By Joe Melhem
What have we done so far?
In preparation for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) in Perth, we have been meeting fortnightly on a Sunday night for our formation sessions over a period of eight weeks. During these formation sessions, we’ve been playing a bunch of games and getting to know one another in a small group setting, watching videos prepared by the Archdiocesan Office for Youth (AOY) and discussing them together.
For me as a leader, it has been a great pleasure getting to know all of the students, as they are all very gifted and talented in their own unique way. Watching the students flourish throughout this preparation period has also been a great joy and I am very excited to see how God changes their lives on this trip. We have also had two major fundraisers for our trip: the Grand Final Eve Trivia Night and the Rotary Market. These were both a big success and have been great community builders for not only us as a Youth group but for the wider Parish community. We are very grateful for all of your generosity and support.
What we are excited about?
I am excited for the youth at Holy Family to experience the electric atmosphere of ACYF, to make life-long friends and for them to experience the love of God in a radical and life-changing way.
I have heard from some of the students that they are excited to go and see Perth as a group and to get to know one another more. They have also mentioned that they are excited for the ACYF Experience and to delve deeper into their faith. I heard one girl mention in a small group that she feels like a puzzle piece is missing in her life and she thinks that this missing piece is a relationship with God, which she hopes to find at ACYF. The excitement is tangibly building as we only have one final meeting before we head off at the start of December – Perth, here we come!
What we are going to do when we’re there?
We do have lots planned whilst we are over in Perth; we plan on doing some sight-seeing and enjoying what sunny Perth has on offer for us! During the festival itself, there will be many amazing speakers and artists who are flying over from all around the world to perform at ACYF. They will be forming us in the faith and addressing the challenges of being a young Catholic today and, most importantly, leading us to an encounter with Jesus.
Some of these speakers are Katie Prejean, who travels all around North America giving talks that range from Jesus in the Eucharist to the best shows to watch on Netflix. Her talks are filled with humour, engaging stories and substantial and engaging teachings that will help us to live out our Faith and our relationship with God. Artists who will be performing and speaking will be our very own Fr Rob Galea and American Joe Melendrez, a hip-hop artist who will be performing his songs, which are all about living out your faith in confidence and courage.
ACYF19 takes place in Perth from 8-10 December.
#Perth #Fomoisreal #MELBS