Youth Day 2014: Our Hearts Burning Within

This past weekend, our Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Vancouver hosted Youth Day - our annual event youth rally for high school teens.  It was held on Saturday, May 3 at Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School in Port Coquitlam.

Youth Day featured Chris Padgett as the Keynote Speaker and Jackie Francois Angel leading music. At over 450 participants, it was the largest Youth Day event since 2010.

The theme for Youth Day was "Our Hearts Burning Within" based on Luke 24:32 (The Road to Emmaus).  Throughout the day, we explored how our hearts can burn stronger for Christ and encouraged the young church to indeed develop positive healthy relationships like Jesus did with his disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Enjoy some of the sights (and implied sounds...haha) of the event.



Clayton Imoo is husband to Gail and father to sons Sean Isaiah and Jacob Isaac and daughter Kayla Marie.  He has served as the Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver for the past ten years, helping parishes develop their own youth and young adult ministries.  When not doing ministry, Clay enjoys spending time with his family, playing music, playing sports, playing naptime, and writing blogs on topics such as family, faith, and the Vancouver Canucks.  Learn more about him at http://www.claytonimoo.com or follow him @claytonimoo      

Rejoice in the Lord Always

Graphic by Faye McCreedy, Archdiocese of Vancouver

We (the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver) held our annual high school youth rally this past weekend and it was a wonderful weekend of faith and fellowship.  The theme of Youth Day was "Rejoice" based on Philippians 4:4 and the keynote speakers, musicians and guest presenters helped the participants explore joy as being at the heart of Christian living.

The theme was inspired by Pope Benedict XVI's message for the annual World Youth Day celebration of the Catholic Church.  In his message of March 2012, he speaks about the joy of faith and points out:

1. Our hearts are made for joy;
2. God is the source of true joy;
3. Preserving Christian joy in our hearts;
4. The joy of love;
5. The joy of conversion;
6. Joy at times of trial; and
7. Witnesses of joy.

Read the whole letter to young people here.  It's a wonderful read.


"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Phil 4:4)



Clayton Imoo is husband to Gail and father to sons Sean Isaiah and Jacob Isaac and daughter Kayla Marie.  He has served as the Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver for the past ten years.  Learn more about him at http://www.claytonimoo.com or follow him @claytonimoo