Catholic students attending public schools in Years 9 and 10 could attend the event of a lifetime for free next year with the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) launching a competition to win a pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD) in Poland via Prague.
The competition invites students to submit an entry of 300-500 handwritten words or an artwork with a reflection about why they would like to go to WYD as a pilgrim.
CCD director Doug Mawhinney told The Weekly that the CCD had a proud history of supporting people to attend the formative event, sending a young student catechist to the first WYD in Rome in 1986.
“That young person is now a public primary school principal,” Mr Mawhinney said, “who has a real heart for catechists serving our Catholic kids, half of whom are enrolled in state schools – and so we are looking to support people attending again.
“CCD supports parish catechists and, as Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart has said, ‘the great discovery of the World Youth Days is catechesis’. Catechesis helps towards forming mature faith lives that, in Christ, can both celebrate the joys of life and weather life’s storms to live lives of thanksgiving with outward-looking charity and service.”
Mr Mawhinney said he hoped parish priests would see the competition as an opportunity to change a young parishioner’s life forever.
“We want to support priests and their parish catechists in their good work of helping people, including young people, to build solid relationships with and in Christ,” he said.
“World Youth Day is one way to help promote a parish ‘youth culture’ that goes on to bridge all ages.”
The winners will receive pilgrimage formation prior to WYD and follow up support to “continue opening their lives to Christ; to have revealed the breadth and depth of what it is to be growing in communion with him”.
“As Pope Benedict said to young people, it takes nothing away and gives you everything – when we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. God’s grace presupposes and builds upon our human nature, opening us up to a new supernatural relationship in Christ, now in this life, wherein nothing is impossible for God.”
Entries must be endorsed by the student’s parish priest.
Inquiries: [email protected]