Paldane Church: ICYM Unit Launches ‘Book Drive’ Initiative to Revive Reading Culture
Mangaluru: The Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) unit of St. Theresa Church, Paldane, Mangaluru, has launched a ‘Book Drive’ initiative aimed at fostering a culture of reading among the youth within the parish and the wider community. The program focuses on collecting books from church members and making them available, free of charge, to individuals eager to cultivate or rekindle their reading habits.
The initiative was formally inaugurated by the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Richard Aloysius Coelho, who lauded the ICYM for its commitment to community-oriented programs. Addressing attendees, Fr. Coelho emphasized the critical importance of such initiatives, particularly in an age where engagement with mobile technology often overshadows traditional reading practices. He noted the significant decline in reading habits and commended the ICYM for proactively addressing this trend through the ‘Book Drive’.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by key members of the parish leadership, including Church Pastoral Committee Vice President Elias Fernandes, Secretary Austin Monteiro, ICYM Animator Roshan Montiero, ICYM President Vileesha Braggs, and Secretary Aashel Lobo, highlighting the broad support for the initiative within the church community.
The initial phase of the ‘Book Drive’ has yielded a substantial collection of approximately 800 books, encompassing a diverse range of genres and subjects. The collection includes storybooks, novels, books on contemporary topics such as marketing and digital technology, educational children’s charts, religious and health-related texts, and satirical writings, catering to a broad spectrum of reading interests. The ICYM unit plans to organize distribution events, making the collected books accessible to interested members and further promoting the value of reading within the community. The initiative underscores the ICYM’s dedication to fostering intellectual growth and lifelong learning among its members and the broader parish community.