Tag Archives: Australian Catholic Youth Festival

Excitement builds towards biggest faith festival for young people in a decade

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP with young people from Sydney at ACYF in Adelaide, 2015.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP with young people from Sydney at ACYF in Adelaide, 2015.

Blogging for the ACBC Media Blog this week, Archbishop Fisher continues to extend his invitation to the biggest faith festival for young people in a decade, the Australian Catholic Youth Festival, as more than 150 groups have already registered in just two weeks. 

The estimated group size of those registered to date has a combined total of over 10,000 participants! 

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Excitement builds as ?? 15,000 young people from all around ?? will gather in Sydney for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival, December 7-9.

Pope Francis gave us our theme ”Open New Horizons for Spreading Joy” when he addressed young people at the WYD Vigil in Krakow. He gave us our subtitle ”Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment” as the theme for next year’s Synod on Youth. So you’ll be at a mini World Youth Day and a mini World Synod.? And ”Franky” is challenging us to get off our couches, lace up our runners, and get out there expanding our horizons and spreading the joy of the Good News.

So come to our 3-day horizon-expanding, joy-making, Good-News-spreading party! There will be concerts, presentations, expos, justice and service activities, oodles of options. ?Youth meet God. Faith meets fun. Church meets the City.?❤️

It’s for Years 9 to 12 schoolies, for Uni students, and for young adults up to 30.

A chance to go a bit public about your faith and ideals with 15,000 of your closest friends ???‍?‍?‍?. To ask your big questions❓ and have the Church listen to you ?. And lots of help working out what to do next with your life.

The Australian Catholic Youth Festival is for you, for Jesus, and for the future of our world.

Join me from our humongous opening Plenary on Thurs 7 Dec at Olympic Park till the Mother of All Masses on Sat 9 Dec at the Domain. Pope Francis’ words are for you: “Blaze new trails… open up new horizons… spread joy: the joy that is born of God’s love and wells up in your hearts with every act of mercy!”?

See you there!

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP?

More info, www.acyf.org.au

International Catholic megastar confirmed for Australian Catholic Youth Festival

MM-announce-hero-web_200Matt Maher is arguably the biggest Catholic name in global contemporary Christian music and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference is delighted to announce he will be coming to Sydney for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival from 7-9 December 2017.

The internationally acclaimed Canadian songwriter and worship leader is heading to Australia with his band to join with 15,000 young people at the biggest Festival of its kind to be held in the country. He will perform, lead worship and provide engaging input on each day of the three-day Festival at Sydney Olympic Park including Sydney Showgrounds, Qudos Bank Arena and The Domain.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney and the Australian Catholic Bishops Delegate for Youth made the announcement today.

‘Matt Maher’s music is a powerful tool to reach young people and we’re so pleased to be welcoming this highly acclaimed artist for the ACYF,’ Archbishop Fisher said. Continue reading →

Registration opens online for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP

With seven months to go, online registration officially opened this morning for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) in Sydney from 7-9 December 2017.

Among the first to register were a number of the Bishops of Australia while gathered in Sydney for their biannual Plenary Meeting.

The Festival registration process can be completed on mobile or tablet devices. Alternatively, groups and individuals can register online at, www.acyf.org.au.

Groups are encouraged to register early with an additional incentive of a complimentary registration per organisation, for all groups of more than ten, that register before 31 May 2017. Continue reading →

Church calls Australian youth to showcase their talents ahead of major youth festival

acyf17-logo_200Young people across Australia are invited to showcase their musical, artistic and film making talents ahead of the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) later this year.

For all singers and songwriters out there, the Festival is seeking entries for the official theme song of ACYF. Do you have what it takes or do you know someone who could compose the lyrics for the official song to be professionally recorded and sung by more than 15,000 young people this December?

This exciting opportunity is open to all ages, however the song must appeal to young people by engaging them in a way that touches their hearts and minds. The song must reflect the joyful and exciting atmosphere of the Festival. As an agent of evangelisation, the song should draw young people to Jesus and the Church. Entries close on 26 May 2017.

The Australian Catholic Youth Festival is also seeking entries to a short film competition and an art competition that will be curated into an exhibition at the Festival to be held at Sydney Olympic Park from 7 to 9 December 2017. Continue reading →

One Year to Go to Australia’s Biggest Catholic Youth Festival in Sydney

acyf17-logo_200One year from today, thousands of young people will gather for the final Mass of the Australian Catholic Youth Festival to be held in Sydney from 7 to 9 December 2017.

The three-day Festival is a youthful and energetic celebration hosted by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in partnership with the Archdiocese of Sydney. The surrounding dioceses and Catholic agencies are generously supporting this whole of Church celebration.

The event will be held at Sydney Olympic Park and at other key locations in the city. It is expected to attract 15,000 young people who will celebrate their faith together while also acknowledging ten years since Sydney hosted World Youth Day in 2008. Continue reading →

Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinators gather as a community

youth-ministers_200The Australian Network of Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinators (ANDYMC) was established in 1998 to support and advocate for the specific needs of Diocesan Youth Ministry and those ministering within it. Close to 20 years later the network works throughout the year to share ideas, resources and formation opportunities with its members.

Once a year ANDYMC gathers as a community specifically to share our joys and challenges of youth ministry, to collaborate on fresh initiatives and participate in professional development. Continue reading →

#Tech-savvyCatholicYouthFestival

The rapid pick-up of new social media applications by Catholic youth is playing a major part in the coordination, planning and delivery of the next Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) to be held in Adelaide in December.

“Over the last five years social media has become an essential part of communicating any event, particularly to young people,” said Gabrielle Sinclair, project manager for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) Office for Youth. Continue reading →