10 Year 10 students had the privilege of attending Perth for ACYF which began each day with an early communal breakfast, and getting prepared for each day. Preparation for the festival involved a beach trip to City Beach where we got to swim in the Indian Ocean for the first time, icebreakers and trivia, formation speeches by Seth Harsh, a Mass at Subiaco and mingling with other pilgrims from Newman College. The festival days involved a 2km walk to the convention centre. Upon arriving, we had our first plenary of the day which involved great worship music, guest speakers, prayer and worship insights. Just a small insight into the festival is evident in this reflection of Day 2:

"Awaiting the plenary, there was an air of excitement, having an understanding and prior experience of the plenary’s ecstatic nature. Day 2’s plenary began with a bang, with attendees invited on stage to have a dance battle to classics like Bohemian Rhapsody. We then had watched, listened and danced to the musical items of Joe Melendrez – who really resonated with and hyped up the youthful audience with his rapping and insightful lyrics–, Emma Fradd, Father Rob Galea, and the SAGA who had the whole pavilion singing gracefully and then jumping up and down to their various performances. We also had the opportunity to listen to an astute speaker, Grace Forrest from Walk Free, who spoke about modern slavery and conscious consumerism, and a Priest and nun pair that articulated their spiritual experience. All experiences within the plenary were incredible and evoked a sense of both togetherness, and encounter." 

"After the plenary we went to our meeting spot near the expo to discuss further plans, but not long before Ms Toogood and some students broke out in a dance battle, mirroring the one earlier in the plenary! We then went to an activity run by Newman College called ‘Caring for the forgotten’ where we had the chance to make Christmas cards for others, which encapsulated the notion of scripture John 13:34, “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another”, and the care Jesus demonstrates to have for the less fortunate. We then had lunch and enjoyed the spectacular live music from Seth Harsh and Fiesita Mataele where a majority of the Wollongong Diocese showed up, reinforcing the notion of support and belonging. We then went to Katie Prejean McGrady’s talk, ‘Mary Queen of Heaven’ which gave us insight into Mother Mary’s nature and sacrifices, showing why and how we should grow to be “in the way of Mary” which linked back to our school Mount Carmel’s core Marist beliefs."

"After this, we went to the wellbeing area, where we observed Aboriginal and Catholic artworks, reflected, prayed, and journaled on our experiences and daily scripture. We then took some time to relax a bit more, going to a different section of the wellbeing area where we partook in projects regarding arts and crafts, in creating paper baubles for a Christmas tree, and writing on canvas what about the Holy Spirit moves us. Later, we took on the challenge of attempting to complete a thousand piece puzzle set. Keyword, attempt. Nonetheless, it was a time for fun and to wind-down from which we went outside for some fresh air and to experience some more live music."

"We then explored the expo and merch area, then went over to Father Michel Remery’s talk on “Tweeting with GOD: How to be a Christian online and offline?”, where we discussed enabling dialogue and finding spirituality. This was the last session before the evening plenary."

"The evening plenary was a truly touching experience, where we were lucky enough to score (kind of) front seats! The plenary began with a fun game of karaoke where we belted to the song ‘Horses’ and ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’. Joe Melendrez then performed again, hyping up the crowd. The SAGA and some students then performed, taking the plenary in a more calmer direction. Katie Prejean McGrady then gave an anecdotal keynote contemplating who Jesus was. Steve Angrisano then shared some of his experiences and provided some marvellous music, followed by a duet by Joe Melendrez and Father Rob Galea. The plenary then commenced into a more spiritual session, where we had a phenomenal session of Eucharistic Adoration lead by Bishop Brian Mascord of Wollongong and students from the Wollongong Diocese. This adoration, amongst the other aspects of the session, was profoundly felt by many, where we had the opportunity to reflect, contemplate, and give thanks in prayer."

Year 10 ACYF pilgrims