A SWAG of local, national and international speakers will feature at Youth Arise International (YAI) in the week preceding World Youth Day.
Brisbane’s Emmanuel Community will host the July 10-13 festival at St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Brisbane, among an anticipated crowd of 1000.
Billed by organisers as “an ideal preparation for the World Youth Day experience”, it also is designed for those remaining in Brisbane post-YAI, featuring a stream for those aged 13 to 16 years.
Guest speakers include Partnership4China director Sabina Cappello, International Office for Catholic Charismatic Renewal director Redemptorist Father Tom Forrest and Bishop Joseph Grech of Sandhurst.
Twenty countries are represented among the registrations with some events open to the public.
Kate Anderton attended YAI before World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany, in 2005.
“Youth Arise was an amazing experience and an important part of my faith journey,” she said.
“I was blown away form the start to the finish, to be part of an awesome conference that joined together young people from all over the world to celebrate our common faith through music, Mass, witnesses, adoration and inspirational speakers gave me such a renewed hope and passion for the Catholic Church.
“I will never forget the friends I made from all over the world and hope to see them in 2008.”
For more information go to www.youtharise2008.com or email the YAI office at yai@emmanuel-community.com