COYYA is excited to announce the launch of the Catholic Youth Podcast! A podcast created to encourage and inspire you in engaging with young people in Catholic youth ministry. We’ll be sitting down with people from across the Archdiocese to chat about different topics that Catholic youth are interested in knowing more about.

The Diocesan Youth Assembly took place on Saturday 17 September where more than 50 participants representing more than 20 Catholic Schools, Parishes, Movements and Organisations came together to discuss issues that matter to them and to contribute to the wider Diocesan Assembly.

Spiritual conversation is a practice with Ignatian roots that can help guide a group through prayer and dialogue as they grapple with important group discernment and decision making.

By carving out intentional, equal sharing and active listening, the process works! We tried this out at the recent Diocesan Youth Assembly and were blown away by the results.

If you participated and liked the process or if you’re curious about giving it a go with your group, here is a step-by-step guide that will show you how to have a spiritual conversation.

The Diocesan Youth Assembly is a gathering of youth representatives ages 16-30 from across the Archdiocese of Adelaide to discuss issues that matter to them and to contribute to the wider Diocesan Assembly.

Synod, Council, Assembly. In recent times, there has been a buzz of these words in our Catholic communities, each bearing its own meaning and purpose. These processes pave the way to an exciting season of encounter, dialogue and discernment in our church community but at the same time, it can be difficult to keep up with where we’re at! If you’re a bit hazy on what’s the difference between a Synod and a Council and the like, then you’ve come to the right place. Here is a snapshot of what is the 2023 Synod, Australian Plenary Council, Diocesan Assembly and the Diocesan Youth Assembly and why they’re important.

“Where has the year gone?!” followed by “before you know it, it’ll be Christmas!” are the exclamations you’ve probably been hearing ever since the calendar flipped over to July, officially marking the passing of time into the second half of 2022.

In a whirl of study, work, deadlines, events, and the change of season it is so easy to see the months tick by and get swept up in our daily routines without having time to reflect on the big picture and detect God’s presence in our lives. The Ignatian Examen is an ancient form of prayer….

Recently, a small group of young people from different religious and non-religious backgrounds, including Islam, Christianity (Catholic), Hinduism, Buddhism and other personal faith systems gathered to participate in an interfaith discussion night organized by Adelaide YCW. The discussion night stemmed from the idea to promote interfaith harmony and for us as young people to explore our faith, beliefs, spirituality, values and perspectives in a relaxed and respectful atmosphere.

A great gem from Catholic tradition, is that we celebrate an entire Easter Season spanning across 50 days from the first Easter Sunday until Pentecost. We get to keep the celebrations going and bask in the paschal joy long after the Easter eggs and bunny decorations have been shoved onto the supermarket discount shelves. So, how can we continue to celebrate and journey into the joy this Easter season, making space for Jesus to allow us to experience resurrection right here and now? COYYA has got you covered. Cue: Via Lucis

As we enter Holy Week, Easter Sunday celebrations are just around the corner and as a self-confessed sweet-tooth, one of my favourite ways to celebrate is enjoying a chocolate egg (or a few). Eggs are ancient symbols of new life that beautifully represent Jesus’ resurrection and if they happen to be made of chocolate, that’s even better in my opinion.

When I was in high school I had a stint on the school’s track and field team (I think Aussies call it athletics??). I liked track and field because I didn’t have to learn many rules and because it was mostly about individual achievement… that is, it was hard to let down my team mates with a bad pass or kick, I just had to run, jump and throw. I had never done well with team sports, so track was easier for me to manage. I was a sprinter specialising in the 100 and 200 meter dash. I was pretty good at it so I was asked to be on a relay team.

Last weekend over 100 young people ages 16 to 30 and leaders from schools, parishes and communities across the Archdiocese of Adelaide. The Diocesan Youth Assembly was the next step in the ongoing synodal journey taking place in the archdiocese, continuing on from the 2021 Diocesan Assembly, Plenary Council and 2023 Synod of Bishops.

What is something that young people desire in their lives? As a young person growing up, I wanted adventure! I lived in the Adelaide Hills during high school, and I would love going on adventures in the bushland near my house. I would go off the path occasionally and try and follow the creek as far as I could go, until it became impossible to follow without getting completely soaked in water. I would carry around a stick like it was a sword and swipe away at thistles on the path like they were orcs from the Lord of the Rings. The peace that would come from being out in nature and hearing nothing but the birds and the wind in the trees. Adventure felt right, and it made me happy to be young. Recently though, I’ve forgotten what its like to live in the moment. I’ve been looking too hard at the things that are ahead, worrying about the future, complaining when things don’t go the way I thought they would. I’ve forgotten what its like to simply be.

My point is that this popular focus on being your ‘best self’ can actually prevent us from finding ways to work together to be a better community. There is absolutely nothing wrong with personal development and self-care, but my concern with the focus on ‘winning at life’ is that we’re accepting that there are people who are losing….

Coming into 2021, youth ministry groups across the many Parishes in the Archdiocese of Adelaide had an attitude of being prepared for the potential challenges COVID could bring, but at the same time hoping for a better year to run their ministry. Although there have been many challengers in 2021, there have also been many successes despite COVID-19. Some new youth ministry initiatives have started while other existing initiatives continue to thrive in parishes and communities as youth leaders support young people in their journey of faith.

In a few weeks we will be entering a new phase in the life of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, and a couple weeks after that, the life of the Australian Church. The 2021 Diocesan Assembly and Plenary Council offer our local and national Catholic community an opportunity to listen deeply to young people, to allow ourselves to be converted and experience a transformation of love. Young people are calling us out of the comfort of our church buildings and the confines of convention and into the streets, the homes and lives of everyday, ordinary people, of those in deep need, and to address the realities and challenges of our time. Will we listen? Will we have the humility to allow ourselves to be accompanied?

Welcome to Lockdown #2!

Although those of us in South Australia had a small lockdown late last year, this current lockdown comes at a time where a lot of us are feeling very tired and frustrated with the reality of living through a global pandemic.

I know that many of us are feeling the effects of being separated from family and loved ones over this coming week and even just the thought of having to spend an extended amount of time at home can be very overwhelming.

Alongside our resources page, we thought that we would share a few more resources with you in this blog post to help you pass the time whilst we are doing our bit to ensure the safety of everyone.

When I was younger, I had my sights set on becoming famous. I wanted to be a celebrity, and I thought that I had the best reason – celebrities made a difference. They had lots of money and were often in the news for numerous good deeds (I don’t think I paid much attention to the negatives of being famous). To me it was clear: fame + fortune = changing the world.

Fast forward to 2021: I am quickly approaching my 25th birthday and I am definitely not on the road to being famous, but I have learnt a thing or two about how my little life can have big impacts.

The Diocesan Youth Assembly is a gathering of youth representatives ages 16-30 from across the Archdiocese of Adelaide to discuss issues that matter to them and to contribute to the wider Diocesan Assembly and Plenary Council.

As night fell on the clear but chilly evening, over eighty young people from across Adelaide gathered for a youth vigil mass in the Church. It was kicked off by Gen joining the Vietnamese Catholic youth band singing “Veni Creator Spiritus” meaning; “Come Creator Spirit”. The beautifully sung hymn repeated over and over gave a sense of awareness of the Holy Spirit within everyone...

Diocesan Youth Assembly and Consultations

In preparation for the 2021 Adelaide Diocesan Assembly, young people are invited to participate in one of several consultation sessions across the Archdiocese of Adelaide. Young people ages 16-30 are invited to attend a consultation session with team members of the Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults in June and July. Feedback from the consultations will be included for discussion at the youth assembly on 21 August and Diocesan Assembly in September