Espiritu Joven
Espiritu Joven is a Catholic youth movement in Cuba, focused on foreign Catholic medical students. Espiritu Joven was started by a Catholic monk, Sr. Cristina S.M and three medical students in ELAM (Escuela Latino Americana de Medicina), in Havana, Cuba, in 1999.
History
The Espiritu Joven started the movement in its home school, ELAM, on 28 October 1999, the Feast of St. Jude Thaddeus. In 1999, the ELAM started, and Catholic students from Latin America faced problems in gathering and doing their prayer activities during the weekdays. Other than Sunday masses, there were no activities inside ELAM to quench their thirst for the Lord. To solve these problems, A Catholic nun Sr. Cristina SM, from Colombia who was serving as a Missionary in Havana and several Catholic students from Latin America started the movement on the day of St. Jude on October 28, 1999.
Presence outside the ELAM
The Espiritu Joven has started its presence outside of the ELAM in 2001, when the first badge students went to provinces with the process of decentralization. From 2001, Espiritu Joven is having its branches all over Cuba. Cuban provinces such as, Pinar del Rio, Villa Clara, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba and Las Tunas are having branches other than the capital, Havana. In Havana, medical faculties, other than ELAM, Salvador Allende, Julio Trigo, Miguel Enríquez and Vitoria de Giron are having their branches.
Coordination
The Coordination and spiritual direction of Espiritu Joven, depends on the branch. All branches have their own coordination and the spiritual direction. In ELAM, the Home Branch, Sr. Maria Cristina Palacio S.M., the founder of Espiritu Joven, acting as a spiritual guide from 1999 with Sr. Gabriela Ines from 2012. In the ELAM, the coordination is having by an eight members committee, which changes every year.
Coordination in ELAM - 2013-2014
- Walky Dariela Zúniga
- Magdalena Chiroy
- Kiria Mayen
- Maz Santos
- Germania Ramos
- Lilian Angelica Suy
- Margurie
- Adie Patrick Adie
Coordination in ELAM - 2012-2013
- Jose Norwing Manzanarez
- Emilio Melendez
- Magdalena Chiroy
- Andrea Rosales
- Christina Malima
- Jorge Ferreira da Silva
- Everly Haydee Abac
- Dineshkumar Anton Somarajah
Coordination in ELAM - 2011-2012
- Reina Reyes Reyes
- William Castro Lopez
- Luis Gerrardo
- Every Abac
- Christina Malima
- Cristine Marie Galope
- Kelvin
- Santos
Presence of non-Spanish speakers
From 2010, when the non=Spanish speakers started to come to ELAM in a big quantity, Espiritu Joven opened for them also, especially in the coordination. In 2012, Espritu Joven started its services in English, other than Spanish, for the English speakers in ELAM.
References
{{https://www.instagram.com/espiritujovencuba/}