Most Rev Dr James Thoppil with others after the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on June 29.
Our Correspondent
Kohima| June 29
Over 5,000 Catholic faithful from across the North East region thronged the Mary Help of Christians Cathedral, Kohima, on Sunday, as the ongoing 5th Regional Youth Convention (RYC) 2025 under the aegis of North Eastern Regional Youth Commission (NERYC)/Indian Catholic Youth Movement North East (ICYM-NE) entered the third day.
The Holy Eucharist was celebrated by Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima, as the main celebrant.
Delivering the homily, the Bishop reflected on the significance of the gathering, rooted in a shared Catholic identity.
He emphasised that the day coincided with the feast of St Peter and St Paul, pillars of the Church.
He said the two saints remind faithful of the strong foundation upon which the faith of the Church is built.
The Bishop highlighted the contrasting personalities of St Peter and St Paul, one a humble fisherman, and the other a learned and well travelled man. He pointed out how divine providence united them in purpose and together, they symbolised the universality of the Church.
He also challenged the faithful to reflect on the foundation of their own spiritual lives. Just as a well-built structure withstands storms, a life grounded in faith and integrity will endure trials, the Bishop stressed.
The Bishop's homily emphasised the Church as a unity in diversity, urging the youth and faithful to embrace both the stable core and missionary zeal of the Christian life.
‘Navigating Peer Pressure and the World’
Earlier, the day began with a session where PhD scholar and Psychiatric Social Worker Edlina Kerketta delivered an insightful presentation on “Navigating Peer Pressure and the World".
She explored both the negative and positive aspects of peer pressure, ranging from aggression and substance abuse to empathy, critical thinking, and personal growth.
Kerketta outlined key strategies to resist harmful peer influence: self-awareness, boundary setting, emotional resilience, embracing individuality, mindfulness, leadership, and seeking help.
She emphasised the importance of identifying early signs of negative peer pressure to safeguard mental health and well-being.
Adding a spiritual dimension, she advocated for building a relationship with God through prayer and incorporating religious support to enhance emotional strength.
The speaker also stressed on instilling prosocial behavior in children early on, noting that peer pressure affects all age groups, particularly teenagers.
“Youth as the Now” of the Church in Northeast India’
In the second session held after the Holy Mass, speakers Johnny Ruangmei, Ketholelie Basil Whuorie, and Jeremai Krong addressed the theme “Youth as the Now” of the Church in Northeast India.
Johnny Ruangmei, President of the Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) spoke on “Evangelising Digital Content”, urging youth to become digital missionaries by using social media to spread the Gospel. He emphasised the role of young people as creators of faith-based content and missionary disciples in the digital realm.
Ketholelie Basil Whuorie, founder of the ARK Foundation, shared on “From Chains to Grace: A Christian Response to Drug Abuse”. He warned of rising drug addiction among adolescents as young as 13, exacerbated during the post-COVID period. Highlighting the presence of dangerous, adulterated drugs and shifting drug production trends within the region, he called for urgent action. He stressed the importance of parenting, awareness, and shifting societal attitudes, from blame to empathy, as the Church now views addiction as a disease needing attention, treatment and healing, not punishment.
“Common Relationship Problems’
Jeremai Krong, HR professional and social worker, spoke on “Common Relationship Problems: How to Deal?” She advised youth to stay away from toxic relationships and seek guidance through prayer and mentorship. Drawing from personal experiences, she emphasised the value of both personal and spiritual mentors in helping young people navigate life’s emotional challenges with clarity and faith.
Speaker of the third session was Rev Fr Michael Makri who spoke on the topic "How to navigate social media from a Christian perspective-apologetics".
The priest emphasised the transformative role of social media in today’s interconnected world, noting its global reach and capacity for two-way communication. He called on Christian youth to reflect values like truth, love, and respect in their online presence, especially through “apologetics”—defending and explaining the faith.
He outlined strategies such as engaging storytelling through visuals, digital networking, and evangelizing via emerging tools like AI, Bible-themed games, and Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). He also highlighted the digital sphere as a vital and dynamic space for faith-based mission.
Later, several youths from 15 Dioceses were awarded the Indian Catholic Youth Movement NorthEast Excellence Awards 2025.
The awards were handed over by Kethosituo Sekhose, Director of Youth Resources and Sports, Nagaland.
Arunachal Pradesh’s former chief minister Nabam Tuki graced the award ceremony as the special guest.
The four-day convention is being organised by the North Eastern Regional Youth Commission (NERYC) Indian Catholic Youth Movement North East (ICYM-NE) and hosted by the Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement (NCYM).
