As publishers of YOUCAT, we are pleased that we have been able to continue the success story of the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church in 2020, despite the pandemic. YOUCAT has so far been published in 58 languages, and the children’s edition, YOUCAT for KIDS, in 24 languages. Through publishing activities, about 540,000 books were distributed last year and another 145,000 through pastoral book projects. With an edition in Mongolian and one in Urdu, two more translations were launched and regionalised editions were produced for French and English-speaking Africa.
But also digitally, YOUCAT is now at the cutting edge. Digital offers such as the YOUCAT Daily App have been very well received by young people. In addition to the Gospel of the day, users receive new impulses from YOUCAT (“what we believe”) or DOCAT (“what we do”). More than 400,000 users took advantage of these digital offers in 2020. In the process, educational content that was not only innovatively presented, but true to the faith was studied and shared digitally a total of more than six million times.
I entrust you with the YOUCAT for Kids. Never grow tired of asking questions and talking about your faith.
Pope Francis
In many places, an increasing number of local initiatives are also being prepared to work with the YOUCAT materials. The development in India in 2020 was particularly pleasing. The lay initiative YOUCAT India, which was founded there, was recently officially recognised by the Indian Bishops’ Conference and included in its structures as a multiplier for new evangelisation.
Naturally, there were also negative effects in 2020 due to the pandemic; for instance, the mission project YOUNG MISSIO, a course for young catechists who would like to pass on their faith to other young people that was successfully launched in 2019, and the follow-up project YOUCAT Lourdes planned for 2020 unfortunately could not take place. So it was all the more gratifying that it is back on the agenda in 2021 as a project for new evangelisation, despite the adverse circumstances.
On www.youcat.org all details to the books such as the YOUCAT Daily mobile app can be found. It is also possible to order individual copies there.
