Category Archives: World Youth Day

Australian Catholics prepare for World Youth Day 2027

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Preparations for World Youth Day Seoul 2027 are building across Australia.

Pilgrimage coordinators from dioceses, eparchies and Catholic organisations met recently through the National World Youth Day Coordinators Network, facilitated by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s National Centre for Evangelisation (NCE).

Since April, the network has met monthly, supporting pilgrimage leaders through prayer, formation and shared experience.

More than 35 coordinators and leaders met on June 11 in a hybrid gathering at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney and online.

The session was facilitated by Qwayne Guevara, Facilitator for Young People and Formation, and Malcolm Hart, Director of the NCE.

Father Michael Kong of the Archdiocese of Melbourne provided insights into Korean culture and faith.

The participation reflects the commitment of Australia’s bishops to World Youth Day, with dioceses appointing coordinators and leadership teams to accompany young people on pilgrimage.

Bishop George Kolodziej SDS, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference delegate for youth, encouraged young people to consider the pilgrimage in his recent diocesan launch.

“Dear young people, come with me on pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2027. Come and experience the beauty of the universal Church, young people from every nation, united in one faith,” Bishop George said.

Ms Guevara said the network is focused on supporting and equipping leaders and facilitating collaboration and community.

“World Youth Day is a rare opportunity where young people experience the Church in its fullness,” she said.

“They encounter Christ through millions of people across cultures, languages and expressions of faith and realise they belong to something much bigger than themselves.

“This is not something new. It is God continuing what has already been unfolding in the life of the Church.

“My hope is that Seoul deepens that story, strengthening communion across the Church in Australia and drawing out the gifts and leadership already emerging in young people, especially as we move towards the International Eucharistic Congress in 2028.”

The National World Youth Day Coordinators Network will continue to meet throughout 2026 and 2027 as preparations for Seoul continue.

World Youth Day will be held from August 3-8, 2027.

Young Australians get set for World Youth Day Panama

More than 1000 young people from across Australia will be jetting off to Panama this week to attend World Youth Day, which begins on January 22.

Malcolm Hart, director of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s Office for Youth, is helping coordinate the bishops’ pilgrimage of approximately 700 people across 12 groups from throughout Australia. Continue reading →

Cosmos named ACBC Official Tour Operator for World Youth Day, Panama 2019

28164636443_5d1773f074_o_200Cosmos will be the official tour operator to coordinate the Australian pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD) 2019 in Panama, Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, the Australian Catholic Bishops Delegate for Youth announced today.

After facilitating a rigorous process of informing, identifying and selecting a company to support the Australian pilgrimage, the Australian Bishops selected Cosmos as the company that will manage up to 30 groups and over 1,000 pilgrims.

Cosmos managed the successful Australian pilgrimages to WYD 2016 in Krakow, as the ACBC Tour Operator. Cosmos is continuing to build on its extensive experience in offering affordable tours across the globe, which includes a range of pilgrimage experiences. Cosmos caters for over 40,000 clients each year and is part of the Globus Family of Brands, one of the world’s largest touring companies.

Archbishop Anthony said, “I am happy to announce the appointment of Cosmos as our tour operator for WYD 2019 in Panama as it provides young people and the Church in Australia a great opportunity to encounter the Catholic Church in Central America and to encounter Pope Francis through the WYD experience. Continue reading →

Youth leaders fly to Rome to plan Synod 2018 and World Youth Day 2019

Ashleigh Green

Ashleigh Green

Australian Catholic youth leaders will fly to Rome next month to help plan two major events for young people.

Ashleigh Green, a young woman from the Broken Bay Diocese and Malcolm Hart, Director of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Office for Youth, will head to Rome in the first week of April, to participate at an international meeting about World Youth Day (WYD) and the upcoming Synod on young people.

The five-day gathering will focus on the theme, From Krakow to Panama – The Synod Journeying with Young People. It will include an evaluation of WYD in Krakow during 2016 and will look ahead to WYD in Panama during 2019. Time will be spent on the pastoral and logistical preparations required. Members of both the Polish and Panamanian organising committees will be present.

Ashleigh Green was part of the Diocese of Broken Bay’s WYD pilgrimage to Krakow. Continue reading →

Look to Mary as the model of mercy, Archbishop Prowse suggests during World Youth Day

Archbishop Prowse

Archbishop Prowse

On Friday 29 July, Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, Christopher Prowse, delivered his third catechesis during World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland. Australian pilgrims gathered in the ‘big top’ tent to hear his talk about Mary who is the model of mercy.

Today’s third and final catechesis is titled, “Lord, make me an Instrument of Your Mercy”.

When I think of Mercy, I think of Mary, the Mother of God. We are given the great gift of her praise of God in her encounter with her cousin Elizabeth. It is called The Magnificat. In the Magnificat, Mary says, “His mercy is without end.” I like to think of Mary as the Missionary of Mercy. Continue reading →

Pope calls young people to teach us how to live in diversity, in dialogue and to experience multiculturalism

Pope Francis arriving at Campus Misericordiae

World Youth Day, Prayer Vigil, 30 July 2016

Dear Young Friends, good evening!

It is good to be here with you at this Prayer Vigil!

At the end of her powerful and moving witness, Rand asked something of us.  She said: “I earnestly ask you to pray for my beloved country”.  Her story, involving war, grief and loss, ended with a request for prayers.  Is there a better way for us to begin our vigil than by praying?

We have come here from different parts of the world, from different continents, countries, languages, cultures and peoples.  Some of us are sons and daughters of nations that may be at odds and engaged in various conflicts or even open war.  Others of us come from countries that may be at “peace”, free of war and conflict, where most of the terrible things occurring in our world are simply a story on the evening news.  But think about it. Continue reading →

Now is the time of mercy, Cardinal Dolan told Aussie pilgrims

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York

Cardinal Timothy Dolan

When it comes to god we are all Olympic gold medalists at putting things off, when it comes to critical things in life, we are experts at putting things off. That’s why today’s catechesis, ‘Now is the Time of Mercy‘ is so critical at this time, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, told hundreds of Aussies pilgrims during World Youth Day.

‘We live on Gods mercy. We don’t and shouldn’t delay with God. We should’t put things off.’ 

Quoting St Augustine, the Cardinal said, ‘we will always have God’s mercy, we might not have tomorrow but we will always have God’s mercy. Haunting, isn’t it? That’s why now is the time of mercy’.

Gathered in a packed tent on Wednesday 27 July, Cardinal Dolan delivered an engaging, urgent and compassionate talk to young people at the english speaking catechesis site. Continue reading →