11 Oct Regis College Student Attends the 2018 Synod on Young People
Wednesday, October 3 marked the beginning of the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment, the 15th Ordinary General Assembly. Pope Francis called the theme of this synod with the purpose of better accompanying our youth as they encounter God and participate in the life of the Church and society. In his letter to young people, Pope Francis encourages youth to enter into this synod with hope, saying a “better world can be built…as a result of your efforts, your desire to change and your generosity. Do not be afraid to listen to the Spirit who proposes bold choices; do not delay when your conscience asks you to take risks in following the Master…Make your voice heard, let it resonate in communities and let it be heard by your shepherds of souls.” Regis College student Prevain Devendran had the opportunity to respond to this call in a unique way.
Prevain Devendran was selected by Cardinal Baldisseri, the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, to be a Collaborator at the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment. Devendran is the Operations Manager at Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, where he has worked for the past two and a half years. “It was my work in Catholic media that allowed me to be considered for the position to work for the Vatican in this capacity,” Devendran explains.
In conjunction with Vatican Radio (rebranded as Vatican Media), Devendran’s main rseponsibility, while working for the Vatican, is to communicate a positive message from the Synod. Devendran hopes that he can effectively relay a message of “hope and mercy –to offer young people a small glimpse of the work of the Synod of Bishops. In particular,” he continues, “our team is mindful of Pope Francis’s wish to reach those who are at the peripheries, including the digital peripheries where the youth consume their information.” Fr. Thomas Worcester, S.J., President of Regis College, says he is “very pleased to see our students reaching out and making such a difference both in the Church and in the world.” As the Jesuit School of Theology in Canada, Regis College aims to equip its students with the practical, spiritual, and intellectual tools necessary to participate in the life of the Church more deeply, as well as to live out their faith in society with authenticity and integrity.
Devendran says that it is inspiring to witness the voting members of the Synod take seriously the voiced problems and concerns that young people are facing today. “It is edifying!” he says, “It gives me much consolation to see the different faces of our Church trying to find commonality among such cultural and traditional differences.” Recalling Pope Francis’s message in his letter to the youth, Prevain Devendran encourages fellow Catholics with the following: “When you allow yourself to be led by the Spirit, those bold choices are the ones that bring true joy and consolation. When you allow yourself to be influenced by Christ, your response will be that of generosity and gratitude because it truly is a privilege to act in accordance with God’s Will.”
Prevain Devendran is a part-time M.T.S. student at Regis College, the Jesuit School of Theology in Canada, Affiliated with the University of Toronto.
Story Continued:
While in Rome for the synod, Prevain Devendran had the opportunity to meet with the Superior General of the Society of Jesus.
Fr. General sent a message to the students, faculty, and staff at Regis College, speaking kindly of his visit to Regis in the Spring of 2018. “I just want to say hello to you. I know you are very linked with this synod, with the youth and with the pastoral message to the young people, so I just wanted to say that we have a lot of work to do, a lot of things to do and think about, a lot of things to discern in order for us to better serve from Regis College and from pastoral action.”