Hosted by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, it is aimed at young people aged 15-29.

Over 500 young people are expected to attend.

The aim of the Festival is to invite and challenge people to actively participate in and grow their local faith community.

Special emphasis will be on what it means to be a Catholic 24/7 and interacting ‘face to face'.

The Aotearoa Catholic Youth Festival will feature leadership and performance by the internationally recognised musician and worship leader, Matt Maher.

The organisers say the festival is not quite the same as a conference, youth camp or retreat. It has elements that are similar but it is more experiential and participatory.

They emphasise that formation at the Festival will be achieved by participation. This means that the more someone puts into the activities the more they will get out of it.

Similar to a large music festival, the timetable allows those attending to ‘choose their own path'. Individuals can decide what they see, who they see and what they do.

The Aotearoa Catholic Youth Festival will have a wide range of activities. There will be a number of talks given by adults and young people, interactive activities such as workshops and the marketplace, as well as times of prayer.

A highlight will be the Festival Mass on the Saturday night preceded by the chance to participate in music and prayer led by Matt Maher.

Immediately following the Festival, on the Sunday evening, Matt Maher will headline a public concert for the Christian community of Auckland at the Victory Convention Centre, Freemans Bay, Auckland.

All Festival participants will receive premier VIP tickets to the Concert as part of their festival registration fee.

• Click here to download Festival programme
• Click here to got to Festival FaceBook page
• Click here to find out more about the Festival - Accommodation, events and more

Source

Supplied: Amanda Gregan
Communications Advisor - NZ Catholic Bishops
Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa

It began in his 20s, when, as a medical resident, Dr. Collins observed the faith of the dying. Though he thought religion was irrational, a relic of an unscientific era, he wanted to know why his patients believed in God. This led to conversations, then to books (cue Mere Christianity) and, eventually, the cross.

Every year, I discuss Dr. Collins's conversion with my students, and every time I am reminded of something I easily forget: Faith takes time. Conversion is a multi-dimensional, life-altering evolution in worldview that implicates knowledge, experience, other people, self-reflection, humility, mystery and grace. And that is just the start. For most, conversion occurs in stages and depends upon the presence of certain conditions, certain habits of mind and heart, which enable a person to accept, and to live out, a transformed, divinized life.

These habits of mind and heart can be referred to collectively as "preambles" to faith (see my article "Help Their Unbelief," Am. 9/10/2012). The development of these preambles and the accompanying faith journey bring to mind the Book of Exodus. Before the Israelites could enter the Promised Land, as part of their formation to accept the covenant, Yahweh had to prepare them. He had to expose the futility of their false gods, the emptiness of Egyptian authority and the fickleness of human nature. He had to teach them about temptation, strength and fidelity, a process that involved a period of confusion and frustration but in the end permitted the Israelites a rebirth of faith and freedom. Continue reading

Sources

• America
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