finally financially secure, but he lingered on his mother’s early death, the devastation of war he witnessed in Japan and the Philippines, and his family’s stint as entrapped migrant farmworkers, which they escaped with the help of the man who never asked for the full rent. He turned over the hotel business to his family and joined the Young Christian Workers, making less than $US6,000/yr in today’s dollars as a labor union organizer and poverty fighter.

He considered becoming a Catholic priest, got engaged, called it off and reconsidered priesthood before meeting his wife, Ellie Marie Sheridan, in the Young Christian Workers movement. They married in 1960 when they were both 39. Their son Bernie was born the following year, and Russell was recruited by the newly formed Peace Corps to be the Deputy Director for Bolivia. The new family lived in Bolivia for four years until one of Bolivia’s frequent coups forced the Peace Corps program out.

They returned to the US where Russell, thanks to the GI Bill and Stanford’s generous re-admission policy, resumed his college education after a ~20 year pause. His plan was to return to poverty fighting in Latin America armed with a new degree, but they decided to stay in the US when his 2nd son, Bill, almost died shortly after birth and was saved by the state-of-the-art medical care available at Stanford.

With renewed focus on poverty in the US, Russell co-founded the Center for Employment Training, a non-profit job training program. Their first office was a small outbuilding behind Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in San Jose, CA, which he shared with Cesar Chavez and the nascent United Farm Workers movement. The bond and close working relationship between the two organizations continues to this day. The Center for Employment training model was to accept all applicants, have them enter the training pipeline at whatever stage matched their level, and have them remain in the program until they were placed in a permanent job with a working-class, living wage. Independent research proved this to be the most effective job training model in the US. The San Jose Center for Employment training was replicated across the country and directly lifted over 200,000 families out of poverty and into the working and middle class. Its model became standard best practice for job training around the world.

After retiring from the Center for Employment Training, Russell, with his wife Ellie, his son Bill’s family and his nephew Joe Tershay, started the Montessori Community School in Scotts Valley.

Russell passed away at the home he shared with his wife Ellie (99 YO) and his son Bill & family. He was surrounded by family and friends. He was the oldest surviving World War II veteran in Santa Cruz County.

He is survived by his wife Ellie, son Bernie, his wife Erika Zavaleta and children Raven, Finn, Russell & Navia Terhy; and son Bill and his wife Regina Tershy their children and grandchild.

Rosary Friday 15 July, 7pm, son Bill’s home- call 831.246.3463 for address & directions

Funeral Mass 16 July, open casket 930-1030am, mass 1030am, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 435 Monterey Ave, Capitola, CA 95010

Followed by memorial celebration Bill’s home- call 831.246.3463 for address & directions

Burial 18 July, 11am, Central Coast Vets Cemetery, 2900 Parker Flats Cut Off Rd, Seaside, CA 93955

SOURCE

Russell Joseph Tershy (1921-2022) (Legacy)

50th Anniversary (Center for Employment Training)

Lessons from a township that resisted apartheid

Can people on the wrong end of power change the world by working together? Or are the moments when the powerless take control of their own lives doomed to be snuffed out? asks Steven Friedman from the University of Johannesburg.

The question is raised by Kally Forrest’s book Bonds of Justice: The Struggle for Oukasie. It is another in the Hidden Voices series which aims to recover and preserve writings on society which would otherwise fall through publishers’ nets. The book is short and highly readable, and so is accessible to a non-academic audience. It has been some years in the making – it uses information gathered in 2011 and 2012. But the story it tells raises topical issues.

Forrest details the fight, in the last years of apartheid, of the people of Oukasie, a township near Brits in North West Province, against an attempt to force them to move to Lethlabile, 25 km from Brits, primarily because their presence offended white residents. While it was common under apartheid for black people to be removed to areas where they would be out of sight to whites, it was uncommon for those who faced this threat to resist it successfully. Oukasie did manage to defeat the attempted removal.

It organised to do this despite a sustained campaign by the apartheid authorities. This included the murder of anti-removal leaders and members of their family, but its chief strategy was to divide residents. So, resistance could only succeed if the resisters were organised and united. While thousands were induced to move, enough stayed to force the authorities to abandon the removal and agree that Oukasie be developed.

Unusual circumstances made Oukasie an ideal site for strong grassroots organisation in which people remain united because they share in decisions.

The resistance

Brits was the site of strong worker organisation, largely the work of Young Christian Workers (YCW), founded by Roman Catholic priests as a vehicle for European workers to change exploitative conditions through organised efforts. YCW, which in Brits was open to non-Christians, stressed democratic grassroots organisation based on careful strategy summed up in its motto – “See, judge, act” – which encouraged members to reflect on what they saw before deciding what to do about it.

Young Christian Workers was political, since it challenged the effect of economic power on its members. But it was wary of the political movements which, it believed, wanted workers to act in ways which advanced the movements’ interests but not their own. It was able to maintain this stance because, in contrast to much of the rest of the country, the political organisations were not active in Oukasie.

Its attitude was identical to that of a section of the trade union movement which happened to be strongly represented in Brits. Its vehicle was the union which became the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa). Young Christian Workers’s members gravitated to it and it developed a strong presence in Oukasie. The resistance to removal relied on the same stress on grassroots participation and careful strategy which Young Christian Workers and Numsa adopted in the workplace.

The Oukasie resistance became, therefore, a test for an approach which relied on the efforts of grassroots people rather than high profile political leaders to change the world.

In one sense, this route to change worked. Oukasie was reprieved, and this was followed by a period of development. The Brits transitional local government which was elected in the mid-1990s was led by Levy Mamobolo, a unionist and anti-removal leader who, until his untimely death, led the area effectively and honestly. The first few years seemed to show that democratic local organisation could also produce political leadership which serves the people rather than itself.

But, as Forrest shows, the Oukasie story does not end happily. Leaders committed to public service were forced out of the local government; public services declined and corruption increased.

Forrest therefore frames her book not as a story of the triumph of a particular way of fighting for change but as evidence of what is possible if people organise themselves in the way Oukasie did. The author of an important book on Numsa, she is an advocate of the approach followed by Young Christian Workers, Numsa and the Oukasie resisters. She contrasts this with the selfish elitism which gained control of Brits.

But she leaves unanswered the key question: is the grassroots organisation which saved Oukasie a realistic route to change, or is it doomed to give way to the top-down leadership to which Brits succumbed?

What does the ultimate defeat mean?

Given the importance of this question, it is a pity that Forrest does not analyse the defeat of grassroots democracy in Oukasie. We are left wondering how and why control passed from the “good guys” to the “bad guys”.

One reason may well have been that the governing African National Congress’s (ANC’s) politics turned out to be more powerful than those who supported the Oukasie resistance hoped. Forrest records that key figures in the resistance to removal joined the ANC and served in its committees once it was unbanned. This suggests that Oukasie’s ability to maintain an independent path was purely a result of happenstance (the lack of a political presence in the area).

Despite these limitations, the book makes an important contribution. Forrest’s sympathy for the Oukasie campaign does not prevent her from highlighting weaknesses. She acknowledges that the campaign failed to prevent thousands leaving Oukasie, and she documents the defeat of the politics she champions as Oukasie moved from resistance to local governance. This makes the book a highly credible account of the events it describes.

The book should, therefore, be read by anyone concerned with democracy’s future in South Africa, but in other contexts too. It should also trigger a debate on whether the political approach it describes is feasible.

Bonds of Justice: The Struggle for Oukasie is available online.

AUTHOR

Steven Friedman, Professor of Political Studies, University of Johannesburg

SOURCE

Book review: lessons from a township that resisted apartheid (The Conversation)

Work for change, Nigerian leaders told

Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins of Lagos has commended the zeal of young Nigerian workers, especially the Young Christian Workers (YCW) in their resolve to storm the political arena and wrestle leadership positions from old recycled politicians in the very near future, The Nation reports.

“We have lived with a situation that has not been positive for all Nigerians, whereas God has blessed us with young people that have the right ideas with good education and have imbibed new godly values,” Archbishop Martins told the YCW leaders.

“We believe that when they step into the political space, they might be the ones to establish the true CHANGE that the whole country desires,” he added in his message to the youths across the country on the occasion of Workers Day anniversary on May 1 and in commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Young Christian Workers (YCW) Movement of Nigeria.

The anniversary was preceded by the 2nd International Conference held on 29 April at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Ogudu Road, Ojota in Lagos.

Addressing the 374 delegates, YCW President, Mr Paul-Mary Williams Onofere said the aims of the confab were to awaken hopes and aspirations of the young population that have been trodden under foot by a largely insensitive politicians since independence.

“We cannot fold our hands and continue to complain because this has created consequences that we can’t find solutions to. Now we must rise up and take the bulls by their horns!” he said.

He recalled with nostalgia the genesis of YCW movement in Nigeria in Ibadan in 1957.

“We are proud today to announce that we have established our presence in over 90 parishes and very active in 12 Deaneries in the Archdiocese of Lagos; over seven parishes in the Archdiocese of Ibadan with over four parishes each in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode Diocese,” he added.

Nigerian YCW chaplain, Mgr Livinus Ukah also told the conference that Nigeria has not done enough for its youths in terms of job opportunities and participation in governance, the Daily Times adds.

He said, “Those in power should follow the legacies of the founding fathers, especially equal distribution of national cake. The youth must be fixed in all sectors of Nigerian establishments.’’ He continued: “ People are always re-informed by this statement, “ the young are the future leaders.’’ The time is here. Macron of France has shown that the time has come for the youth to take up the mantle of leadership. Time will come when the youth will make it from bottom to top, at that time, justice and peace will be born in Nigerian polity.’’

SOURCE

Young Christian workers urged to be active in politics (The Nation)

Make a difference in politics, Okogie, Martins, others tell Youths (Daily Times)

PHOTO

Anyanwu Caroline / Facebook

Archbishop Len, a jocist bishop

Former Adelaide YCW chaplain, Archbishop Len Faulkner, emeritus of Adelaide Archdiocese and of Townsville diocese died on Sunday 6 May, 2018 at the age of 91.

“Archbishop Len, as he liked to be called was a tremendous supporter of the YCW,” said Stefan Gigacz from the Cardijn Institute in Melbourne.

“He was proud to say that his episcopal ring was made of the YCW logo.”

“When the Australian bishops had doubts about the YCW during the 1970s, he did not hesitate to back the movement, telling his colleagues that it was a ‘prophetic movement’.”

“Later in 1991, he gave his full backing to the hosting of the International YCW World Council in Adelaide, despite the fact that the Holy See had derecognised the movement only two years before.

“Although he did not always agree with the movement’s decisions, he never wavered in his support,” Stefan Gigacz recalled.

The eldest of 10 children, Archbishop Len was born in Booleroo Centre in the southern Flinders Ranges on December 5, 1926, and after entering the seminary at Rostrevor was ordained a priest on January 1, 1950, in Rome, The Southern Cross reports.

He was appointed Bishop of Townsville on November 28, 1967, and on June 19, 1985, he was installed as the seventh Archbishop of Adelaide where he continued his commitment to, and support of, the lay people as a critical part of the life of the Church.

Archbishop Len established Adelaide’s Diocesan Pastoral Team which gave lay women a role in governance, and pioneered a unique model of neighbourhood communities based on the Second Vatican Council’s challenge that the Church be one that looks outward to the community.

He was passionately involved in ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, support for migrants and refugees, Aboriginal communities, the YCW particularly as well as all the Cardijn movements.

During the AIDS epidemic, he demonstrated his bold and compassionate leadership by establishing the Diocesan AIDS Council and an extensive volunteer program to support those affected.

FULL STORY

Catholics mourn the death of Archbishop Faulkner (The Southern Cross)

RELATED COVERAGE

Retired Adelaide Archbishop Leonard Faulkner dies at 91 (The Advertiser)

Catholics mourn the death of Archbishop Faulkner (Adelaide Archdiocese)

VIDEO

Interview with Archbishop Len Faulkner 2014 (Stefan Gigacz)

Farewell to ‘fearless fighter’ Irene Fernandez

Former Malaysian YCW fulltime worker and IYCW International Team member, Irene Fernandez, a well-known labour and human rights activist has died following a heart attack.

Her sister Josie told Malaysiakini that Irene died at 10.58am on 31 March 2014 at the Coronary Care Unit at Serdang Hospital south of Kuala Lumpur.

“Her organs were all fine but her heart stopped. The doctors tried their best to resuscitate her.

“Irene was very brave and courageous and as I speak to you now, I can see that her face is so serene, so calm,” she told Malaysiakini.

“We are celebrating Irene’s beautiful and powerful life… People of all faiths and from all communities are welcome for the prayers and for the funeral service.”

The funeral will take place at Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Shah Alam, Selangor, on 3 April at 3.00pm.

Irene was the daughter of the Indian migrants. She witnessed the poor condition of Malaysian workers employed in the rubber plantation sector. Her parents were part of the workforce.

After initially working as a school teacher, Irene became a fulltime worker for the Malaysian YCW from 1970. She later became a member of the IYCW Asian Extension Team and a member of the IYCW International Team elected in 1975.

In 1991, she founded the women workers’ organisation Tenaganita. After exposing the treatment of detained Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia, she was charged with “maliciously publishing false news” and found guilty after a seven year trial. The conviction was finally set aside on appeal in 2008.

Former Malaysian YCW leader now Federal parliamentarian, Charles Santiago, described her as “a fearless fighter, who stood for people who had no one to stand for them.”

“I have worked closely with her on human rights issues, and taken part in international conferences to champion the rights of the ordinary person.

“Malaysia and the international community has lost a great person who advocated for justice and human rights.

“Condolences to members of her family, Joe, Aegile, Josie, her children and those who have been privileged to meet her,” Santiago said in a statement.

“You always testified that ‘it was the YCW which formed you and it was Cardijn who motivated you to commit yourself to the service of the suffering masses’,” CCI Secretary General MJ Ruben said in a tribute. “Thank you Irene for being a role model to us! “

“When we bid farewell to you Irene, we assured you that we shall continue to promote the vision, spirituality and methodology of Cardijn – who formed you and many of us.

“Thank you Irene for all your dreams and accomplishments! Rest in peace,” Ruben wrote.

“We mourn the passing of one of the greatest leaders formed by the Cardijn movement,” CCI convenor Stefan Gigacz added. “We grieve with and express our condolences to all her family and loved ones.”

This article will be updated as information comes to hand.

Read the full CCI Tribute to Irene:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vIWfrD6hF-i9BdCy4BvI5_FvBiE0MNCImwFF6LZKxZA/edit

CCI Pioneers page:

http://pioneers.josephcardijn.com/irene-fernandez

Tribute by CCI International Team adviser Charles Santiago

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/my-tribute-to-irene-fernandez-charles-santiago

FUNERAL

http://www.fz.com/video/grand-sendoff-migrants-heroine-irene-fernandez

http://www.fz.com/content/farewell-fighter-irene-fernandezs-funeral

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/well-wishers-says-last-goodbye-to-irene-fernandez

http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2014/04/02/irene-fernandez-the-voice-of-the-voiceless/

NEWS SOURCES

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/04/04/Hundreds-pay-last-respects-to-passionate-activist-Fernandez/

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/04/02/Fernandez-proud-to-be-daughter-of-migrant-worker/

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/03/31/Malaysians-pay-tribute-to-Irene-Fernandez/

http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/495157-irene-fernandez-was-a-fearless-fighter.html

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1002028

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258659

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tenaganitas-irene-fernandez-dies-of-heart-failure

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2014-04-01/tributes-flow-after-malaysian-rights-activist-irene-fernandez-dies-aged-67/1288562

https://www.facebook.com/charlessantiago?fref=ts

CCI News

https://www.cardijn.info/2012/08/slavery-days-coming-back-warns-irene.html

http://archives.cardijn.info/cci-news/convictionandsentenceagainstirenefernandezsetaside

TRIBUTES

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/abdar-rahman-koya/article/irene-fernandezs-legacy-to-malaysian-muslims

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/259038

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/04/03/tribute-to-malaysian-activist-irene-fernandez/

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/world/asia/irene-fernandez-champion-of-oppressed-dies-at-67.html?_r=0

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=254202:ignored-persecuted-by-the-bn-govt-but-irene-fernandez-died-not-in-vain-msia-loses-one-of-its-greatest-daughters&Itemid=2#axzz2xckeLrNj

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2014/04/01/a-life-dedicated-to-peoples-struggle/

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/ge/newsgeneral.php?id=1026929

http://www.dw.de/the-voice-of-malaysian-migrants-is-no-more/g-17532712

http://aliran.com/civil-society-voices/2014-civil-society-voices/irene-fernandez-life-full-meaning-dedicated-peoples-struggle/

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/258722

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/irene-fernandez-activist-friend-and-a-great-daughter-of-malaysia-bersih-2.0

http://www.malaysiandigest.com/news/495157-irene-fernandez-was-a-fearless-fighter.html

http://www.hrw.org/node/12431

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/irene-fernandez-s-passion-and-dedication-for-human-rights-will-be-missed-us-ambassador-1.544171

Maryknoll labour priest Tom Danaher has gone

Just weeks after celebrating the 50th anniversary of his ordination, former Hong Kong YCW chaplain Fr Tom Danaher MM has died in the US.

“I discovered hope within the people struggling against repression and torture..such hope could only [come] from God, ” Fr Tom said in a quote published on the Maryknoll Twitter Feed last month.

Ordained on June 9, 1962, Father Danaher’s foreign mission assignments included:

1963-1965: Parish priest at Our Lady of Nativity Parish, Tung Tau Tsuen, Kowloon.

1965-1969: St. Peter in Chains Parish, Kowloontsai, Kowloon. He served as chaplain for the Young Christian Workers in that parish.

1966-1969: Along with other Maryknoll priests and non-clergy, formed a labor advisory team to address industrial labor disputes.

1973-1980: Served as chaplain of the Young Christian Workers National Team. He worked to obtain better living and working conditions for the people. He lived and ministered at a workers’ center in Pui Man Village in Kowloon City.

1976-1981: Maryknoll magazine’s Asian correspondent.

1984-1986: Pastoral duties at a parish in Santiago, Chile.

1997-2009: Asia – Hong Kong – Assistant Pastor at St. Matthew the Apostle Parish, Tuen Mun and ministered at Tai Lam Women’s Prison.

“Former YCW will have a Memorial Mass for Tom on 29 August, at 7:30pm in St Stephen Parish, Kowloon,” said Mary Ho Fung Bing, former Hong Kong and IYCW Asia-Pacific YCW leader.

Update:

Father Tom died very peacefully Monday morning August 13th at a hospital in Sleepy Hollow, New York (near Maryknoll headquarters), a family member informed us.

“He had been in a care unit at Maryknoll since June. Last week, he developed pneumonia and was taken to the hospital. He was in no pain, and was given the best care possible.”

His funeral will be held on Monday 21 August.

LINK

Tom Danaher MM (Cardijn Priests)