Outgoing IYCW president Ludovicus Mardiyono (l) with incoming president Sarah Prenger
The International YCW has elected Sarah Prenger, a fulltime worker from the German CAJ, as its new president.
Sarah is the first German to become president of the IYCW and also the first European since Enrique Del Rio of Spain, who was president from 1969 - 1975.
Argentinian ex-JOC leader and IYCW lay collaborator, Jose Serapio (Pepe) Palacio, was remembered at a memorial Mass at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre in Chennai, India, on Sunday 13 December, forty years to the day after he was killed by military or para-military forces.
Two days earlier on 11 December 1975, Palacio had been abducted after leaving his trade union office in Buenos Aires, becoming one of thousands of "desaparecidos", i.e. people who "disappeared" in the Southern Cone countries of Latin America under the military and military-dominated governments of that period.
On 13 December 1975, a large group of up to 80 armed men descended on the family home, taking almost all of his personal documentation and photos recording his life work as a JOC leader, trade unionist, and activist in the MOAC (Christian Worker movement).
His wife, Amalia Castaño de Palacio, who had also been a JOCF leader and fulltimer, and their three sons were left in the dark for decades concerning the fate of their husband and father, recalls Jose Luis Palacio, eldest son of Pepe Palacio, who was then fourteen years old.
Earlier in 1975, the IYCW had appointed Pepe Palacio as its first lay collaborator.
"He was a person respected by all the former YCWs," according to Enrique Del Rio, then-president of the IYCW, "and it was precisely for that reason that our international team, in agreement with the Latin American team, proposed him as a 'lay chaplain'.”
"Unfortunately, he did not have the opportunity to take up that responsibility because of the military repression in Argentina at that time.
"We had very little information then. However, in a very informal manner, we heard that he had been assassinated by Argentine military," Del Rio noted in a message for the 40th anniversary.
Days after Palacio's disappearance, the IYCW launched an international solidarity campaign seeking his release.
However, it was not until a later Argentinian government finally opened up access to its archives that it was confirmed that Pepe Palacio had been tortured and shot two days after his initial disappearance.
Although the exact reasons for his abduction and killing remain known, it appears likely that Pepe Palacio, who also had strong links with Chilean JOC and union leaders, may have been killed under the CIA-assisted Operation Condor program to assassinate union and popular leaders suspected of links to the left, Jose Luis Palacio believes.
Jose Luis, his wife Stella Maris, and their daughter Belen, took part in the Memorial Mass celebrated by current Chennai Archdiocese youth chaplain, Fr Varghese Rozario. Ironically, it was also the 29th wedding anniversary for Jose Luis and Stella Maris, who had been married in 1986, before the details of the death of Pepe Palacio were known.
Prior to the Mass, CCI members honoured the memory of Pepe Palacio at a special commemorative session. In a message for the event, current IYCW president, Ludovicus Mardiyono noted that he "was disappeared for the sake of struggle for new society that he and we dream about."
"Please trust me that the life of your father will always written and stay in our heart, in the heart of young workers, women and men and in the heart of YCW that will encourage us to do more and take action to achieve what he also want to have, it is Just Work and Dignified Life for all young workers," he added.
Former YCW India and CCI chaplain, Fr Soosai Servatius, also celebrated another memorial Mass in Nagercoil, in India's Kanyakumari district on 11 December.
A Belgian committee working for the canonisation of Joseph Cardijn began work following a meeting in Diest on 29 August.
Fr Felix Van Meerbergen called the meeting in response to the CCI appeal launched during the Vatican 2+50: A Cardijn Perspective conference held in Manila, Philippines last October.
"It surprised me that preparations were never made to investigate whether Cardinal Joseph Cardijn could be canonised," Fr Felix said after the meeting.
"The founder of the Young Christian Workers has inspired countless enthusiastic young people and enthusiastic. It also played a large part in my calling to follow his example (as a priest).
"Then came from Asia and the Pacific a sudden demand for the canonisation of Cardijn.
"Cardijn's passionate fight for justice was never detached from a union with Christ and his love for the Catholic Church.
"It's not nostalgia. It is a revitalisation, a revitalisation of the Christian Workers Movement. Cardijn has great prophetic content, he is a prophet for our time," Fr Felix explained.
International YCW president Ludovicus Mardiyono also took part in the meeting.
"It was good to be with you and former YCWs to start a huge mission for the beatification of Cardinal Cardijn," Mardi commented.
CCI Secretary General MJ Ruben added that "Although we are not physically there, CCI is united with your efforts...we are doing our best to promote this cause...."
CCI Canonisation Committee Convenor has also called a meeting to take place in Trichy, India on 21-22 September 2013.
"Fr Servatius will also visit Belgium in November this year to meet Fr Felix Van Meerbergen and his team...to express our support and also to offer all possible assistance...," Ruben added.
Photo: Canonisation committee meeting, Diest, Belgium. Photo by Ludovicus Mardiyono
Laid off workers at the PT Micro Garment factory in Bandung, Indonesia are continuing to protest without success.
"Until today (June 22, 2011) there has been no real action from the authorities both at regional or national level to protect the workers who have been laid off unilaterally by employer PT. Micro Garment, Bandung, Indonesia," writes Ludovicus Mardiyono, from the International Network for Indonesia YCW.
"Actions continues by 186 workers who have been laid off. Today (June 22, 2011) until June 24, 2011 workers will came abuzz to the office of the Minister of labor and Transmigration, in Jakarta. They will stay in the office of the Minister to urge the Minister to intervene and resolve these mass layoffs case.
"To finance all this actions, the laid off worker has pawned their jewelry and motor bikes. In addition, this action is also supported by trade unions in Jakarta, Bekasi and Yogyakarta, which collects funds by busking on the market and city buses.
"Demands of the workers is that they be reinstated in accordance with the rules of wage employment Act. Their plan to dwell in labor minister office for 3 days and held talks with Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, Mr Muhaimin Iskandar.
"If possible (cost enough) they will come abuzz to the office of president and parliament which are not far from the Minister office.
"Call for support is expected from all sides both politically and financially. We thanks to all those who submitted their shouts to the government in Indonesia and to employer of PT. Micro Garment, also to the donors who have been providing financial support for our action," he said.
Action will continue until the demand for reinstatement of the workers is met, Mardiyono concluded.
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