Archdiocesan Youth Gather as ‘ONE’
Over 130 youth, young adults and leaders gathered from across the Archdiocese for the first One: Youth Cultural Festival and Youth Mass last month.
The Youth Festival included cultural faith sharings from leaders from Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Fiji. The sharings also included a blessing song and prayer led by the head of the Uganda Catholic Education Secretariat and the Archdiocesan African Choir.
The Youth Festival included an inspiring message by Cardinal Soane Mafi, Tonga, to the young Church. He spoke of the need for us as a Church to gather as one Church from across the Oceania region. He challenged the youth and young adults of the Church to respond to faith by fully engaging in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.
Youth Mass – Commissioning of Youth Ministry Equipping School, St Christopher’s Cathedral Canberra, 3 March 2019
The Youth Festival was followed by the Archdiocesan Youth Mass which was celebrated by Cardinal Mafi and concelebrated by Archbishop Christopher along with 16 Priests from across the Archdiocese.
Archdiocesan Youth Minister, Gerard Teng, remarked on the whole experience that “it’s so incredible seeing all the young people here expressing their faith with real truth and real honesty”
The expression of faith was evident in the Youth Mass which culminated with the blessing of the Oceania Youth Ministry Equipping School participants and launched the Year of Mission for Youth across the Archdiocese.
Equipping School participant, Erin Smart, said that “the overwhelming sense of fellowship between everyone here is amazing, people from different backgrounds and experiences coming together in the Spirit and in God is amazing”
