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Isabella McCafferty of Wellington will represent New Zealand at the Vatican in March for an international youth gathering.
Ms McCafferty works with the Church’s Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Wellington Archdiocese.
She is in the pastoral ministry and her work supports families and young people across 22 parishes.
Ms McCafferty meanwhile also serves on recently established National Council for Young People.
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) chose Ms McCafferty to represent this country after inviting submissions in a survey mid-last year.
About 2 thousand people aged from 16 to 29 took part.
The Vatican meeting will lay the ground work for the October Synod of Bishops. Their theme is Young people, faith and vocation discernment.
International youth voice
Youth participants come from Church movements, associations, Christian and other churches. They’re also represent schools, universities, work places, sports, arts and volunteering associations.
Expert educators and trainers who work with youth will attend too.
Ms McCafferty say she feels honoured that the NZCBC chose her. And she says she feels heartened by the move of the Vatican to listen seriously to young people.
“The voice of young people within the Catholic Church is crucial, if the Church wants to move forward in an enlightened and informed way,” she says. She hopes to come home convinced that the Church will have listened and planned to act on what it heard.
Synod fathers will receive the results of the gathering for their October meeting.
Participants in the Vatican youth event will later join in the celebration of the Eucharist on the Palm Sunday with the Holy Father.
That happens in Saint Peter’s Square at the 33rd World Youth Day 2018.
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