"Young people are the future of the Church and of society". Monsignor Robert Rivas, Bishop of Kingstown (Lesser Antilles)is convinced of this, in particular during these days in Cologne where he came to accompany young Caribbeans to the 20th World Youth Day. "The WYD said the bishop is a wonderful experience because it shows how young the Church is. One cannot deny its vitality when you see the energy and enthusiasm of all these youngsters". Taking the words of Pope John Paul II, Monsignor Rivas remarked how "young people are truly the strength of the Church and of society because they know how to put Jesus in the centre of their life". For the bishop, on seeing these manifestations of young faith said "it is an injection of energy". "We should know how to put to good use the generosity and good heart of young people, he concluded. Youngsters in the Caribbean are very generous. The Bishops’ Conferences in our countries have therefore decided to launch a project which involves youngsters in popular missions for the churches in difficulty".
