By Emilie Ng
BISHOPS’ youth delegate Parramatta Bishop Anthony Fisher is asking young people to prepare for a pilgrimage to Adelaide in 2015 for the second Australian Catholic Youth Festival.
Following the success of the first ACYF in Melbourne last year, Bishop Fisher and the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference confirmed the festival would continue in 2015 in Adelaide.
Organisers expect more than 4000 participants – which is 1000 more than last year’s attendance numbers – will attend the festival in the heart of Adelaide’s CBD.
Bishop Fisher said the bishops were “committed to the festival”.
“It is fantastic that we are able to hold the next festival in Adelaide in 2015, and I invite all young people and their teachers and youth ministers from around Australia to make the pilgrimage to Adelaide,” he said.
Organisers have chosen a passage from Matthew’s Gospel, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”, as the festival’s theme.
Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson said he was “proud” to have the festival hosted in his city.
“The festival presents a great opportunity to the archdiocese to promote youth ministry around the country and be enriched by those who visit Adelaide,” Archbishop Wilson said.
“I look forward to welcoming thousands of young people from around the country to our wonderful city to share in the Good News.”
Archbishop Wilson said the festival theme would allow young people to experience St Mary of the Cross MacKillop’s journey in Adelaide.
“Mary (MacKillop) was a woman who, in the face of many challenges, kept her heart pure and focused on Christ,” he said.
ACBC Office for Youth director Malcolm Hart said the bishops were hoping to connect with young people through the festival.
“I’m excited the Australian bishops want to do it again, and they really see it as an important part of the life of young people in Australia,” Mr Hart said.
“They want to keep having an event which equips young people to live out their faith locally and really explore the diversity of the Church in Australia.”
Mr Hart said the organising team was “taking it up a notch” by placing the festival in a “professional venue” to accommodate for the large number anticipated.
“We believe it will grow and we want to make sure everyone can participate,” he said.
Adelaide archdiocese’s Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults co-ordinator Sarah Moffat said the team was “very excited” to welcome the nation’s youth to Adelaide.
Mrs Moffatt said the team was hoping to organise a live broadcast and internet stream for the national festival that would play on the youth office’s radio show, ArchD, broadcasted weekly on Adelaide’s Christian radio station LiveFM.
