‘We really want them to encounter Christ’: preparing for ACYF

Excitement and anticipation are growing across the Archdiocese of Melbourne as young people in parishes, schools, migrant communities and movements have begun the journey to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in November.

After 12 years, the festival returns to Melbourne. Between 30 November and 2 December 2025, thousands of young people from around Australia will converge on Melbourne Convention and Exhbition Centre for three days of prayer, Mass, workshops, talks, live concerts, games, action on justice issues, an interactive expo and opportunities to engage with leaders in the Catholic Church, including bishops.

In the outer western suburb of Melton South, St Anthony’s Parish are preparing to send a large contingent of young people to the festival. Rea, a youth leader at St Anthony’s, says they currently, have 16 people planning to attend.

She hopes that these young people will develop a ‘sense of zeal for our faith, reminding us why spending time with God is so important. Hopefully this could inspire them to become more devoted as young Catholics.’

Rea expects it will also be beneficial for her own faith journey as a young adult. ‘I’m hoping it’ll inspire me and teach me more ways of living my prayer life more authentically.’

We really want to invest in our young people so that we can have good leaders … and they can lead others closer to Christ.

The growing parish, under the care of the Rogationist community of priests, has already run fundraising events and weekly formation sessions for its youth group.

St Francis of Assisi Parish, in the northern suburb of Mill Park, sees sending a group to the festival as a great way to develop the next generation of disciples willing to share their faith with others.

‘We really want to invest in our young people,’ Carmel, the parish youth minister, says, ‘so that we can have good leaders … and they can lead others closer to Christ.

‘We’ve actually decided to sponsor two of our older teens to go because we really want to support them to become future leaders.’

One of the teenagers, Ishan, says he is seeking to ‘learn more about my faith and hopefully grow more’. Another teenager, Liz, says she is ‘most excited to meet a lot of people around my age that share the same faith. I’m hoping to take on a leadership role at the youth group I go to … and bring more youth to the faith.’

Carmel explains that ‘it’s not just about the social elements, the music, all those things—they’re incredible—but we really want them to encounter Christ and to have that hope in their life, to be able to go and fully experience the grace of the sacraments, to really fall in love with the Catholic Church.’

To spiritually prepare for the festival, Lifeteen, the high-school-aged youth group at St Francis of Assisi, has planned fundraisers and is organising pilgrimages to a number of the 13 Pilgrim Places around the Archdiocese.

John Eric-Ighalo, Discipleship Specialist for Young Adults at Proclaim: The Office for Mission Renewal, has been in contact with many communities preparing for the festival, including migrant communities like the Vietnamese community. ‘When I go to youth groups and movements,’ John says, ‘they say, “Yes, finally something like this is happening!”’

He encourages communities to reach out to get started on the journey. ‘Get in touch with the Proclaim team,’ he says. ‘There are resources out there to help you in your journey, and we’re very happy to come down and provide support.’

John notes that the Parish of Mentone–Parkdale has created its own roadmap to the festival, setting out different dates for information nights, fundraising events, dinners, and prayer and formation opportunities. But for parishes who are yet to get started, he assures them that it is not too late to begin the journey. ‘It is very achievable. Parishioners want to support young people to experience the joy of Christ and the hope that the Lord has given to us. Just watch the Lord work through your parish!’

Since this is the year of Jubilee, we’re trying to promote that our faith is alive. Our faith is joyous.

On 28 July, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools launched their journey to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival with an energetic day at the Australian Catholic University bringing together secondary school students and Jubilee Ambassadors. Students explored the Jubilee and festival theme of ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ through live music, games, talks, and times of reflection and prayer.

Marc and Rose, staff members at Penola Catholic College in Broadmeadows, explain that the school’s Josephite spirituality lends itself to pilgrimage. ‘We know that Mary Mackillop has a deep love for education and young people. We do yearly pilgrimages through the sites where Mary Mackillop did mission, and this is all leading towards ACYF at the end of the year,’ Rose says.

Marc says he hopes young people’s ‘faith will be ignited’ at the festival. ‘Since this is the year of Jubilee, we’re trying to promote that our faith is alive. Our faith is joyous. Our faith speaks different measures of diversity yet unity.’

Marcus, a student at St Bernard’s College, Essendon, says he is ‘looking forward to just connecting with more Catholics’, observing that ‘nowadays, we’re all pretty disconnected.’

When asked if she’s planning to attend the festival, Maria, a student from Penola Catholic College, says ‘I’m in’. She says she has ‘never been in an environment like’ the festival and is looking forward to hearing live music and the talks.