Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, seen at the 2019 Australian Catholic Youth Festival, is inviting youth ministry leaders to attend a national consultation next month
Representatives of Australian Catholic youth and young adult ministries are invited to take part in a consultation to explore the establishment of a new national network.
Hosted by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, in partnership with the Australian network of diocesan youth ministry coordinators (ANDYMC), the online event will take place on Thursday November 25 from 7pm to 9pm AEDT.
Bishops Commission chairman Archbishop Christopher Prowse and Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green OSPPE, Bishop Delegate for Youth, will participate in the consultation, which hopes to attract representatives from youth and young adult ministries in dioceses, religious orders, ecclesial communities, universities, schools and organisations from around Australia.
Bishop Macbeth-Green said he hopes to welcome leaders of the diverse youth and young adult ministries from around Australia to explore how the Church can journey forward together.
“Although challenging, the decision to close the Bishops Conference’s youth council and office in late 2019 was made in the knowledge of the synodal strength of ministry with young people in Australia, established in a particular way through collaborations on the national youth festival and world youth days” he said.
“The Bishops Commission invited ANDYMC to consider establishing a national network for all youth and young adult ministries, building on this collegiality, to which they have been working for the past 18 months. When gathered, we will listen to each other and the Holy Spirit as we consider how to continue to build on the strength and diversity of our ministries in Australia.”
Peter Bierer, executive officer of ANDYMC, expressed his excitement at the prospect of this new synodal approach to youth ministry in Australia.
“This consultation is an opportunity for youth and young adult ministries to reconnect nationally for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and discern a way of journeying together into the future,” he said.
“This collaboration with the Bishops Commission and a newly established network is a great example of the co-responsibility and synodality prompted through the Plenary Council.”
The Bishops Commission plans to work with the new network to support local resources and initiatives for the ongoing accompaniment of young people and growth of ministries in Australia.
People interested in participating in the consultation can visit www.nce.catholic.org.au/youth