Photo: Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay on their way to ACYF Melbourne
Diocesan Youth Coordinator, Zac Parnell shares his trip travelling across the state to learn what youth ministries are doing, how they are engaging with young people, and spreading the Gospel.
My first stop was Sydney, where I joined the Catholic Youth Parramatta (CYP) Team for their LIFTED Leaders gathering. It was a powerful day of collaboration, faith in action, and genuine community. I was particularly struck by how engaged parish-based leaders. It made me deeply grateful for the strong foundations already laid in the Diocese of Lismore, and excited by how much potential we have to build on that great work.
That evening, I journeyed on with the CYP Team to their LIFTED Launch, a high-energy diocese-wide youth rally marking the start of the year. Cultural communities, religious sisters, lay Franciscans, and young people of every age filled the venue. After food and plenty of conversations, a local house band led us in praise, followed by three powerful testimonies, communal prayer, and ministry updates. I left reminded of the beauty and power of testimony and the gift of homegrown ministry.
The next morning, I headed to Campbelltown to meet with Arnaud Hurdoyle from Catholic Youth Ministry Wollongong. Over coffee, we shared the similarities of serving geographically large dioceses. One standout initiative in Wollongong has been partnering with Parousia to bring quality speakers to the diocese, something we’ve already begun exploring, with exciting news to come.
Navigating Sydney’s wet and chaotic roads, I then made my way into the city to meet Cambell Evans and his team at Sydney Catholic Youth. After hours of conversation, Mass, and warm meal, I left inspired by their strong young adult formation programs and hopeful about what this could mean for our own diocese.
Later, I revisited a youth group I first encountered while serving with NET Ministries in Sydney back 2017. What used to be a small group has now grown to around 60 young people every week, supported by a youth coordinator, committed leaders, clergy involvement, and multiple age-specific ministries. When I asked about their growth, the answer was simple: consistency, engaged leadership, and a transformative summer camp.
In recent research on youth ministry, I’ve been fascinated by the rise in young Australians attending the Latin Mass. In Melbourne’s St Aloysius parish, over half of attendees are under 30, and the parish now draws around 750 worshippers every Sunday, making it one of the fastest growing in the archdiocese. Curious to see this for myself, I visited the Maternal Heart of Mary – Traditional Latin Mass community, joining them for the Rosary, the Extraordinary Form Mass, and a talk on The Dark Night of the Soul. I left with much to reflect on.
The next morning brought me to the Servants of Jesus Community, a Spirit filled community passionate about seeing God’s kingdom move in power. After adoration, the Eucharist, and a message from Bob Mendelsohn of Jews for Jesus, what struck me most was their radical hospitality. Within minutes, I’d been welcomed, guided, introduced, and connected repeatedly — and I watched them treat every newcomer the same way. It stirred something in me about the importance of building truly welcoming communities.
That afternoon, I played touch footy on the beach with an old friend, his wife, newborn, and their community. After the game, watching them walk alongside a local couple — simply through sport — reminded me how effective simple activities can be in sparking discipleship conversations.
My final stop was a meeting with Geraldine Vytilingam from the Diocese of Broken Bay. Both being new to our roles, we agreed on the importance of early connection and the need for strong formation for youth leaders who serve faithfully week after week.
If you’ve made it this far — well done! This trip taught me so much, and I’m excited to begin weaving these insights into our own diocese.
