Experiential Prayer Room

E X P E R I E N T I A L P R AY E R R O O M A N D WORSHIP CENTRE

A N O P P O R T U N I T Y F O R F A I T H

REFLECTION AND LEARNING

WORDS Amanda Murthy

T H E E X P E R I E N T I A L PRAYER ROOM at the recent Australian Catholic Youth Festival held at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (Level 3), provided an avenue for quiet time and reflection for the 5500 pilgrims, amidst the hype of events which took place from 8 to 10 December. Experiential Prayer Room (Encounter) Manager Kelly Paget, from the Diocese of Broken Bay, explained the purpose of the space, and the variety of activities the youth and young adults could engage in at their own pace. “The space had been designed to give festival goers an opportunity to pray in the way they felt comfortable,” Mrs Paget said, during the festival. “The young people have many options – from sitting with the Word of God, there is student artwork they can reflect on, there are some icons from the Eastern Catholic rites, there is a beautiful shrine dedicated to Mother Mary, and a labyrinth they can walk to do their prayers. “The whole thing that ties this space together, is a hymn called Song in the centre, that talks about how God is present in all creation – and it comes together under this globe (placed symbolically over the space),” she added. Another feature which gained much attraction at the experiential space was the prayer petition area, where the young people were able to offer their own intentions and in return, pray for the other pilgrims who had offered their prayers. Along with the prayer experiences, miniworkshops were held in that space, as a way to encourage and guide the pilgrims to channel

their focus on the ACYF theme to, “Listen to what the Spirit is saying.” Some of the workshops included ‘Praying with Icons’ by Fr Richard Charlwood, ‘Getting to know the Mass’ by Bishop Patrick O’Regan, ‘Praying the Examen’ by Fr Robin Koning SJ, ‘Making a Good Confession’ by Mrs Anita Parker and ‘Speak Lord’ by Laura Frogley and team. Catholic Mission led in a workshop to teach pilgrims ‘How to make and pray the mission rosary’, Consultant for the Aboriginal Education Catholic Education Western Australia Kylie Agale and Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Director Donella Brown headed a session titled ‘Labyrinth: Heart journey – looking back, looking in and looking forward,’ and ‘The Angelus’ was explained by University of Western Australia Professor John Kinder. Many ACYF 2019 pilgrim groups were also accompanied by a Catholic priest who worked to help them develop a greater understanding of the faith journey by providing spiritual guidance, scriptural and prayer formation, as well as access to the Sacraments. The worship centre space at ACYF was filled with pilgrims from all around Australia, who were seen attending the different rites of the Catholic Church, making the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and kneeling in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration. Many of the participants expressed their gratitude to ACYF organisers for providing a space in which they could take the time to reflect on their journey, and learn new ways to pray – as well as to be able to express and celebrate their faith in a safe space.

Bishops’ X-Change sessions held during the 2019 Australian Catholic Youth Festival have significantly increased the conversation with young people on issues facing the Church and society today.

With a total of 20 sessions held during the festival, pilgrims had the opportunity to voice their thoughts and ideas in response to the selected questions in each session, accompanied by two Bishops and facilitated by Plenary Council team members. Among the topics discussed were the six listening and discernment themes, ‘How is God calling us to be a Christcentred church that is’; • Missionary and Evangelising; • Inclusive, participatory and Synodal; • Prayerful and Eucharistic; • Humble, healing and merciful; • Joyful, hope-filled and servant community and • Open to conversion, renewal and reform”. Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane Ken Howell and Bishop of Sale, Patrick O’Regan, joined in one of the sessions, discussing how God is calling us to be a Christ-centred Church that is prayerful and Eucharistic. The session began with a Welcome to Country by the Plenary Council team before pilgrims - who were seated in groups - were allowed to discern and take turns voicing their thoughts and ideas in response to the particular topic. At the end of the session, the Bishops were invited to give a statement in response to the question. Bishop Howell said that “there is a great passion and love for the Eucharist and there is both a static and dynamic aspect of the Eucharist”. Bishop Howell also explained that the static reality of the Eucharist happens during Adoration and is dynamic when we celebrate the Eucharist in Mass, “united in a common purpose of being God’s people”. “In the midst of this it’s a prayerful encounter, then we are sent into the world,” Bishop Howell said. Bishop O’Regan remarked that “we are all the body of Christ, not just who is at the altar. We are called to communion, in God, in creation – all a gift of Grace”.

ACYF 2019 Youth voice their thoughts and ideas at Bishops’ X-Change

“Every moment we are called to be Eucharistic people, not just on how we pray. God is the source, it’s something you share with others and with God,” he said. In another session on the topic of the Church being a Christ-centred Church that is humble, healing and merciful – attended by Auxiliary Bishop of Perth Donald Sproxton and Bishop of Toowoomba Robert McGuckin - Sophie Hansen, a pilgrim from Prendiville Catholic College, Ocean Reef, WA told The Record that the session helped her to “expand her mindset by listening to feedback from other people”. “Coming to the session today is a good opportunity for me to meet new people and listen to their opinions on our Catholic community as a whole,” Miss Hansen said. “This is my first Bishop X-Change session and I think it’s a good idea and this particular one is a successful one because everyone gets a say. “It is definitely a safe space because everyone is comfortable to say what he or she is thinking as there is no judgement and no one will be dismissed for saying how he or she feels,” she continued.

RIGHT Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli reflects with pilgrims during a Bishops X-Change . ∞ BELOW Bishops’ X-Change sessions held during the 2019 Australian Catholic Youth Festival have allowed for Bishops from across Australia to converse with young people on issues facing the Church and society today. Photos: Iceberg Media

The youth in Session Two were joined by three bishops: Port Pirie Bishop and Administrator for the Archdiocese of Adelaide, Bishop Greg O’Kelly, Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, and Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP. “There’s no way that someone like me, as a Bishop, can listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit if I don’t also listen to voices like yours,” Archbishop Coleridge said in his introduction. “I am genuinely interested in what the voices in this room that I’m a part of have to say, because it just might be that through you, the Spirit is heard. “I have grown more and more convinced in my years as a Bishop, that we are, as the Church in Australia, at the point where if we don’t take risks together, then the Church will die some kind of death; The Church will never truly die, but there are many deaths,’ he explained. “I think we are at the point, very obviously, where we cannot put up a fail-safe sign, under a notice saying ‘business as usual,’ we have to take risks, make big decisions: and that’s what the Plenary Council is all about; big decisions under the influence of the Holy Spirit – in other words, not dumb decisions, knee-jerk reactions. “But risks that are rooted in the past and rooted in the experience of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit – that, we try to do together. He stressed the word together, explaining that the Plenary Council is a process, rather than an event, and is a journey that we must undertake together, as a united Church.