On May 20th Bishop Josef Clemens, Secretary of th Pontifical Council for the Laity presented to Jesus Youth a Decree of Recognition as an international association of the faithful. The same decree gave approval to its statutes.
Jesus Youth has its beginnings in Kerala, in the late 1970’s, with the formation of youth groups among young people active in Catholic Charismatic Renewal. In 1985, during the International Year of Youth, these groups came together under the name Jesus Youth, and over the ensuing years the association spread across India. Following on from the canonical recognition received from Archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara of Nagpur on April 8th 2007 and Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil of Verapoly on August 20th 2007, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India recognised Jesus Youth as a national association of the faithful on October 29th 2008. Today Jesus Youth is active in more than thirty countries and has many members, of all states of life.
