SYDNEY priest Fr Michael de Stoop gave “Faith on Tap” participants a dose of the positives associated with the Sacrament of Penance on February 9.
After the address many of the 100 young people present then took up the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament.
They had heard The Gift of Confession author’s “straight talk” said organiser Allison Atkins.
“In an age where everything goes (and) choose your own adventure of right or wrong, these young people demonstrated, as at World Youth Day in Sydney last year, they aren’t afraid to be challenged by straight talk and to know the teachings of the Catholic Church,” she said.
Fr de Stoop also “gave a refreshing tour through the Ten Commandments”.
The “Faith on Tap team” was “delighted” with the response of the young people present.
“One young person who made the most of the opportunity said she ‘Wants to go to confession but just doesn’t make the time to go’,” Allison said.
“This is very common as many of this generation grew up without confession being a part of their everyday lives, but World Youth Day has given them the courage to live their faith boldly, and they realise the Church wants them to ‘flourish’ and that sacraments like confession are an invaluable aid to living as a young Catholic in 2009.”
The monthly event, to now include the sacrament regularly, has now been dubbed “Confession on Tap” and next meets on March 9 themed “Preparing to be Mr Right and Miss Right – Male and Female He made them”.
Allison described this topic as a “hot” one.
“There has been a real erosion of the 101 of courtship, dating and relationships,” she said.
“Some Australian social commentators have gone as far as saying (that) Australia doesn’t have a ‘dating culture’.
“We hope our next topic will revisit this topic in a refreshing way and reclaim it as essential part of socialisation instead of an increasing reliance of dating services.”
