WYD@St Bede’s College Mentone

The WYD2016 theme provided a rich foundation for the assembled youth who gathered on Saturday 30 July, for a 12 hour retreat style program. In a highly interactive, informative and formative manner, 57 young men and women from St Bede’s College, and beyond, gathered to reflect on what it means to be a young believer in the contemporary world, and how each of us is called to be the face of mercy. Pilgrims gathered from Kilbreda College Mentone, De La Salle College Malvern, St John’s Regional College Dandenong, Simmonds Catholic College West Melbourne, Sion College Warragul, plus many post-school young adults. The day was facilitated by two Lasallian Youth Ministers, Caleb Bainbridge (St Bede’s College) and Stephen Beirouti (LaSalle, Middle Swan, WA).

Two keynote speakers where invited to animate the “Year of Mercy”; Laura John (past College Captain of Kilbreda College and UN Youth Rep 2014) and Mark Clarke, from the Office of Justice and Peace. They both provided thought provoking insights into the need for mercy in today’s world and challenged the ‘pilgrims’ to assess how they can make a positive difference in the world. In addition, the ‘pilgrims’ had a choice of workshops to participate in – Christian mediation with Brother Garry Coyte, The Year of Mercy in mosaic art with Viv and Laura, or “Human Trafficking” with Sister Stancea Vichie from ACRATH.

The day included a Camino walk along Mentone beach in blustery conditions. In the later afternoon, the Chapel became a welcomed and warm sanctuary to reflect on the day with a variety of prayer experiences including a large labyrinth prayer mat and the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with Fr Max Vodola. The day was complete with an evening of Polish food and entertainment; traditional Polish dancers taught the pilgrims some basic Polish steps and moves. It was a fitting and energetic finish to a wonderful and enriching day.

At the ‘end of day’ reflection one pilgrim wrote:

“As young people, we have the opportunity to create the world we want to live in; we have both the privilege and the duty to practice what we believe in and hopefully lead by example.”

In his homily, at the final World Youth Day Mass in Krakow, Pope Francis challenged young people to not be ‘couch potatoes’! Without doubt he would have been pleased to see the level of engagement and activity at St Bede’s College by both the young adults and the ‘young at heart’; that is the many staff members who volunteered to make St Bede’s College World Youth Day Local Experience a reality.

Ria Greene (Deputy Principal, St Bede’s College)

Further pilgrim comments:

WYD was an exciting day where we all came together to celebrate our faith and being young! We had an awesome time meeting new friends and getting inspired by brilliant speakers, and the workshops, games, Camino walk and prayer time gave us all the chance to explore the theme of mercy with other likeminded young people and decide what it means to us. WYD was a great experience, and a super fun day! Brad Shea, 18

As a busy Year 12 student who is reaching the end of their schooling, life at the moment has reached peak business. In spite of this, the local experience of World Youth Day at St Bede’s College provided a great opportunity for some much needed down time, reflection and distraction of sorts in a welcoming, relaxed environment. It was a day for like-minded individuals to connect with other people, reflect on mercy in the world and in your life and to celebrate the successes of youth from all walks of life. The day consisted of many activities, namely, Christian meditation with Brother Garry Coyte, presentations from phenomenal young people such as Laura John, a walk down the beach and some Polish dancing, to name a few. All provided a great opportunity to meet new individuals and connect more deeply with familiar people, celebrate the year of mercy, reflect on our lives and give thanks for all the good in the world. Overall, it was a great day spent in a comfortable environment filled with outstanding people, food and activities. Joel Harriss, 17

I had a fantastic time at the WYD event, I learnt so much about some of the current issues in our world and how to apply mercy in these situations, but more importantly, by attending WYD at St Bede's College I was able to decipher a whole new meaning for the word "mercy" itself. All year long, we have revolved around the theme, talked about it and seen the words printed on posters and school newsletters but despite being exposed to the word for such an extended period of time, I have never really stopped to think about its deeper meaning. It was a really engaging and insightful event that I can tell a lot of effort and thought had been put into! Brooklyn Ludowyk, 17

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