The Holy Mass celebration, in the Renovabis hall, which was animated by the song of the band Mali Rim from Sarajevo's Stup parish, was led by the Vicar General of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese, Msgr. Slađan Ćosić, with the concelebration of the secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Javier Camañes-Forés, director of the NCM, Rev. Šime Maršić and 15 other priests, among whom was a delegation from the Diocese of Linz led by the vicar general, Msgr. Severin Lederhilger.

Like a caring mother...

At the beginning of the Holy Mass, Director Maršić gave words of greeting and welcome. "Our patron Pope John Paul II. encouraged young people to learn, believe and act readily and courageously. Dear friends, we at this Centre - employees and volunteers - want to follow Jesus. We want to be a place where young people will grow in knowledge and personal faith and through their actions witness the merciful face of God - in a special way towards those who are on the edge", said, among others, Rev. Šimo.

In the appropriate sermon, Msgr. Ćosić introduced by recalling the vigil in Rome on August 19^th 2000, which was attended by more than a million young people to whom Pope Wojtyla gave the Gospel, noting that the words contained in it are the words of Jesus! "That word, he added, arouses in young people the desire to do something great with their lives, to follow an ideal, to reject mediocrity, to bravely, humbly and persistently strive to improve themselves and society. With his words, and even more with his gift, the Pope in that meeting, as in many others, won the hearts of the young people who greeted him with a long round of applause. We ask ourselves: why? The answer to this question is found in a passage from the Epistle to the Thessalonians. Wishing to show the Thessalonians that his intentions are pure, St. Paul emphasizes that what he presented to them - which is the 'gospel of God' (2:2) - is free from any form of personal interest (...) Using the words of St. Paul, I end my thoughts with a prayer and a wish that the Archdiocese Youth Centre continues to be like a caring mother who shows her care and love for young people by presenting beauty, sweetness, purity, tenderness, kindness, gentleness, clarity, truth and much more, which is contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. At the same time, I ask that you, dear young people, continue to respond readily and generously to the mission you have in our local Church - and that is to give Jesus Christ to others with courage and love", concluded Msgr. Ćosić.

A place that has become a home for young people

After the service, the celebration continued with an appropriate program led this year by former NCM employee Josip Milanović.

After welcoming the crowd, thanking everyone who has made the Centre a "home of youth" for 17 years, and presenting projects and activities over the past year, he invited the band Mali Rim, who opened the program with the song they performed at this year's Marijafest BiH.

Then the student Darko Tusun from Mostar read the paper The power of one pen - If I had power for one day!, with which he won the NCM competition for the best literary work as part of the Youth and Democracy project.

Since the Centre achieves numerous successful collaborations with various institutions through its projects, part of it - and as part of the Because we care project - is Bila Primary School, whose fifth-grade students performed a short play called In other people's shoes.

NCM implements a project based on the creation of an inclusive society for people with intellectual disabilities, which it implements with the Association for Support of People with Intellectual Disabilities Oaza, parish of St. Luke - Novi Grad and the parish Assumption of BVM - Stup. On this occasion, Oaza users performed the anthem of their association.

Also, for more than 10 years, it has been implementing the project Little signs into life, through which it gathers children without parental care from children's homes and provides them with the opportunity, through various projects and activities, to feel togetherness, love and support. Therefore, the participants of this project performed a hip-hop choreography, and after that the student Adisa Gagula, who has been a part of this project since the beginning, shared her story.

Next, host Milanović reminded that the Renovabis hall - where the program took place - was opened 10 years ago and mentioned some of the numerous events it hosted. "On its 10^th birthday, the Renovabis hall, in addition to celebrating years of togetherness and joy, will become a place from which young people, participants of the interreligious project Let's Walk Together, send messages of peace, understanding and mutual love", he said, and then the young people sent their messages of peace in 11 world languages.

At the end, a concert was arranged for the young people in the hall, and the socializing continued with a reception in the restaurant and hall of the NCM.