CYON Is A School!

“CYON is a school”

~ Collins Ejiofor, Deanary PRO

 

I have always wondered why I identified myself with the Catholic Youths Organization of Nigeria (CYON) amongst other societies, organization that exists around the Catholic Church. And I believe strongly that many youths have once in a while asked themselves “why am I a CYONITE?

This book is as a result of those seemingly unanswerable questions that keeps tormenting me every time I fellowship with other Catholic youths. I was fed up with just been a sleeping partner in the organization. I wanted something bigger, better, and more youthful. So in my quest to quench my thirst for those surging questions that would not allow me be, I began to yearn and find answers to my seemingly unanswerable queries.

In the year 2010, at the age of eighteen, I joined the Catholic Youths of my Parish at St. Gerald’s Catholic Church, Soluyi Gbagada, Lagos State. I was seduced to the CYON of my parish because of the verve, liveliness, and elixir which the youths in my parish exhibited. They endeared themselves to me because the proofed that they were not just youthful but also useful in the house of God.

As people gathered that year at the FUNFAIR, I made a concrete decision to identify myself with the Catholic Youths. Not too long, something different began to turn out, two years later things fell apart, the huge glory on the youths crumbled to the ground and we were stigmatized with an abysmal label and identity. We lost our identity completely and shook hands with mediocrity.

The ‘Godfathers’ of the Catholic Youths in my parish neglected the virtue of oneness and unity among an organization and began to drift their own way. The wanted to be youths but could no longer find solace and solitude in CYON. Many got married; others went into commerce, and a few stood apart watching what will become of CYON.

But in spite of the many years of shame, ineptitude labeled with the CYON of my Parish, we have managed to survive crawling line a snail greeted with a heavy chunk of tree at its back. As I grew up mastering and familiarizing myself with the CYON system, I discovered a different story altogether. I finally realized that CYON is not just a YOUTH GATHERING where we assemble, listen to minutes, get sermonized, and finding faults in what people say or did not say wrongly. I finally came to the realization that CYON IS A SCHOOL! 

A place where we are cultured to become people of substance, a place where we are taught real Catholic values, a place where we are strengthened and moulded for a greater future, a place where youths are trained to become the lights of the world, a place where our inner lights is given a springboard to sparkle and blaze the world

As you read this book, open your mind and let GOD speak to your sprit being so you will garner powerful and timeless principle and lessons to further impact and build the organization.

Cyprian Henry

CYON President

St Gerald Catholic Church, Soluyi Gbagada