austraLasia #1577
Salesian Family begins preparations for Sydney World Youth Day: Fire in the heart of God!
MELBOURNE: 8th June 2006 -- Yes, Sydney, even though the Salesian Family preparations began in Melbourne! During the recent visit of the Regional, Fr Klement, to Australia and the Pacific island parts of the province as well, a meeting took place at the Provincial House (Ascot Vale, Melbourne) involving the Provincial, members of the Pastoral Animation Team (PAT) and representatives of the Salesian Principals Association of Australia (SPAA). Fr Klement was present for this meeting.
The meeting considered additional matters such as the ongoing teamwork between the two commissions or groups which, in other provinces would normally be a single Youth Ministry Team. Australia has for many years now had two groups, one focused only on school-based ministry since this has been and is such a prominent element in Salesian works in Australia, and the other on all other aspects of Youth Ministry activity, and beyond. The two groups on this occasion looked at the common development of the Australian Salesian pastoral plan, formation of lay people in the Salesian Family, and steps towards making the proposed Youth Missionary Movement a formal project. But the highlight of the gathering was remote preparation for the WYD celebrations from 14-20 July 2008.
Organisers of the Sydney WYD are planning for 400,000 participants, a number somewhat smaller than the European and even the North American events, given Australia's distance from that part of the world where there are huge numbers of Catholics. But a significant presence of Asian and Oceanian youth is expected, by contrast with those earlier events.
The WYD theme, from Acts, on announcing the Gospel to the ends of the earth, is appropriate for the Antipodes! But it is also a missionary theme, and organizers and certainly the Salesian Family group meeting in Melbourne, have seen it as a golden opportunity to fire up the missionary spirit. The official logo for WYD '08 represents both the Opera House, Sydney's best known icon, and the Holy Spirit.
Bishop Anthony Fisher, auxiliary bishop from Sydney is the Episcopal Conference nominee as chief episcopal organizer of the event. You could check out www.wyd2008.org and www.worldyouthday.com.au to understand a little more of the Australian preparation in general.
The Salesian Family in Australia has begun its preparations in strict cooperation amongs SDB/FMA and lay people involved in the 10 schools, and also includes a youth volunteer component. There will be a Salesian Day in Sydney, preferably before the arrival of the Holy Father. The Salesians have two very large community settings in Sydeny - Engadine and St. Marys and both are adequate for gathering huge numbers of people with many facilities. Salesian Sydney is very much poised to offer the best for this event. The recent visit fo the FMA Mother General, Mother Antonia Colombo confirmed the common endeavour to draw the best fruits from the WYD for Salesian presence and activity in the Continent of Oceania (a continent that Europeans should add to the list of 'five continents' taught in their schools!)
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F'OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
Salesian Family begins preparations for Sydney World Youth Day: Fire in the heart of God!
MELBOURNE: 8th June 2006 -- Yes, Sydney, even though the Salesian Family preparations began in Melbourne! During the recent visit of the Regional, Fr Klement, to Australia and the Pacific island parts of the province as well, a meeting took place at the Provincial House (Ascot Vale, Melbourne) involving the Provincial, members of the Pastoral Animation Team (PAT) and representatives of the Salesian Principals Association of Australia (SPAA). Fr Klement was present for this meeting.
The meeting considered additional matters such as the ongoing teamwork between the two commissions or groups which, in other provinces would normally be a single Youth Ministry Team. Australia has for many years now had two groups, one focused only on school-based ministry since this has been and is such a prominent element in Salesian works in Australia, and the other on all other aspects of Youth Ministry activity, and beyond. The two groups on this occasion looked at the common development of the Australian Salesian pastoral plan, formation of lay people in the Salesian Family, and steps towards making the proposed Youth Missionary Movement a formal project. But the highlight of the gathering was remote preparation for the WYD celebrations from 14-20 July 2008.
Organisers of the Sydney WYD are planning for 400,000 participants, a number somewhat smaller than the European and even the North American events, given Australia's distance from that part of the world where there are huge numbers of Catholics. But a significant presence of Asian and Oceanian youth is expected, by contrast with those earlier events.
The WYD theme, from Acts, on announcing the Gospel to the ends of the earth, is appropriate for the Antipodes! But it is also a missionary theme, and organizers and certainly the Salesian Family group meeting in Melbourne, have seen it as a golden opportunity to fire up the missionary spirit. The official logo for WYD '08 represents both the Opera House, Sydney's best known icon, and the Holy Spirit.
Bishop Anthony Fisher, auxiliary bishop from Sydney is the Episcopal Conference nominee as chief episcopal organizer of the event. You could check out www.wyd2008.org and www.worldyouthday.com.au to understand a little more of the Australian preparation in general.
The Salesian Family in Australia has begun its preparations in strict cooperation amongs SDB/FMA and lay people involved in the 10 schools, and also includes a youth volunteer component. There will be a Salesian Day in Sydney, preferably before the arrival of the Holy Father. The Salesians have two very large community settings in Sydeny - Engadine and St. Marys and both are adequate for gathering huge numbers of people with many facilities. Salesian Sydney is very much poised to offer the best for this event. The recent visit fo the FMA Mother General, Mother Antonia Colombo confirmed the common endeavour to draw the best fruits from the WYD for Salesian presence and activity in the Continent of Oceania (a continent that Europeans should add to the list of 'five continents' taught in their schools!)
Click here to comment on this article.
________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xm A separate service entirely is called F'OSSERVATORE to help us keep abreast of trends in the digital world.
