11 August 2016

As young people, we have the opportunity to create the world we want to live in; we have both the privilege and the duty to practice what we believe in and hopefully lead by example. 

In this Year of Mercy, St Bede’s College, Mentone, offered World Youth Day – The Local Experience.

I had a fantastic time at the WYD event, I learnt so much about some of the current issues in our world and how to apply mercy in these situations, but more importantly, by attending WYD at St Bede's I was able to decipher a whole new meaning for the word ‘mercy’ itself. 

The WYD 2016 theme, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy’, provided a rich foundation for the assembled youth who gathered on the 30 July at St Bede’s College, for a 12-hour retreat-style program.

WYD was an exciting day where we all came together to celebrate our faith and being young! We had an awesome time meeting new friends and getting inspired by brilliant speakers, and the workshops, games, Camino walk and prayer time gave us all the chance to explore the theme of mercy with other like-minded young people and decide what it means to us. 

In a highly interactive, informative and formative manner, 57 young men and women from St Bede’s College, and beyond, gathered to reflect on what it means to be a young believer in the contemporary world, and how each of us is called to be the face of mercy.

It was a day for like-minded individuals to connect with other people, reflect on mercy in the world and in your life and to celebrate the successes of youth from all walks of life. 

Pilgrims gathered from Kilbreda College, Mentone; De La Salle College, Malvern; St John’s Regional College, Dandenong; Simmonds Catholic College, West Melbourne; Marist-Sion College, Warragul, plus many post-school young adults.