By Emilie Ng
DETERMINED youth on a mission to evangelise showed 22-year-old Janina Manalo a new reason to love the Catholic faith.
Miss Manalo, a member of Brisbane’s Filipino Catholic community, met members of the Singles for Christ group, part of lay ecclesial movement Couples for Christ, three years ago.
The chance meeting has given Miss Manalo, now an active member of the SFC community, a fresh understanding of what it means to be a Catholic.
“The SFC community makes my faith grow more,” Miss Manalo said.
“God affects so many lives, and only God makes lives so much happier.”
The recent university graduate attended her second National SFC Conference, held in Brisbane earlier this month. More than 100 young people from Australia gathered in Brisbane.
Miss Manalo said the conference helped her to connect with other young people “whose faith is strong”.
“Young people from all over Australia came to celebrate God and express their love for Him and worship Him,” she said.
“Mainstream media equates religious people as boring or prudes, but SFC shows how lively and happy you can be as a Catholic.
“I am in the right place, and faith is not boring but equals joy,” she said.
Although the community is made up of non-married young people, many of whom are engaged, Miss Manalo said a person’s marital status was “not the main point” of SFC.
“It’s being with people of the same faith, and getting through society’s expectations without letting go of your faith,” she said.
“The SFC community is great if you’re lost in your faith and looking for people who won’t judge you for your beliefs and principles.”
