Staff and Students to contribute during World Youth Day
Staff and students from all ACU National campuses have been involved for several months in preparations for World Youth Day, recruiting volunteers, registering pilgrims, planning for youth festival events, and offering accommodation and support for visitors.
Both the North Sydney (MacKillop) and Strathfield (Mount Saint Mary) campuses will assist pilgrims with accommodation and meals. In addition, the University will take part in the Sydney Vocations Expo at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre from 15 to 16 July.
The Strathfield Campus will host a lively Spirit Alive Youth Festival on Wednesday 16 July, involving art exhibitions, musical and dramatic performances and discussion groups, and the beautifully refurbished campus chapel will also be used as a centre for daily catechesis workshops for pilgrims.
Volunteers from the North Sydney Campus are helping guide the 25,000 daily visitors expected to explore neighbouring Mary MacKillop Place. As partners with the Knights of Malta, North Sydney students will also volunteer to assist young people with disabilities to attend the Pope’s Mass on Sunday 20 July.
Also in Sydney, Mary Evripidou has been hard at work preparing for the influx of ACU National Pilgrims. Several hundred ACU National registered pilgrims include 73 students who are attending with their Parish with support from the University. Nearly 130 of the ACU National pilgrims will be billeted at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) next week.
The Canberra Campus (Signadou) has given financial sponsorship for pilgrims from East Timor and Papua New Guinea to attend World Youth Day, while the Brisbane Campus (McAuley at Banyo) is offering family accommodation for international travellers and the Ballarat Campus (Aquinas) is sending a number of student pilgrims.
News on WYD events in Melbourne follows, along with information on related activities.
ACU World Youth Day pilgrims at the Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) Andrew Profilio and Vanessa Forcella
Cath Leary, Mary Evripidou, Carmel Shephered and Anissa Phillips hard at work preparing backpacks for ACU National Pilgrims
