Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Youth

Marists offer youth a home in the Church

byEmilie Ng
23 January 2015 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA

Strong community: Young Marists from across Australia gathered for the National Marist Youth Festival held in Sydney this month.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Strong community: Young Marists from across Australia gathered for the National Marist Youth Festival held in Sydney this month.
Strong community: Young Marists from across Australia gathered for the National Marist Youth Festival held in Sydney this month.

By Emilie Ng

MARIST youth ministry leaders in Australia think they have the key to satisfying young people’s “craving for community” – host youth festivals.

Earlier this month, the Marists hosted its first youth festival since 2008, and is already preparing for a second round in 2017.

More than 180 young people, including students from some of Australia’s 54 Marist schools and volunteers from Marist young adult communities, gathered in Sydney for the National Marist Youth Festival from January 12 to 15.

Marist youth ministry national co-ordinator Nehme Khattar said the festival was an opportunity to show young people the “Marist family spirit”.

 “We want our young people from Marist schools to know there is life after school in the Marist community,” Mr Khattar said.

“Our young adults still call themselves Marists and are Church people too.

“Our work is to give them a home in the Catholic Church so they feel connected.”

Young Marists also got the chance to connect with 20 Australian Marist Brothers, including Vocations Director, Br Greg McDonald, who said the festival’s success was no surprise.

“We’ve had a tradition of Marist youth festivals in both Melbourne and Sydney for 40 years now,” Br McDonald said.

Related Stories

All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

“This is the first one since 2008 when we had an international festival leading up to World Youth Day, attended by 800 youth from 36 countries.

“But it’s time to put national Marist youth back on the calendar.”

Br McDonald said the Marist tradition spoke to young people’s “hunger for justice and the Gospel”.

“They are looking for ways to live an authentic Christian life within the Marist spirituality; following Jesus in the way of Mary,”  he said.

The Brothers’ influence has also spurred new religious vocations, in particular two young Australians who are currently completing their novitiate in New York, USA.

The young men from Brisbane and Melbourne are expected to take their initial vows this year.

Marist Youth Ministry Brisbane regional co-ordinator Sally McEniry said the youth festival had reaffirmed her belief that young people needed a home in the Church.

“The youth festival really showed me that youth are craving community,” Miss McEniry said.

“Going forward, this gives us new energy to make spaces available for young people to feel welcome and part of a home.”

Miss McEniry said Brisbane’s Marist youth community would focus on being more missionary in 2015.

This follows a new Schoolies alternative immersion program that saw 10 Marist school-leavers head off on mission to the Philippines in December last year.

Creating communities: Marist youth ministry leaders Joseph McDonald, Melissa de Sieno, Maree Piljic, Nehme Khattar, Ryan Gato, Sally McEniry and Hendrika Duivenvoorden at the recent National Marist Youth Festival in Sydney.
Creating communities: Marist youth ministry leaders Joseph McDonald, Melissa de Sieno, Maree Piljic, Nehme Khattar, Ryan Gato, Sally McEniry and Hendrika Duivenvoorden at the recent National Marist Youth Festival in Sydney.
ShareTweet
Previous Post

Sharing God’s gifts

Next Post

Maturing in faith means not just asking God for favours, Pope says

Emilie Ng

Emilie Ng is a Brisbane-based journalist for The Catholic Leader.

Related Posts

Vatican

All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

27 May 2022
Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria
World

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

27 May 2022
Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia
Australia

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

26 May 2022
Next Post
Pope Francis

Maturing in faith means not just asking God for favours, Pope says

Stepping out for equality

From Brisbane to the Holy Land

Popular News

  • Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

    Br Alan Moss remembered for a life of faith and learning

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Christian Brothers’ community mourn the passing of Brother Tony White

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Vatican

All Catholics invited to pray rosary for peace with Pope Francis next Tuesday

by Staff writers
27 May 2022
0

By Catholic News Agency THE Vatican is inviting Catholics to join Pope Francis in praying the rosary...

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

Gunmen kidnap two Catholic priests in Nigeria

27 May 2022
Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

26 May 2022
Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

26 May 2022
Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

26 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping