On the 13 August it was a day of joy, laughter and new memories for our twenty-one Year 9 and 10 students who attended the MACS Students Formation Day at the Catholic Leadership Centre.
The Wavemakers led around 300 students from across Melbourne through an interior journey, uncovering one’s true identity stripped away from what we do to who we are at our core.
The presenters shared about their mission and purpose that flows from their identity as a child of God. The day was scattered with deeper reflections for students on their own identity, on the life they want to create for themselves – as an outpouring of receiving God’s love for them.
The joy overflowed from the wonderful music, dancing, the delicious Korean meal shared together, and a celebration of the uniqueness of everyone in that room. This event was a powerful reminder to our students of the power of our unity as a young catholic community, and as tiny foreshadowing of the joy they would experience at World Youth Day 2027 gathering with more than a million others in Korea.
Insights from our students:
Arsema T, Yr 9: I really enjoyed hearing the different perspectives from the speakers and how they shared their own experiences. The musicians also made everyone loosen up and overall created a fun, bubbly environment! One of my main takeaways was that everyone has different experiences and perspectives. you truly never know how many people are experiencing/ enduring the same thing as you, which is why it’s crucial to offer aid and your services to everyone despite fear of rejection
Vanessa J, Yr 10: I enjoyed how expressive and fun the presenters were. They shared their stories and played songs in ways where everyone in the crowd were engaging too. For the activity where they asked questions for self-reflection, once they got to the deep questions, I learnt that there is no need to judge people for their past experiences or how emotional they get during deep questions and conversations. Another highlight: THE FOOD!
Land A, Yr 10: My experience of the World Youth Day excursion was an amazing experience and time to connect with friends and explore the options I have for next year in Seoul. It was also very fun to hear and dance to all the music which just grew our connection and got us exited for world youth day. Overall, the whole day was a very fun experience and a time to connect with friends and Christ.
Ms Madigan accompanied the students on the excursion and shared how incredible it was to see a room full of young people eager to encounter Christ and experience the hope of World Youth Day. A takeaway was that encountering Christ can happen in small, everyday ways, through a small gesture or a passing smile. Excitingly, World Youth Day will be an opportunity for students to encounter Christ on a scale like never before, connecting with people from all around the world.
The college looks forward to preparing for World Youth Day with the upcoming MACS student formations as well as more activities in the college.
