The Victorian World Youth Day Pilgrimage gathered together in Melbourne on Saturday, May 23 to prepare for the pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD) in Krakow, Poland in July 2016.
Around three hundred pilgrims gathered for a day of getting to know each other, formation and prayer as well as the challenge of an Amazing Race! The day began with a Leaders’ Preparation and Formation session, then at 11am all the pilgrims gathered together for the first time. Continue reading
Bishop Anthony Fisher
Monday, 26 November 2012
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Australian Catholic Youth Festival : 5 – 7 December 2013, Melbourne
In December 2013 the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference will host the first Australian Catholic Youth Festival. The Festival is anticipated to be the largest national gathering of Catholic young people since WYD 2008.
You are invited to begin promoting and preparing for the Festival and supporting young people from your community to attend.
The Festival will be held from Thursday, 5 December to Saturday, 7 December. It will be held at the Australian Catholic University (ACU) St Patrick’s Campus in East Melbourne, as well as at the East Melbourne Catholic Precinct, including St Patrick’s Cathedral and other nearby churches and facilities.
The Festival will invite students in the age group from Year 9 to young adults aged 25 years from schools, universities, youth groups, parishes, groups and movements throughout Australia. The venues and organisational arrangements have a capacity for 4000 young people. With your assistance we hope to reach this limit. Continue reading
Media Release
15 December, 2011
The Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life (BCPL) in partnership with The Broken Bay Institute (BBI) is happy to announce the winner of this year’s youth ministry scholarship.
Ms Lauren Cole, the Diocesan Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Rockhampton Diocese has been award a full scholarship to study the BBI-University of Newcastle Graduate Certificate in Theology, specialising in Youth and Campus Ministry in 2012 and 2013. Continue reading
Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention 2012
After the highly successful Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention (ACYMC) in Melbourne 2010 which hosted over 400 youth ministers from parishes, diocese, schools and communities around Australia, the BCPL is preparing to host another in 2012. 
Continue reading
Media Release November 3, 2011
The Bishop Commission for Pastoral Life (BCPL) in partnership with The Broken Bay Institute (BBI) is offering a number of scholarships to the value of $10,000 for study in Catholic Youth and Campus Ministry in 2012-2013.
Over the past decade Australia has experienced a significant increase in the standard and professionalism of Catholic youth ministry. From local parish initiatives, school formation programs and World Youth Days (WYD), the requirements and expectations of youth ministers have been ever increasing. Continue reading
By Archbishop John Bathersby, Archbishop of Brisbane
My brothers and sisters it is a tremendous privilege to be present in this marvellous Basilica of St Mary Major. It brings us together, and brings together also Jesus, Son of God and Saviour, and His mother Mary, Our Lady, and mother of the Church. Mary has already played significant roles in all of our lives. I grew up in Stanthorpe in the 1940s, taught by the Sisters of Mercy who constantly encouraged me to pray for a vocation to priesthood. I tried to do so, but changed my mind when I thought the Air Force was a more interesting career, only to realise that the Sisters had kept on praying for me through the power of Mary, mother of Jesus. For me Mary seemed like a furnace of prayer and I turned to her whenever I needed support for myself, or needed support assist others who asked for my prayers. Continue reading