On June 27, 2026, the Catholic Organizations for Youth in Asia (COYA) celebrated 20 years of serving young people with a gathering themed “Living the Pentecost: 20 Years of Communion and Mission.” During the event, Dr. Joy Candelario spoke about synodality in COYA, highlighting the importance of patient accompaniment, especially in the context of discernment, and the value of shared synodal formation among member organizations. The gathering concluded with a renewed commitment to journey together in communion, holding fast to the reminder that a synodal Church leaves no one behind.
Meeting COYA’s Legacy of Perseverance
Kim Anh also found herself drawn back to the origins of COYA, born years ago when a small circle of young people gathered around a coffee table to share their dreams and hopes for the generation after them. It echoed, she said, her own experience of writing her Development Action Plan during her formation year, a season that eventually led her to her internship at IFFAsia. From that memory came a quiet hope: that Vietnamese youth, too, might one day find a welcoming, listening, and synodal space of their own, free of barriers.
Looking ahead, she saw possibilities for collaboration between IFFAsia, Fondacio, and COYA’s member organizations through synodal formation, livelihood projects, and internship ministries, as well as smaller joint efforts among youth, such as outreach programs, youth encounters, and training camps.
“These experiences help me to reflect on my journey that I am pursuing. As a young person, I feel blessed to have an opportunity to encounter this welcoming space, witnessing how the senior ones still put effort into sustaining the space for their younger generations. It empowers me on how I can continuously live my life purposefully and help other youth to live meaningfully through daily life actions.”
A Network Bound by Shared Mission
Catholic Organizations for Youth in Asia (COYA) is a network of Catholic lay organizations and ecclesial movements dedicated to working for, with, and by the youth. The network’s origins trace back to 2007, when the Youth Desk of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) initiated a meeting of active Catholic youth organizations in Asia, leading to COYA’s formal founding in 2008. Fondacio Asia is among its member organizations, alongside other youth movements, each contributing its own unique mission within the wider network.