Around 2,000 youths aged 15 to 35 from all over Asia – 1,000 from the Philippines and 1,000 from the rest of the members of the Federation of Asian Bishop’s Conferences (FABC), and other Asian delegates outside the continent will converge Friday for the 5th Asian Youth Day (AYD5).

Dubbed “YAsia’’ for (“Youth of Asia’’), the day is hosted for the first time in the Philippines, led by the FABC, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines through the Episcopal Commission on Youth, and the Youth Ministry Office of the Diocese of Imus.

The festival seeks to renew the youth’s faith in and love for the Word of God and the Eucharist; celebrate youthfully the Word and the Eucharist in the context, cultures, and communities of the participating youth; and help the youth, the participants ,in particular, to become agents of transformation by living out the Word and the Eucharist in the face of realities in Asia.

The festival is anchored on the theme “YAsia Fiesta! Young Asians: Come Together, Share the Word, Live the Eucharist.’’ The delegations will be “uniting under one banner, showcasing each of their country’s finest cultures in what will become Asia’s biggest youth festival of the year.’’ Among the highlights of this year’s youth event are talks and sessions on the theme, moments of reflection, Eucharistic celebrations and vigils, workshops, a youth walk, sub-regional meetings, liturgical concerts, and cultural presentations.

In 1993, the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) responded to the plea of gathering Asian youths and joining them together in activities that will help them “enrich their spiritual and cultural lives’’ and become witnesses of Christ’s love to one another. A youth desk was organized under the Office of the Laity, now the Office of Laity and Family.

A series of meetings and gatherings ensued, that allowed the Asian youths to build a community of different faiths, “engaging them in ecumenism and interreligious dialogues imbued with the missionary spirit.’’ Among these gatherings was the AYD. The first four AYDs were hosted by Thailand in 1999, Taiwan in 2001, India in 2003, and Hong Kong in 2006. It is hoped that this year’s gathering of young Asians will serve to reinforce the gains have been achieved so far in regional understanding and cooperation.

We congratulate the organizers and participants on the occasion of Asian Youth Day 2009: YAsia Fiesta. We wish them success in all their endeavors.