Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) – Prayer meetings, hymns, and time dedicated to discussing everyday problems, are some of the pastoral initiatives for youth organized by the Diocese of Saigon every month. And youth respond with enthusiasm: "We invited youth to come to mass, to pray and to take part in monthly meetings," said Thong, the leader of a youth community in Binh an parish. "The churchyard is always packed: we sing, pray and exchange views."

Nearby is the sister parish of Binh Thai, very lively and holding ever "original" meetings. One of the youth who took part in the activities said he had had the opportunity to "share life experiences, to deepen knowledge of the Bible and to pray together with others."

In the parish of Gia Dinh, it was the youth themselves who organized courses for their peers: they invited social workers, psychologists and doctors to talk about doubts and problems that must be tackled daily. The aim was to seek to keep youth far from bad habits that it is only too easy to fall prey to, like drug abuse. According to recent statistics, there are 40,000 HIV/AIDS cases in Chi Minh City alone, and 22,000 drug addicts, including 85% under the age of 22.

Meanwhile, young people from the parish of Thi Nghe, need moral and spiritual support. They come from different dioceses to study or to work so they live far from their families. Youth account for 54% of the population of eight million in Ho Chi Minh City, and moral education and spiritual backing are urgently felt needs. A girl told AsiaNews about her "fruitful" experience: "Every weekend, I take part in group activities and I have matured very much, dealing with important issues for my future. I want to help my family and contribute to the growth of the local Church. My friends are a great help in times of spiritual difficulties and discomfort, especially when I feel far away from my loved ones."