Jesus Youth is an International Catholic lay movement approved by the Holy See. Jesus Youth focuses on evangelising young people and nurturing their missionary initiatives. It had its beginnings in Kerala, India, and evolved as an active part of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the state in the late 1970s. In 1985, the International Year of Youth, a number of youth groups came together under a single name, Jesus Youth. Gradually, Jesus Youth spread to different parts of India and to a number of other countries. It is now active in more than thirty countries. In Singapore Jesus Youth had its beginning in the year 2000.
The strength of the movement is its special focus on a life centred on the Lord Jesus Christ: beginning with an experience of God nourished by prayer, the Word of God, the Sacraments and fellowship and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, especially the poor. Jesus Youth strives to cultivate in its members a life of missionary discipleship, urging them to become joyful witnesses of the Gospel in the contemporary world. Members seek to grow as faithful disciples of Christ, through the six pillars of the Jesus Youth movement, which include regular reading, reflection and study of the Word of God, a commitment to a personal time of prayer and regular participation in the Eucharist and Sacrament of Reconciliation. Community fellowship, service to the oppressed and underprivileged and focus on evangelisation are other key elements of the Jesus Youth lifestyle, fostering a genuine growth and deepening of faith.
