Fr Christian Fini OMI launches Youth Festival
By Malcolm Hart
The Australian Catholic Youth Festival will be held on December 5-7, 2013 in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Festival will invite young people from Year 9 to 25 years of age to come together for an encounter with the Catholic Church in Australia.
To prepare for the Festival, the National Steering Committee has announced a timeline for information releases and briefing meetings. These dates will provide assistance to coordinators as they prepare to promote and develop plans to attend the Festival.
| April 8 | Release of costs and inclusions, program structure and schedule, accommodation support, partners, etc. |
| April 15-29 | National promotional material distribution |
| April 30 | 1st Youth Festival National Briefing Day (Melbourne) |
| Festival Registrations open nationally | |
| August | Additional promotional material supplied |
| September 20 | Early bird registrations close |
| October 1st | 2nd Youth Festival National Briefing Day (Melbourne) |
| October 25 | Registrations close |
Fr Christian Fini, Chairperson of the Steering Committee, invites all those considering bringing groups to the Festival to review the timeline above and to commence planning for their attendance at the Festival.
“The Youth Festival is a significant undertaking of the Church in Australia and will be a great moment for the young Church to celebrate their faith. Everyone is encouraged to consider how they might attend or be a part of the Festival.”
In particular Fr Fini identifies two dates that are important for those preparing to attend the Festival.
WYD gathering of Australians in Madrid
“The Steering Committee invites youth ministers from around the country to Melbourne on April 30th and October 1st for briefing meetings about the Festival. The first meeting in April will include an outline on planning and support for groups as well as a proposed site visit to the Festival venue, Australian Catholic University St Patrick’s Campus Melbourne.”
The Australian Catholic Youth Festival will be the first national youth gathering held by the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life, a commission of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference responsible for national issues of pastoral care and the inclusion of youth.
Malcolm Hart, the Senior Youth Ministry Projects Officer in the Secretariat for Pastoral Life, identified some of the aspects of the Festival and highlighted some of the things to expect at the event.
“The Festival will be a celebration of the Church in Australia and the role of young people in it. It will build upon the highly successful Australian Gathering at WYD 2011 Madrid, and provide a variety of workshops, music and other experiences which showcase the work of the Church in Australia.”
Approximately 3000 young people are expected to attend the Festival in December.
For further information about the Festival visit www.youthfestival.catholic.org.au and register your email address for regular updates and information.