Chastity conference gathers 2T

CEBU, Philippines - At least 2,000 students from sectarian and non-sectarian schools in Cebu City attended the “Youth and the Path to Greatness” conference at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel yesterday.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said the attendance was significant because what the students learned from the gathering will bear fruit in the future in the way they will value chastity and true love.

“I believe with the presence of the more than 2,000 kids and the very enthusiastic response, we know that this is indeed a very significant event that we believe will bear fruit in the young people believing in the value of chastity and the challenge of true love,” Palma said.

Anchored on the theme, “A Continuing Conference on Chastity and True Love Legacy of St. Pedro Calungsod in The Year of Faith,” the conference featured famous couple Jason and Crystalina Evert.

“We should be able to feel privileged to host this seminar on chastity and the challenge not only to be good but also be great… as well as the value of living according to the Gospel with the famous couple Jason and Crystalina Evert. We know they are powerful speakers and they are so inspiring. They speak not just by what they know but also in how they lived,” Palma said.

“Let’s pray that all of these will really resolve in the young people of Cebu and eventually most of the married couples who would live up to the Gospel values,” he added.

Jason Evert has written 10 books, including Pure Love and Pure Manhood, which challenges young people to embrace abstinence. After giving chastity presentations solo for three years, Jason teamed up with Crystalina. They now speak internationally to over 100,000 teens each year in junior and senior high schools, as well as in universities. After a year of speaking as an engaged couple, they married in 2003 and continue to share their inspirational testimonies with teens, as well as parents.

In their highly popular chastity seminar, “Romance Without Regret”, the duo provides compelling and uplifting reasons for embracing the virtue of chastity. They sit in the Board of Advisors for the National Abstinence Clearinghouse and are frequent guests on radio programs. They have also appeared on Fox News, the BBC, Donahue, and WGN-TV News.

In 2003, they received the Impact Award by the National Abstinence Clearinghouse in recognition of their success with teens in America.

In an interview with The Freeman yesterday morning, Jason said anyone has the chance to start over.

“If they hope to find the love that they were created for then God has a plan for them and it doesn’t matter what they have done in the past, anybody can start over,” Jason said, adding, “And chastity is not a burden. It is a virtue that freezes you to love. And if you want to know how to save your marriage, before meeting your spouse then now is the time to learn on how to sacrifice,” he added.

The couple said they were amazed at how participative the crowd was. They said they saw the “hunger” in the young people for the messages they needed to know.

Participants in the morning session came from the Colegio dela Inmaculada Concepcion, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, St. Joseph’s Academy, Mary Help of Christians School, St. Anthony Montessori, San Carlos Seminary, Bright Academy, Paref Springdale and Southcrest.

The afternoon session catered to university and college students while the evening session catered to parents, educators, and young professionals.

Alyssa Acosta and Tanya Qu of Southcrest, both 13 years old, described the conference as life changing and taught them the virtues and values of St. Pedro Calungsod.

Meanwhile, Ramer Jay Armero, 16, of St. Joseph’s Academy said, “nindot siya kay inspiring kaayo. Daghan kaayo kong nakat-unan about love and making right decisions.”

Nicollete Legaspi, 20, an AB Linguistic and Literature student of the University of San Carlos, also shared the same sentiment. “I’ve been reading about these relationship guides and readings about Christ. It’s great to hear the same lesson in a much useful way.”

Event organizer Andrea Gomez said that aside from commemorating the sainthood of Pedro Calungsod, the activity is also part of the preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in 2016, which will be hosted by Cebu.

“This is our way of encouraging the youth to live and practice the virtue of St. Pedro especially chastity. It is very relevant and natural. We have to guide the youth in practicing these virtues to love. If we stir the children in the right way, they will be better off,” she said.

The conference was presented by the Archdiocese of Cebu on the occasion of the Year of Faith. —JMO (FREEMAN)