CYO

Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) is a Roman Catholic youth organization originating in Chicago.

The first CYO was initiated by prison chaplain and auxiliary bishop Bernard J. Sheil in Chicago in 1930 during the time of the Great Depression. The first CYO was conceptualized as an athletic association. Its aim was to offer young males, especially from the working class, a community and constructive leisure activity in the hope to dissuade them from taking part in criminal activities. The first CYOs adopted structures similar to the older Protestant youth movement, the YMCA. However, unlike the YMCA, the CYO used the Catholic social teachings and the New Deal ideology. Furthermore, under the patronage of archbishop George Cardinal Mundelein, it became a core principle of CYO not to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or gender, as was common in other youth organizations of the time.

The organization's main purposes are guiding the young Catholics to live a Christian life from a young age, developing trust between peers, and living a happy life in a positive manner.

Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. Activities vary in accordance with local culture but often includes prayer, singing, charity, sales, sports and visiting the sick. In the United States, CYO is mainly known for its organized sports programs, notably boxing, basketball, baseball, track and field, and volleyball, as well as marching bands. Its athletic contests are often so competitive that CYO has been jokingly described as "Crush Your Opponents."

The logo of shared by CYO organizations is a green circle split in three sections. Each section contains one letter of the acronym.

CYO Ghana

CYO Ghana is a Catholic youth organization in Ghana. At international level CYO Ghana is a full member of the Catholic umbrella of youth organizations Fimcap. (see: Catholic Youth Organization Ghana)

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