From 22nd – 25th March 2013, Maximilian Niessen, European Coordinator of the European Coordination JECI-MIEC, attended the 10th national meeting of JECI-MIEC’s national member organization Enosi Katholikis Neolias Elladas (EKNE Greece) after having been invited to this event by the national board of EKNE in order to represent the European Team of JECI-MIEC.
Beforehand the meeting, on the 21st March 2013, Maximilian already took the opportunity to visit the national chaplain of the university students’ organization Enosi Katholikon Phititon Elladas (EKFE Greece), Rev. Prof. Michalis Roussou SJ, with whom he had a very fruitful exchange on how to make the cultural identity of Europe graspable for young people.
The national meeting of EKNE itself gathered 94 young people aged from 16-30 from Catholic highschool students’ groups from all over Greece, particularly Athens, Thessaloniki, Tinos, Syros, Korfu, Krete, Patra and Santorini. Organized by the EKNE local group from Athens the meeting took place in the Catholic secondary school Agios Iosiph and focused this year on the motto for the WYD 2013 “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Math. 28,19).
The daily morning program consisted of two elements: Games and reflections on scripture texts from the New Testament (both gospels and letters). The priests facilitating these spiritual animations put very much effort into an interactive and participant-centered approach which resulted in really fruitful discussions. In the afternoons there was a prayer and adoration of the holy sacrament on the 23rd March and a holy mass with the Archbishop of Athens, Excellency archbishop Nikolaos Phoskolos, on the 24th March. Furthermore the national board of EKNE gathered for its annual statutory meeting. Afterwards the participants had the chance to enjoy informal evenings in Athens. At this occasion, Maximilian Niessen also had the chance to get into contact with Catholic students from Albania and Kosovo.
