The 10th Indian Catholic Youth Movement
The 10th Indian Catholic Youth Movement, National Council Meeting was held at Bishops House, Bareilly from 24 to 26 January 2026. A total of 48 council members from 12 regions attended the meeting, including Regional Youth Directors, Regional Presidents, Secretaries, Regional Representatives, and members of the ICYM National Team.
The meeting began with the flag hoisting ceremony, which was jointly hoisted by Rev. Fr. Chetan Machado, National Youth Director of ICYM, Rev. Fr. Royal, Educational Secretary of the Bareilly Diocese, and Rev. Fr. Stany, Parish Priest of St. Alphonsus Catgedral, Bareilly. Following the flag hoisting, the DEXCO of Bareilly Diocese conducted the inaugural ceremony, which included a keynote address by Rev. Fr. Royal and a cultural programme presented by St Mary's and Canossa school, Barriely.
During the two-day council meeting, important points were discussed including, the Annual Calendar and yearly programme, National and Regional training programmes, Amendments to the ICYM Memorandum and Guidelines, finances and budgeting of programmes, and youth ministry concerns along with any other business. Suggestions, concerns, and queries were raised by the council members and were discussed in detail during the sessions.
On the final day, 26 January 2026, a Thanksgiving Holy Mass was celebrated by Most Rev. Ignatius D’Souza, Chairman of the CCBI Youth Commission. After the Holy Mass, a plenary session was held during which the Bishop addressed the council. He emphasized that youth should bring new life in the ninistry and engage more actively in evangelization by spreading the Gospel through digital media.
Following the plenary session, the ICYM National Executive Committee election for the term 2026–2028 was conducted. With a quorum of 33 members present, five office bearers along with fifteen Executive Committee members were elected. Mr. Amit Kumar Dev from the Odisha region was elected as the National President, succeeding Mr. Raj Bag from the West Bengal and Sikkim region. Ms. Alva Vianieca Khyriem from the North East region was elected Vice President. Mr. Anoop Alex from the Agra region was elected Joint Secretary. Ms. Nirali Ekka from Jharkhand was elected Media Secretary, and Ms. Ishani Massey from the Northern region was elected Liturgy Secretary. Along with them, fifteen Executive Committee members were elected to serve the movement.
The newly elected team of young leaders was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the Indian Catholic Youth Movement for the next two years and implementing plans and programmes for the holistic development and empowerment of young people across the country.
The three-day National Council Meeting served as a platform for regional and national ICYM leaders to come together, deliberate on the current challenges facing youth, and collectively plan strategies for the growth and empowerment of Catholic Youth across India. The sessions facilitated meaningful discussions, shared experiences and strengthened collaboration among the leaders. The meeting concluded on 26 January 2026.
Supriya Varghese
National General Secretary, ICYM ( 2024-2026)