Sabrina Stevens is a proud Kuku Yalanji and Yidinji woman, born and raised in Cairns, Far North Queensland.
She attended her first National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Commission (NATSICC) Assembly in 2009 and felt inspired by the combination of faith stories and concepts of Indigenous spirituality from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic peoples being incorporated into the Church.
She is passionate about supporting young people to become leaders in their own communities by supporting their faith journey through the inclusion of Indigenous gifts within the Church and leadership formation opportunities.
Sabrina is the current Youth Councillor with NATSICC.
She is also the Youth Participation Coordinator at Caritas Australia, a role which sees her support youth participation in Caritas Australia’s activities and programs across the country.
One of these is the ‘Walking with God’ program.
It aims to bring young adults together through prayer, reflection and dialogue within an inspiring natural setting.
A place where they can experience the presence of God within our environment and on country.
It is a program that seeks to elevate young adults to aspirational leaders in our Church, fostering their interest in social and ecological justice through ministry and care for our common home.
The idea of a nature-based activity provides an opportunity for participants to incorporate Indigenous narratives of caring for country, encouraging a holistic and inclusive framework between social and ecological justice, and its connectiveness to living and sharing faith together.
The ‘Walking with God’ program can be held in three different ways:
• Half or Full Day Nature Walk (4 – 8 hours)
• Urban Reflection (1.5 – 3 hours)
• Online Small Group Reflection (1 hour)
‘Walking with God’ in nature can influence change through the conversion of our hearts when hearing and responding to the call of advocacy for the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
Sabrina led the CYM team from the Archdiocese of Perth on a recent Urban Reflection with a walk-through Hyde Park during her recent visit to WA.
It began with the group sharing a particular place in their past or presently where they felt most connected.
Sabrina then handed each of the group a scriptural quote or a passage from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ or a quote from someone else who asked us to reflect on the wonder and awe of God’s creation.
After spending individual time reflecting on the quotation, the group came together to share their thoughts and feelings on this experience…the sounds, the smells, the taste, and the feel of what the land had to say.
For more information about how your school or parish can be involved, contact Sabrina Stevens via email at sabrina.stevens@caritas.org.au.