Youth & young Adults

“It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives….” – Pope St John Paul II

Note to Youth

Faith provides us with a moral compass, a sense of community and a spiritual foundation. It guides us in making ethical decisions, and offers a meaningful framework for personal growth and purpose. This is never more important than in the years of our youth.

We acknowledge the challenges of this time in history and culture. Today there are many worldly distractions, that can pull us off the straight and narrow path that leads to salvation. Jesus says the “path that leads to perdition (look that word up) is wide and spacious and many choose that path; whereas the path that leads to salvation is narrow and there are few who find it and follow it”.

Our response to this can be:

  1.  Prayer. Every time we pray, we are growing in our faith. Actually, prayer is an act of faith because we are praying to a God whom we do not see. Therefore, let us make a strong decision and concerted effort to strive to grow in prayer every day.
  2. Solid Scriptural Reading. Saints have been converted by reading—as in the case of Saint Ignatius of Loyola who read the lives of the saints after his injury in the battle of Pamplona. Ignatius exclaimed: “If Francis can do it, so can I; if Dominic can do it, then so can I.” Why not decide to bolster your faith on a daily basis by applying yourselves to good spiritual reading.
  3. Accept Trials. When God sends you some trial or tribulation then why not accept it and call out like Simon Peter who was sinking in the waves: Lord, save me! Jesus did save him, and at the same time gently rebuked him with the words: “O man of little faith!” God actually sends you trials to strengthen your faith.
  4. Eucharist: The Bread of Life. It must be said that the frequent, worthy, as well as fervent reception of the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, is by far one of the most powerful means to grow in our faith. “As the deer yearns for the running waters, so my soul yearns for you my God.” (Psalm 42:1)
  5. Share Your Faith with Others. It is interesting to note that when we share material things, we end up with greater poverty. Not so with spiritual gifts and treasures. The contrary is so! The more we give and share our faith with others, the more we enrich our own faith. Therefore, be open to opportunities that God places in your path—persons that you can share your faith with.

It is Jesus you seek …

“It is Jesus you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; he is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is he who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is he who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is he who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.” – St Paul John II

Christus Vivit

Pope Francis’ post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation dedicated to Young.
“Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world. The very first words, then, that I would like to say to every young Christian are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!”.

COYYA Adelaide

Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Archdiocese of Adelaide.

The Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults (COYYA) is a ministry of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, structurally part of the Catholic Education Office. It exists to provide Catholic youth ministry for young people in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, and to support the work of those who accompany young people in parishes, schools and communities.

World Youth Day

Catholics ages 16-35, though all are welcome to attend.
World Youth Day (WYD) is a worldwide encounter with the Pope celebrated about every three years in a different country. WYD is open to all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter centered on Jesus Christ together with their peers. This event is an opportunity to personally experience the universality of the Catholic Church, and to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who are committing their lives to Christ and His Church. World Youth Day is a unique way to deepen your faith and grow closer to Christ, through prayer and the sacraments, together with hundreds of thousands of other young people who share your interests and ambitions.

Digital Resources

For further information please contact the Parish Office on nlparish@adam.com.au or +61 8 8566 2064