Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) is an international Catholic youth movement founded by Bishop Bernard Sheil in Chicago in 1930. It would become a major factor in the development of race relations in the US Catholic Church following World War II.

History

The first CYO was initiated by prison chaplain and auxiliary bishop

Bernard J. Sheil Bernard James Sheil (February 18, 1888 – September 13, 1969) was an Auxiliary Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago. Biography Born and raised in Chicago, Sheil was ordained a priest on May 3, 1910. He was named auxiliary Bishop of Chicago in 1 ...

in Chicago in 1930 during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. The first CYO was conceptualized as an athletic association. Its aim was to offer young males, especially from the working class, a community and constructive leisure activity in the hope to dissuade them from taking part in criminal activities. The first CYOs adopted structures similar to the older Protestant youth movement, the YMCA. However, unlike the YMCA, the CYO used

Catholic social teaching Catholic social teaching, commonly abbreviated CST, is an area of Catholic doctrine concerning matters of human dignity and the common good in society. The ideas address oppression, the role of the state (polity), state, subsidiarity, social o ...

s and

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

ideology. Furthermore, under the patronage of archbishop George Cardinal Mundelein, it became a core principle of CYO not to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or gender—as was common in other youth organizations of the time. CYOs operate around the world in the 21st century.

Aims

The organization's main purposes are guiding the young Catholics to live a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

life from a young age, developing trust between peers, and living a happy life in a positive manner.

Activities

Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. Activities vary in accordance with local culture but often includes prayer, singing, charity, sales, sports and visiting the sick. In the United States, CYO is mainly known for its organized sports programs, notably boxing, basketball, baseball, track and field, and volleyball, as well as drum corps. Its athletic contests are often so competitive that CYO has been jokingly described as "Crush Your Opponents."

Locations

United States

CYO operates in many dioceses in the United States, following much the same model as in the time of its founding. CYO youth sports leagues are the most recognizable feature, and teams are typically connected to individual parishes.

International

Ghana

CYO Ghana is a Catholic youth organization in Ghana. At international level CYO Ghana is a full member of the Catholic umbrella of youth organizations Fimcap. CYO Nigeria CYO Nigeria is a Catholic youth organization in Nigeria. At international level CYO Nigeria is a full member of the Catholic umbrella of youth organizations Fimcap.

Sierra Leone

CYO Sierra Leone is a Catholic youth organization in Sierra Leone. At international level CYO Sierra Leone is a full member of the Catholic umbrella of youth organizations Fimcap.

Philippines

There are also active units of this organization in the Philippines. Most units are choirs of their parishes, and they also organize various activities under sports, spiritual, social, cultural, formation, ways and means, and membership committees. All of these projects have helped in nurturing the faith of the Filipino Catholic youth, their holistic growth, leadership capabilities, cultural and artistic talents, love for the family, and for the community. CYO in the Philippines was founded by

Fr. George J. Willman FR or fr may refer to: Businesses and organizations * ''Frankfurter Rundschau'', a German newspaper * Ryanair (IATA airline code) Places * France, by ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 and NATO code ** French language (ISO 639 alpha-2 code "fr") ** Franc, a un ...

in the year 1938, with Loreto Parish in Sampaloc, Manila as the pilot unit. Its National Chaplain, Emeritus is Msgr. Francisco Tantoco, and Fr. Jerome Cruz as National Chaplain. CYO's Founder's Day is celebrated every 29 June, which is also Fr. George J. Willman's birthday.

Australia

The Catholic Youth Organisation was established in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in 1945 and had a peak membership of 20,000 in the 1950s.

References

{{Authority control Catholic youth organizations Christian organizations established in 1930 Fimcap Youth organizations based in Illinois