Hundreds of young people across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains have been inspired to walk together on the journey of faith and to find joy in being a Catholic.
As part of its LIFTED program, Catholic Youth Parramatta encouraged Year 12 student leaders and young people to become pilgrims of hope in 2024, with an emphasis on supporting grassroots initiatives.
LIFTED Leaders
On Thursday 29 February, over 200 students from systemic and independent schools across the Diocese of Parramatta gathered at West HQ, Rooty Hill, to share their goals and aspirations for their leadership in their respective communities.
Year 12 student leaders are seen during LIFTED Leaders at West HQ, Rooty Hill, in February 2024. Image: Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese/Supplied
Student leaders heard from Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, and Jack de Groot, Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Executive Director, on a variety of topics relevant to young people, including mental health, social media, and women in leadership.
“Seeing young and enthusiastic faces makes me feel that we have a beautiful, promising future ahead of us, even if we face formidable challenges,” Bishop Vincent told the students.
“You are the custodians of that promising future and being formed in our Catholic school system, being formed with the values of the Gospel and being formed as an organised movement for transformation, I have every reason to believe that the future of the Church, the Diocese, Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains is in good hands.
“My hope for young people is we become better versions of ourselves, and we, as Christians, have the means at our disposal to achieve this self-transformation quest through our relationship with Christ, with our faith communities, with one other and our wrestle with the teachings of Christ and the values of the Gospel – these are some of the things that help us to become the people that we are destined to be.”
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta (centre) with World Youth Day pilgrims who became Year 12 student leaders during LIFTED Leaders at West HQ, Rooty Hill, in February 2024. Image: Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese/Supplied
Jack de Groot said it was a joy to be able to join the leaders and to hear their thoughts about their faith and life experiences as young people.
“I enjoy this opportunity to hear your voice, to challenge and say what you think we need to achieve together in terms of education for young people across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, to hear more of your aspiration for leadership within our system, to put the challenge to those who lead the schools system about how we can serve all young people of Western Sydney,” he said.
“We wouldn’t be in Catholic Education for the 46,000 young people in our schools unless we had extraordinary aspiration, desire, confidence about young people.
“My hope is that you are very much ‘for the world’ – motivated by a God who actually wants to be in the world and for the world and with humans in their joys and sufferings. We want that opportunity for you to thrive and change this world and your communities and be of service to them.”
Jack de Groot, Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Executive Director (left) and Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, speak to Year 12 student leaders during LIFTED Leaders at West HQ, Rooty Hill, in February 2024. Image: Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese/Supplied
With the Diocese continuing its Synodal journey following its inaugural Synod Assembly in October 2023, the Year 12 leaders had an opportunity to participate in their own version of the Synod, focussing on how young people can co-create and enhance new forms of engagement within their parishes, schools and beyond.
Student leaders appreciated the opportunity to share with one another and to connect to the wider Catholic Schools community.
A Year 12 student leader is seen in discussion during LIFTED Leaders at West HQ, Rooty Hill, in February 2024. Image: Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese/Supplied
“We need to focus less on our differences and rather highlight what is so special about each and every one of us, and I think that will bring us together as a community. Community is such an important part of the Church that can be taken for granted, so it would be important to see everyone united,” Alessia, from St Patrick’s Marist College Dundas Valley, said.
“I hope everyone is able to strengthen and build their faith as much as we were able to in this past year in attending World Youth Day and to experience an amazing opportunity like that,” added Olivia, from St John Paul II Catholic College Schofields.
LIFTED Launch
During the Thursday evening, Catholic Youth Parramatta launched their 2024 program with over 100 young people across the Diocese, encouraging them to connect with opportunities for youth in their local faith communities.
“One of our big goals for 2024 is supporting local leaders and fostering local grassroots initiatives,” said Sebastian Duhau, MET Facilitator – Catholic Youth Parramatta.
“At LIFTED Launch, we were intentional with putting these local initiatives at the forefront because what CYP does is complementary to what’s happening on the ground every week, fortnight or month in our parish communities to keep our young people nourished and sustained in their faith.”
Young people are seen during Catholic Youth Parramatta’s LIFTED Launch at West HQ, Rooty Hill, in February 2024. Image: Supplied
The expo featured youth ministry opportunities from Blacktown, Castle Hill, Emerton, Kellyville, Marayong, Plumpton, Quakers Hill-Schofields, Rooty Hill and Seven Hills parishes.
“After World Youth Day, we wanted to strengthen the bonds that we had already formed with the pilgrims, so being able to share and communicate some of the initiatives of our pilgrims in their local communities helps to nurture this sense of community,” said Eleanor Bonwick, MET Facilitator – Catholic Youth Parramatta.
“Having our pilgrims continue to connect with us really showed that World Youth Day is so important for our young people to go to and it’s such an investment in the faith and future of the Church.”
Grounding the launch event in faith, young people were encouraged through praise and worship to share their hopes for 2024, with the LIFTED Band encouraging the young people to “Keep Praying”.
Young people are seen during Catholic Youth Parramatta’s LIFTED Launch at West HQ, Rooty Hill, in February 2024. Image: Supplied
“I hope that we can be inspired to radiate God’s love everywhere,” one young person wrote on their intention.
“I hope I can be more courageous and more authentically myself,” wrote another young person.
View images from LIFTED Leaders and LIFTED Launch.
The next major initiative of the Catholic Youth Parramatta team is their annual Good Friday Night Walk, which takes young pilgrims from St Patrick’s Church, Blacktown, to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, from Good Friday evening (29 March) to Holy Saturday morning (30 March).
Young people will have the opportunity to reflect on Christ’s journey to the Cross and offer up their own suffering to Christ through prayer, music and testimonies.
Register for the walk by visiting https://parracatholic.org/events/gfnw/.
If you wish to volunteer for the Good Friday Night Walk as a Marshal, Bus Driver or Registration support, contact Eleanor on Eleanor.Bonwick@parracatholic.org or reach out via Facebook or Instagram.
