By Milad Khalil
It has been a blessing and privilege for Sydney Catholic Youth to see the re-engagement of thousands of young people in the life of the Church in Sydney in 2022.
In March, on the feast of St Joseph, Sydney Catholic Youth saw over 300 young people and clergy attend the launch of the new strategic vision, namely the Purpose Mission Pathway where as Sydney Catholic Youth’s new Team Leader, I presented on the vision of youth ministry in Sydney moving forward.
This vision involves a clear pathway for young people to immerse themselves into faith formation and evangelisation opportunities from school to young adulthood, a stronger collaboration between archdiocesan agencies as well as a higher level of parish youth ministry support.
The 10:10 Project and all that comes with it saw over 1000 students involved in ongoing school-based faith formation programs, an archdiocesan camp, parish based events and the inaugural 10:10 Conference.
In collaboration with Catholic schools across Sydney, students in years 9-12 were given opportunities to grow their relationship with God and others through opportunities to identify and develop their individual sense of purpose with which they contribute to the wider community to bring about a culture that “is fully alive.”
Over 200 young adults are preparing themselves for the pilgrimage of a lifetime. With WYD23 Lisbon around the corner, the local WYD celebration which took place at St Mary’s Cathedral precinct offered pilgrims a taste of what’s to come in August next year. Cultural music, dancing, food, fellowship and faith further motivated the young people as they continue to engage in monthly WYD formation opportunities.
In celebration of 30 years of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Fidelis has seen a movement of young faithful develop throughout the year.
Taking place in parishes across Sydney and involving food trucks, live music, fellowship and deep catechetical and liturgical formation, Fidelis has proved to be a popular way for young adults to grow in and celebrate their faith.
Sydney Catholic Youth has now appointed a Youth Officer to each of the three regions of the archdiocese, who in 2023 will continue to work with and support parishes and schools in drawing as many young people as possible into a life with Christ and His Church.
Milad Khalil is the team leader of Sydney Catholic Youth at the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.
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