Australian Catholic Youth Festival
The Australian Catholic Youth Festival is a national gathering of Catholic young people established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. It exists to provide young people with opportunities to:
- deepen their relationship with Jesus;
- be empowered to be disciples in the world today, and
- encounter and celebrate the vitality of the Church in Australia.
The Festival was first held in 2013 in the Archdiocese of Melbourne and in 2015 in the Archdiocese of Adelaide. Over 3300 attended each event establishing the Festival as the largest and most diverse national event for catholic young people in Australia.
Who
Young people from year 9 (in the year of the Festival) to young adults 25 years of age are invited to the Festival. Young people under the age of 18 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
What
The Youth Festival provides a diverse program of informative workshops, integrative spaces, and service activities for young people including:
- Workshops with some of Australia’s most dynamic speakers;
- a Student Leadership Center providing leadership activities and skills in partnership with the Festival faith formation;
- an X-change Space where young people and church leaders can discuss common topics of interest in a respectful way;
- a Sacred Space containing multiple chapels and prayer experiences, together with the sacrament of reconciliation throughout the Festival;
- an interactive Justice Activity Centre where young people can contribute to service projects bringing to life their faith;
- Plenary gatherings where all attendees come together to celebrate being the young Church in Australia; and
- an Expo showcasing the breath of church ministries and missions in the Catholic Church in Australia