More than 1300 young people, families, clergy, religious, teachers and ministry leaders converged on St Laurence’s College in Brisbane for Ignite Conference – four days of worship, formation and an encounter with Jesus Christ. Source: The Catholic Leader.
The event in late September capped a landmark year for the national Catholic conference, which earlier this year was held in Darwin and Sydney.
Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay joined delegates on Friday, September 25, delivering a keynote address and celebrating Mass.
The weekend program also included workshops, contemporary worship, opportunities for the Sacraments and large-scale rallies.
This year’s theme, Ascend, drew on the words of the prophet Isaiah, “come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord” (Is 2:3), calling participants to deepen their friendship with Christ and live their faith with courage.
Ignite Youth executive director Kym Keady said the strong turnout reflected a growing desire among young people to meet Jesus and find belonging in the Church.
“There is something incredibly powerful about seeing so many generations of the Church gathered together, but particularly seeing hundreds of young people worshipping, praying, going to the Sacraments and responding to Jesus,” Ms Keady said.
“Again this year we saw young people who are deeply hungry for God. Our hope is that they leave Ignite not simply having attended a great conference, but knowing that they have a place in the Church and a part to play in its mission.”
A highlight of the event was the announcement that Ignite Conference will be held at four sites in 2027: Darwin, Sydney, Brisbane and, for the first time, New Zealand.
The expansion marks a new chapter for a gathering that began in Brisbane in 2001 and has since grown from a local event into a national conference reaching thousands each year.
“As Ignite Conference moves into four locations in 2027, our desire is not simply to make the conference bigger,” Ms Keady said.
“It is to create more opportunities for people to encounter Jesus and to equip and inspire a new generation to take their place in the mission of the Church.”
Ignite Conference is an initiative of Ignite Youth, a national Catholic youth ministry that grew out of the Emmanuel Community in Brisbane.
FULL STORY
Ignite Conference gathers 1300 in Brisbane as expansion to four sites announced for 2027 (The Catholic Leader)
