Youth and Young Adults

Welcome to Day 2 of the Diocese of Wollongong ACYF 2019 pilgrimage coverage! Pilgrims from around Australia have well and truly started arriving in Perth for what will be an amazing celebration of our Catholic faith.

Today we venture out to the beach for fun in the sun, followed by Mass with Bishop Brian Mascord at St Joseph’s Catholic Parish Subiaco. We are incredibly blessed to hear from two of our own young adult pilgrims who will be sharing their personal pilgrimage with us over the next few days. Please continue to keep our pilgrims in your prayers!

Here we come!

By Stefanie Kusters

After a very hot arrival into Perth yesterday, the group woke up this morning – somewhat well rested – to a much-needed cool breeze. We ventured off to City Beach, directly west of Perth CBD, to enjoy the sun and a swim. While the weather started off promising, many faces getting burnt in the process, we were surprised by a light shower.

Nevertheless, the day was laid back and allowed friendships to form. That evening we set off for Mass at the Parish of Saint Joseph, Subiaco. Our own Bishop Brian celebrated Mass, and lead the local congregation in blessing us and the other pilgrims. It was such a beautiful and encouraging experience.

Following Mass the community hosted a bbq dinner, and their welcome and generosity was deeply felt by us all. Finally feeling a sense of belonging and familiarity with Perth, we returned to the accommodation with a renewed sense of anticipation and excitement for the following festival days. ACYF here we come!

Stefanie Kusters is a past student of St Mary Star of the Sea College Wollongong and is commencing her third year of Law and International Studies at the University of Wollongong. She is a parishioner at St John Vianney Co-Cathedral Fairy Meadow.

Alive

By Grant Withnall

To start off the day, we all walked to the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre to collect our passes for the festival. There was a real sense of comradery between us that has happened instantaneously, as if we have been together for a long time.

Next, we headed west to City Beach for a bit of vitamin D and fresh air. With the students and staff in tow, the feeling of community between schools, staff and young adults was around us all. Every person was smiling, laughing and being present to an opportunity that many people don’t get to experience. The experience of faith.

During the evening we were welcomed into St Joseph’s Subiaco Parish for a mass that was beyond special. From the Bishops powerful homily about traversing the wilderness of life to find purpose in God and ourselves, to a community that blessed each pilgrim for their journey of faith and discovery.

These little moments are what makes this festival and people alive. Alive physically, alive mentally and alive spiritually. That is the goal we hope to attain.

Grant Withnall is a past student of Mount Carmel Catholic College Varroville and is studying Information Communication and Technology at the University of Western Sydney. He is also a youth leader at ‘Live Local’ (a diocesan youth group in the Macarthur area).

Photos by Jeremy Yuen