By Anthony Barich
National Reporter
An initiative has been created to network secondary schools, staff and organisations across several dioceses in NSW, Victoria and the ACT who have woven youth ministry into their religious education courses.
Catholic Schools Youth Ministry Australia (CSYMA) was formed in 2007 by Peter Woods, director of mission at St Edmund’s College, Canberra and Missionaries of God’s Love Fr Chris Ryan, who toured Oceania with the World Youth Day Cross and Icon prior to WYD 2008.
The concept developed after WYD08 to make every Catholic school a centre for the “New Evangelisation” which both Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have referred to as an urgent necessity for the Church.
There are now 27 schools implementing the programme and several Catholic Education Offices have started to implement it across all schools in their diocese, including Sale, Sandhurst and Hobart. CSYMA promotes a four-phase approach to youth evangelisation incorporated into the heart of the school curriculum, with opportunities for catechesis that integrates spiritual growth, education in faith, service learning and leadership training.
These four phases are:
– Retreat and/or Youth Ministry experience
– Youth Ministry RE Curriculum Pathway
– Formation of a Senior Youth Ministry Team
– Providing broader Catholic Church and post-school opportunities for youth ministry and mission.
Over 140 key educators and youth ministry leaders attended a national staff conference at Marist Brothers College, Canberra on 3-4 September 2009, which forced teachers to re-think the concept of mission and the link between religious education and catechesis in Catholic schools, people who attended it reported.
“In the passion and confidence of the youth who shared their faith and life with delegates, we witnessed the fruits of this approach in promoting the integral formation and leadership of young people. I have returned to Parramatta with a renewed hope for the Church,” said Greg Wilson, a team leader of Religious Education in Parramatta’s Catholic Education Office.
Debra Sayce, Religious Education director of Catholic Education in WA, told The Record that while the concept was “fantastic”, it was not suited to WA, where there is a “very different idea of religious education”.
“You need a curriculum to support it; and it must be placed in curriculum context of the school,” she said, adding that most of the leadership development in Catholic schools in WA occurs outside school hours, with staff prepared to give of their time, like training special ministers of the Eucharist. “We have to follow the line of Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, and our bishops have signed off on the Youth Vision, and things must dovetail in to support those programmes. New things come and go. I always ask questions about sustainability – if a staff member who’s keen on it leaves, can it survive? If it’s part of the school culture then it may be able to be maintained.”
Mrs Sayce added that schools are free to take up the program, but outside of Religious Education time.
Two staff regional conferences are planned for 2010 – one at Mazenod College, Mulgave, Melbourne from 27-28 May and one in Sydney from 12-13 August, which Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous will address. A national student conference will also be held at St Francis Xavier College in Berwick, Melbourne from 9-11 September.
A CSYMA national youth ministry team will also be developed that consists of post-school youth visiting member schools giving presentations.
Catholic Mission has joined the party, taking on the role of being CSYMA’s National Partner as part of its call to form Australian Catholics for mission.
This has enabled CSYMA to expand its services to the Catholic Church nationally. Catholic Mission is included within the youth ministry curriculum and opportunities for Catholic Mission immersion experiences are promoted by CSYMA.