The Unspoken Lessons of the Youth Group  

Lanna Menezes, St Francis Xavier Church, Dabul

When you ask anyone what a Youth Group gives you, you'll probably hear the same answers: friendships, events and community. Fair enough, mine gave me all of that. But beyond that, my Youth Group was a training ground for me. 

Looking back at who I was when I joined nine years ago, I barely recognise her. Like most people, I have a story behind who I've become; for me, a huge chunk of that story was written inside my Youth Group. It became a kind of laboratory: a safe space to experiment, discover what I was good at, figure out what I wasn't, make mistakes, and try again. I could take on something new, mess it up, and learn from it. That, I think, is the real gift of a Youth Group, a space where you're free to explore different possibilities and discover who you can become. 

Initially, when I joined, I was mostly an observer. I did what I was asked, showed up, participated, and went home. 

But slowly, things changed. 

I started taking on more responsibility. I became part of Organising Committees, took on leadership roles, helped plan events, and found myself doing things that were well outside my comfort zone. Eventually, I reached a point where I was leading the entire group. 

Four years ago, I walked into the corporate world, and became, as we affectionately say, a "corporate mazdoor." I was the new kid there, confused by the jargon, unsure who to email, nodding along in meetings I barely understood. But the thing that saved me wasn't a technical skill. It was knowing how to be around people. 

That shouldn't have surprised me, because in my Youth Group, I had already learnt one of the most important skills of all: how to connect with people. Over nine years, I had countless opportunities to meet young people from across Mumbai, and I was not naturally the kind of person who could just walk up and start talking to anyone. But somewhere along the way, striking up conversations with people around me at events and youth gatherings stopped being a dare, and became a habit I genuinely enjoyed. 

That habit turned out to be one of my most valuable assets at work. Because workplaces are, at their core, about people. You work with different personalities, opinions and working styles. And when you collaborate with others, it's not just about knowing what to do, it's also about knowing how to communicate, when to listen, how to handle different situations, and how to work with people who may not always think like you. 

 The Youth Group taught me how to navigate those situations. From hosting events and speaking in front of a crowd to working with different people and handling responsibilities, the Youth Group taught me how to articulate my ideas, listen to different perspectives, communicate with confidence and take ownership. 

But the most valuable thing my Youth Group gave me, though, wasn't a skill at all. It was self-awareness – a clearer sense of my strengths, my limits, and the things I was convinced I couldn't do until I was thrown in and had no choice but to try. 

And perhaps more importantly, it gave me the confidence to keep discovering it. 

While I was developing my personality, building relationships and discovering what I was capable of, something else was growing alongside it: my faith. It taught me that hard work and skill matter, but they're not the whole story; not everything we achieve is solely a result of our own ability. For me, there has always been a higher power whose grace has guided me through every opportunity, challenge, failure and milestone. That perspective has kept me grounded, especially entering a world that can make achievement feel like the ultimate measure of success. 

Quite often, people think I do things effortlessly. But even today, before something important, fear still creeps in - moments when I doubt myself or wonder if I'm capable enough. In those moments, I find myself returning to this verse that comforts me: "Do not fear, for I am with you; I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) 

And somehow, that reminder is enough. It doesn't necessarily take the fear away, but it gives me the courage to step forward despite it, and that's how I have learnt to step boldly into the things I am called to do. 

Many young people get the opportunity to be part of a Youth Group during the most formative years of their lives. But simply being there isn't enough. You can show up, attend events, play games, make friends and go home. Or you can use that space to challenge yourself: volunteer for something you're scared to do, talk to someone you don’t know, take responsibility for an event, stand on a stage, lead a team, say yes to something you don't think you're ready for. 

Because you never know which of those small moments will end up shaping you. 

I Found my Voice in Church 

Fabian Rocha 

How a simple love for the microphone became a calling, a career and a way of giving back

When I look back at my journey today, I often wonder where it all really began. 

It did not begin on a big stage. It did not begin with a professional microphone, a paid event or a name  people recognised. 

It began in church. 

As a young boy, I loved being a part of the youth group. I enjoyed being around people, taking part in activities, volunteering for events, and simply being involved in whatever was happening in the parish. Like many young people, I was still figuring out who I was, and what I was good at. 

Somewhere along the way, I discovered that I loved entertaining people. 

I loved holding the microphone. I loved being on stage. I enjoyed speaking to a crowd, making people laugh, keeping them engaged, and most importantly, making them feel like they were a part of what was happening. 

At first, it was nothing more than helping out at church events. There was no big plan behind it. I wasn't thinking about becoming a professional compère. I was simply a young person who had found something he enjoyed doing and was happy to use that talent wherever the Church needed it. 

And that is where my parish played one of the biggest roles in my life. 

My parish, St Vincent de Paul Church, Khar, gave me a platform. The people around me trusted me enough to put me in front of a crowd. My priests encouraged me. Nobody looked at me and said, "You're too young," or "What will people think?" 

Instead, they gave me opportunities. 

Every time I stood in front of the congregation, held the microphone or took part in an event, I learnt something new. Slowly, what started with church programmes became something I wanted to explore further. I began taking up small functions outside the parish, and one event led to another. 

What began as a way of contributing to my church slowly became a hobby, and eventually, a profession. 

Today, I work professionally as a compère, doing shows nationally and internationally. The same microphone that I once held as a young person in my parish has now become a part of my career and my source of income. 

But when I look at that journey, I don't see only a career. 

I see the Church. 

I see the people who encouraged me, the priests who pushed me to come forward, and a parish that allowed me to try, make mistakes, learn and grow. I see a young Fabian who simply wanted to use the talent he believed God had given him. 

There is a beautiful line in Scripture: 

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10) 

At the time, I don't think I fully understood what that meant. Today, I do. The talent I had was not given to me only for myself. I could use it to bring people together, make them smile, and contribute to the community that had given me so much. 

And perhaps the most beautiful part is that the journey has come full circle. 

Today, I am still a part of my parish, but in a different role. From being a youth who was encouraged to step forward and discover what I could do, I have now become a PYAT member, encouraging the youth to do the same. 

I still believe in the power of young people getting involved, taking part, volunteering, performing, speaking, singing, dancing, organising, or simply trying something they have never tried before. That is why I want to say something especially to parents. 

I completely understand that school, college and academics are important. They shape a young person's future, and cannot be ignored. But there is also a world beyond classrooms. 

It is in that world that many young people discover a different side of themselves. A child who is quiet in school may find confidence on a church stage. Someone who struggles to speak in a classroom may discover that they can lead a group. Someone who thinks they are not good at anything may discover a talent they never knew they had. 

The Church can be that space. 

It can be a place where young people can be themselves, meet people, try new things, and discover who they are becoming. 

I often think: What if I had never gone forward that first time? What if my parish had never given me the opportunity to hold that microphone? 

I may never have discovered the person I was meant to become. 

Today, I am grateful not just for being a professional compère, but for the journey that brought me here. My career may have taken me to bigger stages, but my first stage will always be my parish. 

The Church gave me the confidence to find my voice. It gave me people who believed in me before I had a reason to believe in myself. Most importantly, it taught me that a talent is not only something you possess; it is something you can give. 

So, to every young person reading this: come forward. Try. Volunteer. Join the Youth Group. Say 'yes' to something that scares you. 

And to every parent: give your child that chance. 

You never know what might begin with something as simple as a young person standing on a church stage, holding a microphone for the very first time. 

Because sometimes, the place where you discover your talent is also the place where God begins to show you what you are meant to do with it.

 Fabian Rocha is a professional compère who began his journey as a member of his parish Youth Group.