Once again, this will allow young people to engage in frank conversations with the pontiff about the challenges facing their lives and the church in the modern world.

Students from Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and more will participate in the June 20 conversation.

It is sponsored by the Building Bridges Initiative, organized by Loyola University Chicago and co-organized with the Vatican's Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

This will be the fourth online dialogue of its kind. It is part of an effort to continue the pope's promotion of synodality and show his commitment to directly listening to voices across the Catholic Church.

Read More

Offering surfboards rather than hymn books, Bondi's Catholic youth ministry teaches new surfies to ride the waves and tells them about the Catholic faith.

Last weekend saw over 25 Sydneysiders at the Bondi Catholic parishes' first sunrise surf session.

The youth ministry supplied a couple of surfboards (each sporting its Virgin Mary and Christ Child logo). After sharing breakfast and watching the sun rise, they began guided group surf lessons.

Monica Bautista says it was the perfect opportunity to inject faith into the local beach culture.

The parish is full of passionate young people looking for community and relationship with God and others, she says.

Fortnightly get-togethers at the beach seem to fit the bill, given the youth population and its interests.

"Catholics really want to meet other likeminded people through something fun and interactive."

Put out into the deep

Peter's first meeting with Jesus on the water inspired the surf-based youth ministry.

Jesus asked Peter to 'put out into the deep" - not just to catch fish, but to begin his mission of evangelising.

"Saturday surf sessions takes two elements of this story — it's in the water and also the idea of meeting people where they're at" Bautista says.

"Though we can definitely evangelise in the church, it's often hard to meet people where they're at when they're not at church.

"In Bondi, everyone's out and about and wanting to do different things.

"The water is an iconic part of the community, so what better way to get together in Christ's name than in the sun with a surf."

Ministry of presence

Monica believes above all in the ministry of presence.

"John Paul always talked about this, and I think it's something we struggle with in this society because we are so distracted.

"These events are an opportunity to witness the call of God through community.

"As Catholics we are called to be out there meeting people, taking a leap of faith and trying new things."

Bautista points out that all Catholics have the same vocation.

She describes this as "to live life and to do it well, making sure that everyone you come across along the way knows that they're loved."

Source

• Catholic Weekly

With confusion around identity in such a fluid and conflicting world, is it any wonder why young Catholic women are adhering to a more concrete and traditional faith, as the recent study by the University of Newcastle has found?

The subjectivity of modern society has put young Catholic women at a crossroads, forcing themselves to ask the question: Do we relax the moral law on issues such as contraception or our place in church leadership, and try to discern the limits of reform ourselves?

Or do we simply turn to the universal and timeless wisdom of Holy Mother Church?

Young women appear to be rejecting the former approach and taking the road less travelled — just 21 percent of women aged 18-40 told the survey they strongly supported reform in the church, compared to 83 per cent of over-70s.

Why is this so? As young Catholic women working in youth ministry, we have the privilege of meeting thousands of high school students and young adults.

One of the joys of our job is seeing young women come to recognise the truth of their femininity, as expressed through Christ and his church.

But this isn't because they're carried by cultural Catholicism. Rather, young Catholics must be more intentional and proactive in their faith, and this is made possible by greater access to formation.

Young women today are lucky enough to have grown up in the wake of St John Paul II's papacy. His legacy gave us clear teaching on the dignity of human life, sexuality and particularly women.

This asset of formation has provided younger generations with a greater appreciation for the beauty of sexual ethics, and the complementarity of the sexes, rather than a merely legalistic understanding of what one may or may not do.

God invites us into obedience to his will. A zeal for the faith is neither a justification nor a right to lead in the church. No woman or man has a right to anything that God does not call.

This is not a gendered thing — this is a Body of Christ thing.

Unlike previous generations where there existed minimal avenues for laity to genuinely share the faith, young women today have countless opportunities to serve the church without ever feeling the need to enter the liturgical space.

Whether in youth ministry, marriage support, charitable works, sacramental preparation, public school catechesis, teaching, administration or raising the next generation of saints, the space for feminine influence continues.

These charisms, held by women, are never to stray from the mystery of Catholic anthropology and the complementarity — not competition — between men and women.

Young Catholics of today are simply trying to protect these God-ordained differences.

Additionally, there seems to be a fear among the older generations that unless the church is entertaining or keeping up with the times, she will lose her young ones.

There were hints of this same sentiment at the most recent World Youth Day week in Portugal; the relentless noise and general lack of reverence felt more like Coachella than celebrating the mysteries of Christ.

It is no wonder that an overwhelming majority of young Catholics want to return to a more traditional participation in the faith.

But it is not tradition for tradition's sake. We want to set our feet in the apostolic tradition for the sake of drawing upon the richness it provides, along with scripture and the church's magisterium.

The truth, beauty, and goodness of the faith speaks for itself. Young people don't need to be sold the faith with festivals or diluted teachings.

Young Catholics want to return to the basics, to the complementarity of men and women, the sacraments, and to Jesus himself. This is their identity, and the appeal of tradition.

• Catherine Phillips and Anna Harrison are youth officers for Sydney Catholic Youth.
• First published in Catholic Weekly. Republished with permission.

The Church has a duty to accompany gay people on a personal path of spirituality, providing that accompaniment is within the framework of the Catholic Church rules, he told reporters on the plane returning to Rome from World Youth Day (WYD) in Portugal.

He made the comment after a reporter reminded him that during WYD he said the Church was open to "everyone, everyone, everyone".

The reporter challenged the sense of that statement about openness when some Catholics, like women and gay people, did not have the same rights and could not receive some sacraments.

That comment seemed to refer to women not being allowed to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders to become priests of the Catholic Church.

It also referenced same-sex couples not being allowed to contract marriage, which is also a sacrament.

"The Church is open to everyone but there are laws that regulate life inside the church," Francis explained to the reporter.

"According to the legislation, they cannot partake in (some) sacraments. This does not mean that it is closed. Each person encounters God in their own way inside the Church."

Ministers in the Catholic Church must accompany everyone with the patience and love of a mother. That includes those who don't conform to the rules, he explained.

Church law

The Catholic Church teaches that women cannot become priests because Jesus chose only men as his apostles.

Neither does the Church allow same-sex marriage or blessings for same-sex couples. Same-sex attraction is not sinful but same-sex acts are, it teaches.

However, Francis supports civil legislation giving same-sex couples rights in areas such as pensions, health insurance and inheritance.

A welcoming Church for everyone

During one WYD event, Francis said the Church has room for everyone - "including those who make mistakes, who fall or struggle".

He then led the crowd in a chant of "Todos, todos, todos!" (Everyone, everyone, everyone!).

"Who among us has not made a moral error at some point in their lives?" he asked.

Since the start of his papacy 10 years ago, Francis has consistently tried to make the Catholic Church more welcoming and less condemning.

He has sought to welcome all people, including members of the LGBT community, while not changing Church teachings which urge people with same-sex attraction to be chaste.

While pushing through a series of reforms, Francis has constantly walked a delicate line between appealing to more liberal believers and upsetting conservatives.

Among these reforms, he has given more roles to women, particularly in high-ranking Vatican positions.

Pope rejuvenated

On the plane, the Pope said he was rejuvenated by what he had seen at WYD Portugal.

About 1.5 million people attended his closing Mass at a park in Lisbon on Sunday.

Francis said he was impressed with both the size of the crowds at WYD and their behaviour.

He also told reporters who asked after his health, that he has been well since his surgery for an abdominal hernia in June.

Source

• US News

More than 200 young traditional-minded Belgians (aged 15-42) signed the letter saying certain issues, such as the ordination of women, go way too far and are against Church teaching.

"Calls are coming from all sides to open ordained ministry to women and married people," says one of the concluding lines in the national synthesis, published on July 6.

The document's drafters say that it reflects the views of 2,000 to 4,000 people who participated in the synodal consultations.

However, the young Belgian Catholics argue there is "a discrepancy between some of the demands made in the synthesis and the reality" they are living.

The Belgian synthesis has "saddened" these young people by mentioning the possible ordination of women.

"St John Paul II spoke out on the issue and explained that the Church did not have the power to ordain women, that it would never have it, and that this reality applied to all Catholics at all times," they point out.

"To question these statements is to question the Church's magisterium (and by extension, adherence to dogma), which we believe is extremely dangerous in a world where we already lack clear guidelines," they say.

They say this concept is "far too contemporary and worldly". The group added that this "is found in some comments of the synthesis, while in the Church we should be in a logic of service".

The letter from the young Belgian Catholics comes when, in many countries, very few people in the 25-to 40-year-old category took part in the diocesan phase of the synodal process.

The Vatican was alarmed and sought to correct the situation by launching a digital questionnaire aimed at the new, very connected generations.

"Many of us have been involved in this synod, others regret not having been present enough," write the young Belgian petitioners who present themselves as "the future of the Catholic Church in (their) country".

Sources

La Croix International

Belgium Detail Zero

The Brussels Times

Among the movement is a group of doctoral students and young activists in Belgium.

In common with young people in other countries, they're concerned about the various crises the institutional Church is facing.

It is also intended to oppose the "Christian identity" embodied by one of France's most far-right politicians, Éric Zemmour.

Despite his failed bid to become president in recent elections, he attracted the support of many practising Catholics.

Posing the question "What can Christians do to work for the common good?" the Belgians are organising a summer seminar to discuss the question.

The three-day gathering at the end of this month will be held outdoors at a retreat centre created in the spirit of the Communion de La Viale, a group founded in 1968 by the Belgian Jesuits.

The programme of planned events includes conferences on capitalism and liberation theology.

Attendees will also share "moments of fraternity and prayer" and have the opportunity to forge links with other believers committed to social justice.

A big issue will be the systemic dimension of clergy abuse and the "tenacious misogyny embedded in the institution".

The idea for the gathering came from a group of friends. They saw something "lacking" in the Church's proposals and wanted to help.

"In retreats or camps, there may be topics on moral commitment in society, but that's as far as it goes," says one.

He and his friends are deeply concerned about the "structural origin of poverty and the ecological crisis".

They believe there are Christian resources that can provide conceptual tools for building a coherent critique of the "capitalist system".

Their challenge is to "think how the Church can reconnect with its social tradition while it is becoming gentrified".

One driver for their initiative was the magnitude of the clergy sex abuse crisis revealed last October by an independent commission in France (CIASE).

"I feel like the scandals have uninhibited me," one of the friends says.

"Before, I didn't feel right opening certain debates, but I think that from now on the laity must speak up, we can no longer leave governance of the Church to the clergy alone.

"We no longer want to collaborate with a guilty institution without being heard."

While the majority of the organisers are Catholic, one of them is Protestant. All are driven by the same desire to raise their voices.

It is an ecumenism that is more obvious for the Belgians than for their French neighbours, says one.

"We don't have a large enough Catholic community, as in France, for events of this type to gather only practising Catholics," he explains.

Source

• La Croix

The festival strives to embrace, encourage and empower every young person to become the voice of hope and solidarity.

"You, young people, are the architects of the future, signs of hope. And we have great hope in all of you. With you, we want to dream and build a better tomorrow," said Salesians head, Fr Angel Fernandex Artime to potential paricipants.

"With your creativity, you can truly help to change the world. I invite you, come and participate in this festival of short films. This is your festival, come and let us move the world with hope," he said.

Conceived in December 2020 and premiering last week, the first annual Don Bosco Global Film Festival received 1,686 short film submissions from 116 countries.

Chosen by an international jury, the best films were streamed last week in 135 different countries.

The film festival sought short film submissions from filmmakers aged 15 to 30. The films could be in any genre within five categories: One-Minute Short Films, 10-Minute Short Films, One-Minute Animated Shorts, 10-Minute Shorts and Music Videos.

Entrants competed for the top spots in all five categories, which awarded prizes amounting to 100,000 euros. A diverse jury of professional filmmakers from around the world was lined up to judge the films.

In addition, films were awarded cash prizes in categories such as global bests, continental bests and category bests - such as narrative, screenplay, sound design and editing.

In addition, there were individual awards for best actor and actress, best writer and best director.

The festival was organized by the Salesians of Don Bosco, whose aim was to create "a world-class film festival platform to showcase ... young creative filmmaking talents."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Salesian Institutions of Higher Education

He is no stranger to getting stuck in to achieve his goals.

Dallas is on the Student Youth Council and over the past few years has balanced Merit-Excellence in NCEA and run fundraisers and awareness campaigns for the Mayoral Election, 40-Hour Famine, Caritas, St Vincent De Paul, and Life Matters.

Now he says he is taking on his most challenging event yet. He is organising a march from Civic Square in Wellington to Parliament all in the name of student mental health.

He says the issue is not getting the focus it should and he has organised a march to parliament to get the politicians to take notice.

Students at Onslow College are also part of a group of thirteen colleges in the Wellington region to be helping with organising the march.

It will take place on Wednesday the 9th of September starting at Civic Square at midday.

"There was a guideline for mentally healthy schools that was brought up in 2001 which was sent to parliament and it has got lost and has never been revisited, and most schools are too scared to talk about the issue of mental health and suicide," Dallas says.

"We are asking politicians to stop being lazy and revisit the 2001 Guidelines for Mentally Healthy Schools, and while doing this we will be working with Lesley Frederikson from the NZ Association of Optometrists and including eye tests within our guidelines for good reason," he says.

"They talk about what's the biggest issue facing the next generation, and they talk about climate, but youth suicide is just lingering in the background," he says.

Source

issuu.com

Shore will be Chief Executive of both NZCEO and the Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS).

APIS serves a network of 70 non-Catholic "special character", faith-based schools - private schools that have been integrated into the state education system, with allowances made to preserve their unique cultures and traditions.

Shore's leadership has been in both state and state-integrated schools over the past 25 years.

He is currently the principal of St Peter's College, Palmerston North, and previously Principal of Cullinane College, Whanganui.

He told Stuff his new role was much more political than any he'd held before -advocating for schools across the country to ensure their needs are met, and negotiating and consulting with ministers and government officials.

"But I love learning every time I get a new job. Every community is different, and I enjoy the challenge of getting to know them and finding out how I can help them."

"This is the same, only it'll be with many schools and the community."

He brings significant expertise

Shore has a Doctorate of Education, a Masters in Educational Administration, a Post Graduate Diploma in Technology Education; and an NZ Civil Engineering Certificate.

Following his doctorate, he has been published in a number of professional journals as he focused on growing leadership in our schools.

In 2015 Shore took part in a special equity-focused leadership course at Harvard University in 2015.

He has a strong commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi.

He is committed to equity in education and supports the practice of akonga and whanau because of the way it aligns with the social justice focus of our school communities.

More recently he has been a member of the Ministerial Joint Task Force for reducing the burden of administration and compliance in schools.

Kevin has a solid commitment to the mission of Catholic and other faith-based schools.

He is replacing Mr Paul Ferris QSM, who is retiring at a date to be set later this year.

Mr Geoff Ricketts, chair of the NZCEO Board, said he was looking forward to welcoming Kevin to the role: "I am was sure he will build on the excellent leadership given during the past 25 years, first by Sir Brother Patrick Lynch and then by Paul Ferris."

Source

• Supplied: nzceo.org.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: catholic.org.nz

Begun in 2008, the biannual awards are named in honour of Cardinal Reginald Delargey (1914-79), a former Bishop of Auckland and Archbishop of Wellington who was noted for his work with young Catholics.

The awards aim to provide recognition for ministry workers and supporters of ministry with young people; to educate the community about ministry with young people; to raise the profile of Catholic ministry with young people, and recognise the place of long-term involvement in Catholic ministry with young people.

Sponsored by the NZCBC, the awards are given in various components of youth ministry, including Advocacy; Justice and Service; Catechesis; Leadership Development; Community Life; Pastoral Care; Evangelisation; Prayer and Worship.

"They are an opportunity to acknowledge those wonderful people in our parishes and dioceses who tirelessly give of themselves in so many different ways," says Siobhan Dilly, NZCBC Executive Officer.

Past Delargey Award Recipients
2004: Gil Price, Auckland, Advocacy; Kevin and Helen Plant, Wellington, Leadership
Development; Fr Peter Fahy, Palmerston North, Community Life
2006: Mary Bennett, Palmerston North, Catechesis; Philippa Pidd, Wellington, Advocacy;
Raylene Dwyer RSM, Christchurch, Leadership Development
2008: Kitty McKinley, Wellington, Justice and Service; Br John Paul Wilson FMS,
Auckland, Evangelisation; Susie Jorgensen, Dunedin, Pastoral Care
2010: Br Doug Dawick FMS, Auckland, Pastoral Care; Tina Shore, Auckland, Pastoral Care; Michael O'Sullivan, Michael Buchanan, Kirsty Campbell, Palmerston North, Pastoral Care
2012: Fr Mark Chamberlain, Dunedin, Community Life and Pastoral Care, Fr Frank Bird SM, Auckland, Leadership Development; Ron Allen, Palmerston North, Leadership Development and Community Life
2014: Linda and Paul Darbyshire, Palmerston North, Pastoral Care; Norma Bellamy, Palmerston North, Pastoral Care
2016: Anne and Andy Lovell, Wellington, Evangelization; Joanne Bell, Dunedin, Catechesis, Prayer and Worship; John Rogers, Wellington, Advocacy
2018: Delphina Soti, Auckland, Justice and Service; Pesamino Tili, Dunedin, Community Life

Nominations close on January 17 2020, with the awards expected to be announced at the Takirua 2020: Shaping the Mission conference in Wellington at Anzac weekend.

Click here for full details and the nomination forms

Further information: Please contact Kate Aduna, NZCBC, admin@nzcbc.org.nz

Source

Supplied: David McLoughlin
Communications Adviser, NZ Catholic Bishops
Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa

Image: aucklandcatholic.org.nz

The Youth Office of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is holding the International Youth Forum in Rome to carry forward the work of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment in 2018, which Bishop of Hamilton Bishop Steve Lowe attended.

Joey Bonnevie of the Auckland Diocese and Isabella McCafferty of the Wellington Archdiocese will fly to Rome this coming weekend to join the forum.

About 250 youth from all over the world are expected to attend the June meeting, some of whom like Isabella took part in the pre-synodal forum.

Isabella and Joey work in youth ministry in their respective dioceses.

The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is focused on a Church for the young, promoting collaboration with youth and organising meetings on an international level.

Those invited to the Forum have been asked to come prepared and to participate actively, to be able to communicate and pass their experiences and messages on to others.

Isabella says, "it is envisaged that the June Forum will continue the work done to date towards outreach to the grassroots to nourish the future ministry of the church.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to again come together with other young people from all over the world and continue the work done by the Pope, Church leaders and the Dicastery."

21 New Zealanders attended the international celebration for 2019 World Youth Day (WYD2019) in Panama earlier this year, an event attended by thousands from around the world.

• Source
  Supplied: The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference - Ko te Huinga Pihopa o te Hahi Katorika o Aotearoa
• Image: wn.catholic.org.nz

Both students were part of a young enterprise team at their school that had delved into the subject. Read more

The purpose of this trip was to experience what life is like for Burmese migrants, see Marist faith in action and teach English to the students attending the school run by the Marist Asia Foundation.

Ranong sits on the border of Thailand and Myanmar.

Many people in Myanmar find themselves without sufficient work. They cross Myanmar's porous borders in search of better conditions. Those in the south of Myanmar often cross into Thailand.

The volunteers from Wellington discovered the tension between the Burmese people and the Thai government.

Burmese people - including students - have to carry their passports with them in case they are stopped by Thai officers.

One of the volunteers, Benjamin Prendergast, said the students they taught were the privileged ones, able to attend school instead of working to support their families.

One student, Wine Min Htet, would travel two hours home after school, spend half an hour eating dinner, then startb a six-hour shift on a rubber plantation.

"That shows me how easy my life is compared to theirs, yet he's still so happy," Prendergast said.

Teacher Maurice Atkinson helped organise the trip. He and his wife had lived in Thailand for two years, both of them teaching, and knew the impact that seeing life there could have on the St Patrick's students.

"I thought it would be a really good idea to give New Zealand teenagers an experience of what life was like for teenagers in a different part of the world."

Now that they're back at school, the teenagers are determined to advocate for the Burmese students they met on their trip, whether that's sponsoring the costs of schooling and transport for one student ($20 a month) or fundraising to bring in extra teachers.

Source

• stpats.school.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• sm.org.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

He spoke on the topic of Leadership in a Time of Change.

The cardinal said New Zealand Catholics looking for answers to "renewal" took heart from Pope Francis.

"The Pope is encouraging us to go out of our buildings and find those on the peripheries.

"The poor, the imprisoned and the sick are unlikely to come to us," Dew said, quoting from replies that New Zealand parishioners had written during a recent survey.

"We are to see the Lord in the marginalised and serve Him through our service to them. We are to go out and ‘do', not stay in church and write reports," he said.

"It is hard to know where to start, but [it is] not sufficient to stay sitting in pews."

On the conference sidelines, Dew spoke about how renewal or "amalgamation" was being tackled in New Zealand parishes.

He described a system of pastoral teams made up of lay leaders with substantial theological training working closely with priests.

"And most of them are working well together, but it's still taking time to learn how to share responsibility.

"We're really pleased with it," Dew said.

"The next step is to continue an outward push which was a big thing at our synod last year.

"Like here (Proclaim 2018) - there are wonderful people involved.

"So I think the challenge is to make sure that all these people just go that step further and look at how do we move beyond our parish, our own formation and our own ministry activities to what are the needs of the community out there and how do we serve those people."

The conference ran across three days from 12-14 July at The Edmund Rice Performing Arts Centre (St Laurence's College, South Brisbane).

Source

• catholicleader.com.au
• Image: catholicleader.com.au and lismorediocese.org

Almost all Catholic schools were represented at the convention.

Topics discussed included:

• Mana Whenua
• Mana Tangata
• Working with Pasifika children and families
• The changing landscape of families
• Social justice activities in the classroom
• Evangelising students and communities

The keynote speaker, Dame Therese Walsh, provided a faith-based perspective of working in a corporate environment.

She described how her Catholic background informed the way she has worked.

Father Daniel Horan spoke about the joy of Christian foolishness and bringing about the Word of God in thought and deed.

Secretary for Education, Iona Holsted, shared her thoughts about the review work the government is undertaking.

She thanked Catholic schools for the work that they do.

Paul Ferris, CEO of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office, addressed the delegates with an account of his career working in Catholic schools throughout the country.

He provided some food for thought on opportunities and challenges facing Catholic educators today.

Central themes of his presentation were:

• Evangelisation and formation. He proposed schools as the front line of parishes
• Investing in recruitment, retention and formation
• Interpreting the signs of the time through engagement, modelling and dialogue
• Contributing to the building of vibrant and intentional faith communities

The convention concluded with a tour visiting the legacy of Suzanne Aubert, Meri Hohepa.

The tour took in Wellington's Compassion Soup Kitchen, Aubert's recently restored crypt and Our Lady's Home of Compassion in Island Bay.

Source

Supplied: Amanda Gregan
Communications Advisor - NZ Catholic Bishops: Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa

The triennial conventions are designed to ensure that catholic schools remain authentic in their commitment to Church and State, as vibrant communities of faith and learning.

The theme of the Convention is Christ's Call: to love, to be, to do/Ko Ta Te Karaiti Karanga: kia aroha, kia tuturu, kia ora.

Paul Ferris, the CEO of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office which has organised the event, said "While managing these events is a huge task, it is important because it reminds our community of our diversity and our national coverage."

New Zealand's bishops are attending and virtually every catholic school has delegates attending.

Teachers from schools and catholic tertiary educators will present a range of seminars.

International speakers have come from the United States, England and Australia.

Highlights include:

• David Wells, international presenter based in England - Keynote address: "Shoulder my yoke and learn from me" - Catholic Education and the Art of Accompaniment
• Franciscan priest Daniel Horan, from the United States - Keynote address: The Joy of Christian Foolishness: Responding to Christ's Call to Discipleship in the Age of Pope Francis
• Br David Hall, Sydney - Keynote address: Catholic Schools and the Possibility of God

Catholic schools make up 8.4% of the Government's overall provision for education. There are 238 schools, with 66,000 students.

Catholic schools were among the first to integrate following the 1975 integration legislation and they have a long partnership with the state, providing high-quality education across all deciles.

Minister Jenny Salesa is unwell and will not be able to present to the convention as planned. She will be represented by Iona Holsted, the Secretary for Education.

In a year when the Government is undertaking reviews of many aspects of education, it is important that catholic schools review the ways in which they play a critical part in the delivery of education and consider what works well for them.

Source

• Supplied: Amanda Gregan Communications Advisor - NZ Catholic Bishops Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa
• cathedconvention2018.co.nz
• Image: cathedconvention2018.co.nz

Participants danced, took part in discussions and presentations, browsed the many stalls, spent time with friends and new acquaintances and enjoyed all that was on offer at the festival.

The opening ceremony included a powhiri (welcome) for internationally acclaimed Gospel singer and songwriter Matt Maher and his team from the USA.

Maher took part in the worship and a blessing of the diocesan and festival candles by President of the New Zealand Bishops Conference, Bishop Patrick Dunn.

The workshops and keynotes over the two days were filled to capacity and explored a diverse range of topics from faith, spirituality and relationships to practical sessions about the care of our planet and living and working in our communities.

Some of the highlights:

• Auckland writer and youth leader Sam Brebner led a session on Our calling in the Church.
• Youth ministry leaders Annie Benefield and Chris Duthie-Jung discussed Why I'm Catholic?
• Bishop Stephen Lowe set an informal and welcoming tone with the bishop's Q&A.
• A discussion on the challenge of the digital interface.
• Isabella McCafferty and Father Alistair Castillo pondered the question Does God really have a plan for my life?
• "Our common home" was the focus of discussion in the Project Earth workshop.

Saturday's events culminated with a prayer vigil led by Matt Maher, and a festival Mass.

On Sunday there were more opportunities to attend workshops and keynote talks.

There was an "expo lunch" followed by a plenary session Face-to-face with the Francis factor.

The weekend wrapped up with diocesan-directed discussions on ‘taking it home,' and a concert with Matt Maher and support acts Monique Holden and Grace Worship.

The concert, attended by around 1600 people, was held at the nearby Victory Centre.

• ‪See more on Festival FaceBook page
• See More On New Zealand Catholic Church FaceBook page

Source

• Supplied: Amanda Gregan Communications Advisor - NZ Catholic Bishops Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa
• Image: Facebook

Aotearoa Catholic Youth Festival supporters include Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, Catholic Enquiry Centre, The Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand, the New Zealand Catholic Education Office, the Catholic Foundations of the Diocese of Palmerston North and Archdiocese of Wellington, Pandoro, and Pleroma Christian Supplies. Radio Rhema and Life FM are the official sponsors of the Matt Maher concert.

The nine students and their friends and whanau gathered in the chapel of St Pat's College Wellington, to celebrate with a liturgy and presentation.

The students began with a waiata and then a skit - in which they very effectively portrayed one Kitty McKinley, the Gap Year coordinator, before the nine of them each presented a speech.

Their speeches were heartfelt and emotional, but also eloquent and insightful.

They spoke of their significant experiences, on placement and retreat, and the inner journey by which they have come to believe more deeply, not only in God, but also in themselves and the world around them. This was moving and inspiring to watch.

The photgraph above:
Back row from left to right: Lio Soane, Michael Start, Jesse Gerrard, Jared Tofaeono
Front row from left to right: Dylan Lynch, Piki Boyles, Sarah Atkinson, Nora Condra, Keeley Grevatt

Director of Challenge 2000, Steve O'Connor, responded with a vote of confidence and thanks, reflecting on Challenge's goal to help love and support young people into their best selves, and the fact that these gap graduates were testimony to the significance and success of this work.

Tim Duckworth then spoke on behalf of the Marists, accepting the thanks of the students, and celebrating a formation programme that, often unlike mainstream education, teaches young people that they - and not only the arbitrary 5% - can be effective and fulfilled, successful and happy.

This was much to reflect on, but also much to celebrate, and so the graduates and their community happily concluded the liturgy with presentation of certificates and a closing waiata. The celebrations then continued over a meal, with plenty of food and stories to share.

The Gap Year a one year programme that involves holistic formation, NZQA youth work training, work placements, experiences, and local and possibly international travel.

The Gap Year offers the chance to develop the social, spiritual, intellectual, employment, well-being and physical elements that are required for a positive, successful and balanced life.

Participants can also access the extras that will help on their life journey: driver's licence, first aid certificate technology training. They even get paid.

Already 63 young people from New Zealand and overseas have accepted have graduated from the programme.

Source

• Supplied
• challenge2000.org.
• Image: Supplied

Martinez has worked at The Logos project for more than ten years.

"The experiences and opportunities I received in my younger years have had a profound impact on me, and are why I am so passionate about faith and personal formation," says Martinez.

"Many years ago I lived in a Catholic young adult community run by the Christian Brothers and I was very involved in different ministries within the Edmund Rice Network."

"I also trained and worked as a chef after I left school at Marist College."

"I love the fact that each day I have the opportunity to support young people to grow in their faith and in who they are called to be," she said.

Founded in 1999 by the Society of Mary, The Logos Project works with young people in the Auckland region.

It runs a range of programmes designed to develop young people, helping them to know who they are what they stand for.

It is hoped that, by doing this, these young people will become women and men who make a positive contribution to their communities and to wider society.

Last year Logos ran:

• 37 one-day or overnight retreats in six schools
• 5 regular Special Character activities in two schools, involving 107 students
• 2 week-long OSCAR holiday programmes with about 18 participants
• 1 three-day retreat for 18 special character leaders from 7 schools
• 1 overnight retreat and many training and formation sessions of the Connectors, (Logos volunteers)
• A family violence programme, "Jade Speaks Up" in two schools involving over 140 students
• Eucharistic traning in three schools for more than 30 participants
• Sacrament programmes in three schools with 40 participants receiving the Sacraments of Initiation
• Weekly class Masses in 4 schools, fortnightly masses in two schools, and 16 other school masses
• Logos also assisted Caritas and the Marist Brothers to deliver programmes

As with most youth projects, Logos always struggles to find enough resources, human and material.

Much was put in place throughout 2015 to help strengthen Logos for the future.

The most significant of these is moving premises to a more suitable building.

The Logos Project has been based at the historic Josephite convent on St Benedict's St since 2007.

In January they moved to its new location in Eden Terrace.

It is a more modern building and more suited to the smaller team.

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The event was attended by the Gap year students' families and friends as well as representatives and friends of Challenge 2000 and the Society of Mary.

Each of the graduates had an opportunity to speak honestly about their experience of the Gap Year, its highs and lows.

A number of them talked about how a group had gone from being a bunch of strangers to a community of friends.

They were grateful for the opportunity to be challenged to move out of their comfort zones, to meet people from different backgrounds and cultures.

The experience enabled them to discover skills and strengths they did not know they had.

One of the leaders of the Gap Year programme, Kitty McKinley, said she hoped that the Gap year had provided its participants with a positive experience of the Catholic Church meeting the needs of a new generation.

The other Gap year programme leader, Heath Hutton, was farewelled.

After a number of years with the programme he will be moving on to new challenges in 2015.

For the last five years The Society of Mary has assisted Challenge 2000, to provide eight young people with the opportunity to take part in a Gap Year programme.

Ideally participants have just completed Year 13 and wish to gain real life experience before choosing their future careers. The programme is also suitable for a young person who wants to take "time out" from University or work.

Source

Supplied