The Holy Cross Educational Foundation of the Province of Northeast India held its bi-annual youth festival, Spes Unica 2025, from 16-18 August at Holy Cross School in Agartala, Tripura. Over 300 Catholic students and their animators from 10 Holy Cross schools in the state of Tripura attended.

The theme for this year, “Crossing Borders, Carrying Hope,” was inspired by the Congregation’s Year of Mission. The young participants were invited to recognize that mission begins at home and in their immediate surroundings, and that each one is called to be a bearer of hope across the borders of fear, prejudice, and indifference.

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The Most Rev. Lumen Monteiro, C.S.C., Bishop of the Diocese of Agartala, and Fr. K.J. Abraham, C.S.C., Superior of the Province of North East India, were present for the opening and closing ceremonies. During the inaugural function, several Catholic government officers and educators from Agartala were felicitated for their faithful witness to gospel values in public life and society.

Over the three days, the participants engaged in cultural exchanges, competitions, leadership sessions, and moments of prayer, all designed to focus on the missionary role each young person can play in their own families, schools, neighborhoods, and the wider Church. The gathering culminated in an inspiring finale of thanksgiving and testimonies from students who committed themselves to living out their faith with renewed courage.

Speaking on the relevance of this year’s event, Fr. George Jacob, C.S.C., Secretary of HCEF, remarked: “Spes Unica has always been more than a youth festival. It is a mission space where our students encounter the Cross, our only hope, and learn to translate that hope into action. This year’s theme, drawn from the Congregation’s Year of Mission, is especially meaningful because it reminds our young people that they, too, are missionaries—sent to build bridges of hope in their everyday lives.”

Building on the momentum of this gathering, similar youth festivals are planned for students of Holy Cross schools and parishes in Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh, where the Congregation’s Province of North East India continues to serve through education and pastoral ministry.