Sydney, Australia, 15 May 2016 -- The annual gathering of the Salesian Youth Movement in Australia, OzBosco, was held on the weekend 13 – 15 May with the hosts being St John Bosco College and St John Bosco Parish at Engadine in Sydney.
Almost 200 Salesian Youth and their leaders travelled from Hobart, Adelaide and Melbourne as well as from Auckland in New Zealand to Sydney for a typical Salesian Youth Gathering – friendship, faith and fun.
The 2016 Strenna ‘With Jesus, let us adventure together with the Spirit’ was a most suitable theme for the gathering which concluded on Pentecost Sunday – the feast of the Holy Spirit.
All the presentations, discussions, workshops and activities took their direction from the Strenna – focusing on one or more aspects of Jesus, Adventure or Spirit.
As the weekend commenced on the actual Feast of St Maria Domenica Mazzarello the prayer moments that evening prepared by Sr Rochelle Lamb fma featured ‘this woman of faith, woman for all time’ and Sr Louise McKeogh fma gave the Goodnight drawing also on her life.
Fr Charles Arun, recently ordained priest missionary in Cambodia (he had recently completed his theology studies in Melbourne) and Mr Matt Humphreys the Youth Minister in St John Bosco Parish gave moving and challenging presentations reflecting on their own lives as ‘adventurers in the Spirit’ and how their faith in Jesus had been challenged and deepened during this adventure.
It was wonderful that Fr Vaclav Klement, our EAO Regional, was able to be present for most of the program, and was the celebrant for the Pentecost Mass.
A special highlight for everyone was the evening cruise on the spectacular Sydney Harbour!
The spirit of Don Bosco is alive and well in the Australia-Pacific Province.
