By Josh Low
An eagerness to know more about God characterised the young people who attended the 24th annual WA Summer School of Evangelisation, recently held from 8 to 15 January at Camp Wattle Grove.
The summer school aims to bring young people into a unique individual encounter with God and provide the opportunity to engage more deeply with the Catholic faith.
The theme of this year’s Summer School conference, ‘For wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows’, was inspired by and based on a verse from the Book of Ezekiel (47:9), with a focus on the Holy Spirit, River of Grace.
Some 150 people attended the week-long conference, with the majority of participants aged 16 to 25 years old.
A selection of 10 lectures and 10-one hour seminars were on offer, delivered by experienced presenters from Perth and around Australia.
The range of topics included an active involvement in defence of the faith, friendships and their influence on the path to sainthood, and the relationship between science and Catholicism.
Pastoral Director Mario Borg hoped that participants were able to encounter the living God through all aspects of the conference.
“(We wanted) young people to know that in building a personal relationship with Jesus, they have access each and every day to the River of Grace that gives life in abundance,” Mr Borg said.
With lectures, seminars, daily liturgies, fellowship and the availability of the sacraments, there was no shortage of ways in which attendees could seek to deepen their relationship with God.
Mr Borg was struck by the keenness of the young people in attendance.
“What was most evident was the eagerness of the participants to learn as much as they could about the Church and her teachings,” he said.
“With over 40 participants experiencing their first time at Summer School, there were some incredibly moving experiences of encountering God deeply.”
First time participant Theo Hartanto shared his experience, which occurred during one of the evening prayer sessions, where attendees were invited to venerate a life sized cross that was placed at the front of the main hall.
“While sitting at the foot of that cross and looking up at it, I felt that God was inviting me to carry the cross in my life,” he said.
“At first I was afraid of what it would involve, to the point where I started physically trembling. But after some prayer and reflection I felt empowered by the grace of God to embrace the crosses that come, knowing that He will be there with me.”
The Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community Summer School of Evangelisation has been serving young people around Australia for 30 years.
For more information about the Summer School of Evangelisation, visit www.summerschool.org.au.