Catholic Outlook September 2015

CATHOLIC YOUTH
‘Made For Each Other’
explores authentic love
By Madeline Arnold
CatholicYouthParra @cyp_parra @cyp_parra
Live webcasting of
youth festival sessions
By Rebecca DiGirolamo
The day was an opportunity to share personal insights and experiences.
On the Feast of the Assumption
last month, about 20 young
people from across the Diocese
of Parramatta and beyond gathered at the
Institute for Mission in Blacktown to take
part in ‘Made For Each Other’.
This day-long seminar on 15 August
was organised by the diocesan Family
& Life Office and focussed on the
complementarity of man and woman.
The program was centred on six
short films from the Humanum series,
supported by the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith and co-sponsored by
the Pontifical Council for the Family, and
others.
The dignity and beauty of the family
and marriage was at the forefront of
discussion.
The day began with prayer, followed
by a screening of each film combined with
small and large group discussion. This was
a great opportunity to hear other young
people’s views and thoughts about the
concepts touched on in the films, and to
share personal insights and experiences.
Fr Benedict Mackenzie FSF celebrated
Mass and gave a homily about what Mary’s
Assumption tells us about the value and
dignity of the human person and what this
means for the body.
The youth were blessed to hear some
insights and wisdom about married life
from Ben Smith and Annabelle Bhandoo
from the Family & Life Office.
Those participating in the seminar
heard about how the dignity of the body
has been degraded by society and the
consequences of this in light of how we are
made in God’s image and likeness and how
the body is an outward expression of the
human person.
At the end of the day, Chris Da Silva
and Frances Hopkins from The Culture
Project spoke about their mission to
restore culture through advocacy of life
and love.
Chris and Frances explained the
difference between ‘solid love’ and ‘liquid
love’, a concept touched on in the films,
and shared personal insights into their role
in upholding this idea of authentic love in
today’s culture.
All the participants went home with a
deeper understanding of the beauty and
dignity of every human, how to love others
with a ‘solid love’ and the beauty of the
complementarity of man and woman.
As part of a broader plan for
engagement of young people in the
Church, the Diocese of Parramatta
will facilitate the involvement of up to
100 young adults to attend the Australian
Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) to be held in
Adelaide from 3-6 December.
The rapid pick-up of new social media
applications by Catholic youth is playing a
major part in the coordination, planning and
delivery of the festival.
Project Manager for the Australian
Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) Office
for Youth, Gabrielle Sinclair, said over the
past five years social media had become an
essential part of communicating any event,
particularly to young people.
The ACYF in Adelaide will be the first
of the ACBC-sponsored events to stream
live radio. This will be in addition to live
webcasting of the plenary sessions.
Gabrielle said the official hashtag
#ACYF15 would be used to encourage youth
to search for friends and post live during the
festival. An event app is also being developed.
Youth can follow the conference @
ACBCYouthMin on three platforms:
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social
media will be used to communicate special
announcements and feature particular
elements of the festival.
Radio broadcaster and journalist Gianna
Gianna Lucas will
be coordinating live
radio streaming for
ArchD Radio at the
Festival.
Lucas will coordinate and co-present live
internet streaming of Adelaide’s ArchD Radio
program at ACYF 2015.
She will head a team of Catholic youth to
plan interviews and special guest appearances
before a live audience at the Adelaide
Convention Centre over the three-day event.
“Live streaming is perfect for people who
cannot get to the festival,” she said. “They
might be working in Adelaide or interstate
and so in this way they can be right among
those at the festival just by tuning in on their
laptop or smartphone. It’s a great initiative.”
Catholic Youth Parramatta has secured
beds at the Mercure and Ibis Hotel across
the road from the venue. Catholic Education
Diocese of Parramatta has secured a similar
number at the Adelaide YHA for Year 10
students.
Young adults from the parishes of
Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Castle Hill,
Granville, Greystanes, Harris Park, Lalor
Park, Marayong and Mt Druitt have already
reserved beds in these sponsored rooms.
Young adults and priests in the Diocese of
Parramatta who would like more information
about the festival can contact CYP Director
James Camden tel (02) 8838 3428, JCamden@
parra.catholic.org.au
More info about ACYF is available at:
http://youthfestival.catholic.org.au/
Saturday 12 Sept
8.30 – 4pm
Strathfield Campus
25A Barker Rd Strathfield
www.acu.edu.au/openday
CRICOS registered provider: 00004G
16 CatholicOutlook | SEPTEMBER 2015
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