The youth movement of St. Thomas Cathedral, Stafford has expanded its role in line with IOC decision to include women to the group. This was a great achievement as it increased participation of young women in the church Forum. This enabled couples to attend the meeting as active members, and the kids also joined the couples for meetings. Thus the OCYM emerged as an organized basic unit of the church, bringing Worship, Study, Service, and Fellowship as its prime motto. A ten member Committee is elected every year and it includes the Church Vicar (President), Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer to oversee the activities of the OCYM.

Our Objectives are:-

1. Promote the motto of the Youth Movement, namely Worship, Study, and Service in order to attain Christian virtues that enable the youth to lead a Christian life.

2. Discuss the issues that the younger generation faces in day-to-day life and find ways to strength through spiritual development.

3. Educate us about our faith, traditions, and history through questions, answers, and discussions.

4. Share church news of general interest.

5· Disseminate information about activities with a focus on faith, charity, and missionary works.

6· Develop familiarity and friendship with fellow member and their ideas.

The OCYM has regular Sunday meeting immediately after the Holy Qurbana. Since its inception, the Sunday meetings have generated special interest among the younger generation as it gave an opportunity for them to meet every week in line with the MGOCSM meeting. The EX MGOCSM members acknowledged this as a good way to bind and keep the group active in Church. Each member is given opportunities to develop leadership skills by voluntarily presenting and teaching studies based on the Bible and personal experiences. The monthly prayer meeting conducted on weekends was a true blessing to the group. The series of lectures on the Holy Qurbana by Very Rev. Aroopala was a eye opener for the members on how to prepare themselves for Holy Communion. The fellowship and friendship among the members have increased due to activities such as picnics, Talent Shows, etc. The funds raised by conducting the Talent Show are donated to charities.

We welcome all active members of the Church in the age group of 21 to 45 to participate in the OCYM activities. We have formed a Yahoo group to enable communication among members. The address is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stthomasyouth.