The first meeting was held in Issyk-Kul with young people from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Siberian Russia. In the mountains of the “Hot Lake” they created together six service projects for the elderly and the most abandoned, for children and for disadvantaged families.
Issyk-Kul () – In the first ten days of August, the first Central Asian Catholic Youth Festival was held in Kyrgyzstan. Young people from various parts of the country and also from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Siberian Russia gathered at the Jesuit center in Issyk-Kul. The purpose was to spend a few days of recreation and prayer, and to prepare for the visit of Pope Francis to Kazakhstan, which will be in September.
This festival was interrupted for two years due to restrictions due to the fight against the coronavirus. This time, the young Catholics met again, and 60 of them were able to live an experience of joyful and intense exchange. The main objective of the meeting was the rediscovery of Christian identity and the sense of belonging to the Church. The priests and animators shared their experiences and offered themes for meditation, which then led to discussions in small groups and in the assembly.
The ultimate goal of the Festival was to develop a joint program of social and charitable service in the parishes and places where the participants live. Everyone proposed initiatives and ideas, showing a lot of creativity and an unconventional approach to the issues. The result of the work of the groups was the presentation of 6 projects with concrete suggestions and service ideas aimed at the elderly and the most abandoned, children and disadvantaged families and young people in general. The projects will be reviewed based on professional criteria, in order to define the objectives, contexts, target groups, desired results, effectiveness, available budget and implementation schedule.
Beyond the reflections, the work and the debates, the young people had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature in Issyk-Kul, since the Jesuit center is located 100 meters from the shore of the “Hot Lake” (this is the meaning of the place name). It is a huge saltwater basin located between the Kungey Alatau mountains to the north and the Terskey Alatau mountains to the south, which are part of the Tian Shan mountain range. It is the second largest mountain lake in the world, after Lake Titicaca, in South America. The hallmark of the place, as its name suggests, is the pleasant temperature of the lake water, which does not freeze even in the coldest winters.
An important part of the Festival was the three-day mountaineering event. For many participants it was a challenging and exciting experience, so much so that many asked to repeat it as soon as possible. The Jesuit Fathers have been working in Kyrgyzstan since the 1990s, with a very dynamic community of experienced and young missionaries, constantly moving between the Central Asian and Siberian communities.
In July, the first session of the “Summer Theological School in Central Asia” was also held in Issyk-Kul. The meeting brought together twenty participants selected by the local Ordinaries and coming from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Russian-language courses were offered on the History of Christianity in Central Asia, Introduction to Moral Theology and Holy Scripture, and Topics in Christian Anthropology. In addition to the academic conferences, the young people agreed to a fruitful exchange of knowledge, questions and opinions. Several Catholics from Tajikistan, who were unable to participate due to tensions on the Kyrgyz-Tajik borders, were scheduled to attend the School, but it is hoped that they will be able to join the next session.
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