Students Association fights for the faithful of Australia’s universities

25 Jul 2019

By The Record

Attendees of the Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA) at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney. Photo: Supplied.

By Eric Martin

The Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA) is one of the few bastions of Catholic faith that engages with students on campuses around Australia, striving to bridge the gap that often occurs when young people leave the sanctuary of a Catholic School and enter the radicalised, atheistic world of university.

As the national organisation of Catholic students, ASCA is committed to witnessing to the Gospel message of hope as proclaimed by the magisterium and tradition of the Catholic Church.

Chris Wilks, President of ACSA, explained that he believes that it is profoundly important that the faith of university students be fostered.

“The universities are the cultural, social, and moral melting pots of society,” Mr Wilks told The eRecord.

“If we don’t provide them with a faith that is both genuine and intellectually rigorous then the Church will struggle to influence the wider values of Australian society.

“With this in mind, the Church would do well to promote the teachings and ideas of Blessed John Henry Newman to all tertiary Catholics.”

President of ACSA Chris Wilks says he is proud of the success of the national conference. Photo: Supplied.

Each July, ACSA holds an annual conference, which is an opportunity for students to be nourished spiritually, intellectually and pastorally, equipping them to fulfil their Christian vocation as young disciples of Christ – many of these students are the same age as Jesus’ first disciples, when he called them from the nets of their fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee.

This year’s conference was held at St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, Sydney from 5 to 7 July and included events such as a free day sail around Sydney Harbour on the SS James Craig, the Annual Mannix Ball, and Solemn Pontifical Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney.

“Many of the attendees commented that it was an amazing experience from all perspectives,” Mr Wilks shared.

Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St Mary’s Cathedral was among the highlights for many of the attendees who had not experienced it before. Photo: Supplied.

He highlighted the fact that the feedback they had received indicated that the talks were extremely engaging and the masses were beautiful, dignified and holy.

“For many the Sydney Harbour Sail and Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form at St Mary’s Cathedral were the highlights – the weather for the Harbour Sail was gorgeous and it provided an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other well and make new friends.

“Many who had not experienced a Solemn Pontifical Mass before commented on its beauty and reverence. Bishop Jarrett’s homily was masterful and struck a chord with many of the attendees.”

Mr Wilks said that he was very happy with the level of attendance at the conference and that they are seeing a steady increase in numbers as it continues to grow from year to year.

“I’m very happy that everything went so smoothly which allowed the attendees to focus on deepening their faith – many went away with a deeper understanding of their faith and having made solid friendships.

“So on all accounts, I’m very proud of what the executive achieved with this year’s conference.”

The beautiful historic grounds and buildings of St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill, Sydney, where the 2019 ACSA conference was held. Photo: Supplied.

ACSA plays an important role bridging the gap between youth group, with its focus on fun, games and socialisation with other young believers, to developing a mature faith, one that is able to survive the rigours of the transition to adult life and the conflicting ideologies associated with the university experience.

The effectiveness of the annual conferences has grown each year and ACSA has continued to develop meaningful, engaging content for the conferences, working towards achieving a greater impact for Christ through its on-campus activities.

“I think what was learned from this conference that will be applied for many more to come is to expand the type of activities that are conducted,” Mr Wilks added.

With the Australian Catholic Youth Festival due to be held in Perth in December this year, ACSA hopes that the enthusiasm and excitement generated by their annual conference will readily translate into an impressive showing at ACYF by university students across Australia.