HUNDREDS of students from south-east Queensland Catholic secondary schools converged on Brisbane’s Powerhouse on Monday for a day of spiritual formation and leadership.
Now in its second year the Power-house of Leaders draws students from throughout Brisbane archdiocese, from Hervey Bay in the north to Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast and all parts in between.
The 2011 event focused on several key themes including “Leading with Head, Heart and Hands” and “the Spirit of the Lord is upon us”.
The day is an initiative of the Brisbane Catholic Education Office, Directorate of Evangelisation and Religious Education and, as well as providing inspirational guests, it also provides a “youth market place” for students to learn more about organisations such as St Vincent de Paul Society, National Evangelisation Teams (NET) ministries and Caritas Australia.
It was also an opportunity for school leaders to network with their peers and form bonds to carry into their future working lives.
Following a welcome to country, students joined Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane for a Liturgy of the Word where he urged all to “live life to the full” and attend Mass.
“Try to do good in this world in the time that God gives us,” Archbishop Bathersby said.
“We are not going to change the world as Jesus did so incredibly and so lovingly but we can do good to bring the world to the fullness that God wants it to have.
“Never forget to praise and worship God especially in our great act of worship, the Mass.
“Seek the will of God as Jesus did in his life and don’t ever follow false gods perhaps for money or possessions in this our very secular world.”
Keynote speaker on the day, 2005 Young Australian of the Year Khoa Do, urged the students to focus on what they had in life and be grateful for it.
“Too often we forget that. Look at my life – it’s often in facing the greatest challenges that opportunities emerge and you take those opportunities and make the most of it, and amazing things come out of that,” he said.
Khoa spoke from his experience as a Vietnamese refugee whose family left their homeland in a 9m boat in 1980 when he was just two years old.
He urged the students to use passion and enthusiasm to make a difference in the world.
“One of our roles I think is to help others achieve their potential and in doing that we will achieve ours,” he said.
