Australian Catholic Youth Festival
This Monday, we had the privilege of attending the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF). ACYF is a biennial national gathering of young Catholics aged 15-25 established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. We were able to meet young people from all over the country who shared their journeys with faith.
We started the day with a plenary, which was held in the massive auditorium. Everything was a blast, with thousands of young people jumping to the music. Aside from music, there was a play that taught an important moral lesson, to love and treat one another well. In addition, there was a workshop called Soul Fuel Cafe, where some of the speakers shared their live journey to their faith. Finally, Sister Mary-Grace gave us the bigger picture of what it means to be part of ACYF. She told us an anecdote of this young girl, named Clara, who was from high school. Clara had low-self esteem and lost hope as she felt like she was loved by the people close to her. Over time, her situation aggravated, leading her to alcoholism. What we’ve personally learned from it is that events like this can allow you to find your faith, your purpose in life and also fill that emptiness that you feel in your heart.
Our first session of the day was ‘How to Hug a Porcupine,’ a lesson in tolerance, courage and strength. Sr Therese Mills led the lecture, using the metaphor of hugging a porcupine to teach us about how to deal with the ‘porcupines’ in our lives, people who are toxic, hurtful, and sometimes difficult to love. She shared her own experiences growing up in a dysfunctional family, from which she learnt that it is possible to hug a porcupine, but with armor made from patience, self-care, prayer and eucharist, zero tolerance for abuse, positive self talk, and unconditional love.
After attending our first session, we explored the expo room, the bustling hub of ACYF where we visited stalls selling books, rosary beads, and spoke with their proprietors who spoke to us about various aspects of Catholicism. We learnt about meditation and mindfulness practices, World Youth Day, and various facets of Catholic life.
Our second session of the day was ‘Made for Greatness,’ where our presenter connected faith to Marvel movies. As we explored ‘Marvel theology,’ we were able to connect scripture to modern life, and found a deeper understanding of what it means to be Catholic/what God calls us to do. To wrap up the day, we visited the Chapel, a reverent and quiet space. We were able to consolidate the day’s learning through prayerful self-reflection, deepening our faith and connection to God.
The overarching theme and atmosphere of ACYF ties into the 2025 Jubilee Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope; From the rousing plenary, to the sessions and conversations we had with people from all walks of life, we were filled with a sense of great hope for the year ahead and our ongoing journeys with God.
Athiei Gor & Maisha Beyene
Year 11, 2025