The Magazine of St Aloysius' College • 'Men for Others' • Issue XLVII ...

from the senior school (cont'd)
World Youth Day became clear to me. In such an enormous
celebration of the Catholic Church and of God’s love,
we have the chance to truly foster and encourage the
development of the modern church. On an internal level, we
have the opportunity to grow spiritually with the environment
that this youth event will provide. I really feel privileged and
exceptionally lucky to be involved in such an event, and even
more privileged that I may have the opportunity to carry the
official WYD cross with my fellow Aloysians.
Allister Haire (Year 12)
Timothy Hughes worships at the WYD Cross.
As led by our celebrant Bishop Gregory O’Kelly SJ, the
services at the various locations gave everyone, including
students and families, the opportunity to venerate the Cross
and Icon in their own way. Physical veneration of the Cross
and Icon took various forms for different people. Some knelt
in silent reflection before the Cross, some lay their hands on
it in prayer. Kissing of the Cross was also not uncommon.
But of much more importance was how each individual
engaged with God whilst venerating the Cross. Physical
worship acts as a means of exhibiting our faith, but as we
reflect spiritually on what the Cross stands for, we come
to a renewed and deeper understanding of Christ’s love
for humanity. By remembering the profound influence this
lasting symbol has had for centuries on the human race, it
becomes clear exactly why the WYD Cross has such an
emotional and spiritual influence on so many people.
For me personally, the Cross brought to mind the theme
for World Youth Day in 2008 as received from Pope
Benedict XVI:
‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you will be my witnesses.’ (Acts 1:8)
Occurring after the death and resurrection of Jesus, this
passage represents the birth of the Church. However, on
a deeper and more intimate level, I see this passage to
be significant of our experience of Christ in all things. As
witnesses of Christ’s love, we hold the future of the Church
in our hands. After carrying the Cross, the purpose of
MAGiS Youth Festival – A walk
across the Bridge
MAGiS, the Latin word for ‘more’, is the Ignatian
program prior to WYD. It is a collaborative venture
by the Sisters of Charity, the Faithful Companions
of Jesus, the Religious of the Sacred Heart, the Loreto
Sisters and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). St Ignatius Loyola
used the term MAGiS to help people understand that after
recognising our gifts and talents we then develop them for
the Greater Glory of God.
MAGiS is sponsoring one of several youth festivals
throughout the city which take place during the peak
of WYD week activities. Our festival combines a youth
festival and a film festival, each embedded in the Ignatian
tradition. The MAGiS Youth Festival will take place at the
College, and it will run simultaneously with the Iñigo Film
Festival taking place at Loreto Kirribilli. Operating hours
for both venues will be Wednesday 16 July from 2.00pm
– 10.00pm, Thursday 17 July from 7.00pm – 10.00pm
and again on Friday 18 July from 2.00pm – 3.30pm.
We can expect to see a few thousand people
making the trek across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to
experience a truly wonderful event. Overseas pilgrims
will help to kick off festivities with native dances from their
respective countries including: Mauritius, Kenya, Tonga,
The Philippines, Madagascar and Hungary. The renowned
Visayas University Choir of Cebu in the Philippines will
present a performance not to miss and our centre stage will
have bands from St Aloysius’ College, local Sydneysiders
including Worship in the City, Uplift and the Christian
Singles Music Ministry.
Over the course of the three days, there will be plenty
of food and art. MAGiS will run a café overlooking Sydney
Harbour that will be surrounded by displays of original art.
There will be Aboriginal art, religious icon paintings and
sacred Chinese scrolls. Festival goers will also be able to
appreciate art they create themselves whether they make
Guatemalan bracelets or participate in a hands-on painting
workshop.
In addition to the Film Festival, there will be film
screenings about social justice issues. La Posada by Mark
McGregor SJ tells the story of unaccompanied immigrant
children who illegally cross the US/Mexican border. Sister
Pauline Collins sgs will show The Jammed, a film about
St Aloysius’ College
A Jesuit School for Boys _ Founded 1879
aloysiad / page 18