More than 70 bishops, youth ministry leaders and diocesan directors for evangelisation from across Australia gathered in North Sydney recently. Source: ACBC.
Hosted by the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry (BCELM) and organised by the National Centre for Evangelisation (NCE), the Evangelise gathering ran from August 27-28 and built on nine months of listening.
It gave leaders the opportunity to experience synodality through prayer, listening and discernment, while helping shape a renewed Australian Catholic youth ministry statement.
Ms Qwayne Guevara, Facilitator, Young People and Formation at the NCE, said bringing leaders together was an important next step in responding to pastoral and spiritual needs of young people today.
“For the past nine months, we’ve listened to young people and leaders from across the country about their experiences of youth ministry,” she said.
“In light of those meetings and conversations, it was good to come together in prayer and friendship, and ask: what is God calling us to do next?”
Bishop George Kolodziej SDS, Bishops Delegate for Youth and Bishop of Bunbury, opened the gathering with Mass reminding the participants that the Church needs to recognise young people as an important part of its life, listening to their gifts, questions, experiences and hopes.
Drawing on the Emmaus story, he said the Church is called to walk alongside young people, listen to them and discover the way forward together.
“One of the great strengths of our Church is the diversity of our communities, and that has been very evident over these two days. Young people experience the Church in many ways across Australia, and we are called to be attentive to that. Sharing those realities together has helped us see both the challenges we face and the opportunities before us.” Bishop George said.
A key focus of the Evangelise gathering was consideration of a renewed Australian Catholic youth ministry statement, with writing team member Fr Chris Ryan MGL exploring its contextual and theological foundations.
Participants were then invited to explore the draft through their own experience, highlighting areas of strength and development and how it could serve the diverse realities of youth ministry across Australia.
The final session of the gathering announced and explored an ongoing framework of support, endorsed by the BCELM, to implement the renewed statement and expand Catholic youth ministry locally.
“The journey together is ongoing, and the hope is that we return to our communities knowing that we’re not doing this work alone. We are part of one Church. The witness of our communion will be a sign of God’s love for all young people across Australia especially in our current context nationally,” Qwayne said.
FULL STORY
Youth ministers and bishops walking together (ACBC Media Blog)
