By Josh Low
In the lead-up to the nationwide launch of the Year of Youth this weekend on December 3, Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe SDB has called for local parishes and communities to be fully involved over the whole liturgical year.
Archbishop Costelloe said the hope for the Year of Youth is to come together to walk and engage with more young people across all areas of the Church. Photo: Josh Low.
Archbishop Costelloe encouraged every local community to mark the launch of the Year of Youth, which commences on the first Sunday of Advent 3 December 2017 and concludes on the 25 November 2018, as well as to take other practical steps over the next 12 months.
“I am also asking parishes and communities to engage a ‘Year of Youth Action Team’ made up of a variety of adults and young people in your community to prepare activities for the Year of Youth,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“I would encourage your Safeguarding Officer to be a part of this action team to ensure that the safety of young people is at the forefront of our planning,” he said.
“I also encourage young people aged 12 to 30 to step forward to become ‘Year of Youth Ambassadors’ in their local communities.
“They can be a voice and advocate for the initiatives of the ‘Year of Youth Action Team’.”
Archbishop Costelloe said the hope for the Year of Youth is to come together to walk and engage with more young people across all areas of the Church.
“We need to spend these next 12 months as local communities, working together across parishes, high schools, university chaplains, working with Church agencies and parents in accompanying the teens and young adults of our Church,” he said.
Catholic Youth Ministry Perth Youth Worker, Matt Lim, said that the ultimate goal of the Year of Youth is to get young people back to the Church and to actively seek deepening their relationship with Christ.
“Our aim is to foster the spiritual growth of young people with the help of the family, parish, school and community,” he said.
“The hope is that through engagement with the wider Church community, the need and importance of the four groups (family, parish, school and community) and the formation they provide for young people will be recognised.
“We’re trying to advocate for integration between the different groups involved in the Church with the aim of getting young people involved while offering them support.
“We want to bridge gaps between generations and create a Church where the whole community here in our Archdiocese supports each other,” he said.