2001

At the beginning of the new millennium, Pope John Paul II challenged all Christians to "put out into the deep" (Lk 5:4), echoing the words of Jesus, speaking to the crowds from the boat of St. Peter (Novo Millennio Inuente 1). The FYA enthusiastically responded to this challenge in a year filled with evangelizing activity.

In January, the FYA choir sang for an ecumenical prayer service for Christian Unity at the Church of St. Monica. In February, FYA members were among hundreds of young adults that attended a special liturgy at St. Patrick's Cathedral celebrating Catholic young adult ministry in the Archdiocese of New York. The celebrant was Archbishop Edward Egan. Peter Mercado sat in the first pew of the cathedral as the representative of the Filipino community and, together with other young adult leaders, had an opportunity to engage the Archbishop in an informal dialogue following the Mass.

Archbishop Egan was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope John Paul II a few weeks later. Ferdi and Jen Velasco traveled to Rome together with a delegation of New Yorkers to attend the ceremony.

One of the highlights of 2001 took place on March 18: the Asian American Vocation Rally (AAVR). This event was organized through a combined effort of religious communities and lay youth groups, including the Filipino Youth Apostolate. The mission of the AAVR was to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life among young people in the Asian American communities. The theme of the rally was "The harvest is rich" (Mt 9:38). Hundreds of Asian Americans from throughout the northeast converged on Fordham University for a joyous celebration of our faith. The FYA played a significant role in promoting the event by hosting its website and designing its logo. During the rally, the FYA provided the audiovisual equipment and the choir joined Bruce Deaton in leading the congregation in song.

In April, the FYA made a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy. The choir was privileged to participate in the music ministry during the Solemn Mass on Mercy Sunday, which was televised nationally on EWTN.

The other major FYA event in 2001, a benefit concert, took place on June 22. This was the first public concert given by the FYA choir and it was a huge success. The choir performed a selection of works from its extensive repertoire, including several original compositions by our music director, Hector Martinez. Through the generous contributions of donors and sponsors, the FYA was able to raise funds for next year's pilgrimage to Toronto for the World Youth Day. As a reward for the choir's efforts, the group enjoyed a relaxing camping trip in Long Island after the concert.

The tragic events of September 11 affected the entire FYA community, as it did all New Yorkers. Although none of our members suffered any casualties, we all felt great sorrow and loss as a result of the terrorist attacks that claimed thousands of lives. In all the activities that took place during the rest of the year, we took every opportunity to remember them and to pray for the repose of their souls. This tragedy was the focus of our reflections during our Advent recollection and our pilgrimage to the Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Washington, NJ. As the year ended with the celebration of Christmas, we once again encouraged one other in a spirit of hope.

Checkout pictures from the 2001 Galleries | Go to TOP

The Filipino Youth Apostolate History
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