Pilgrimage of the heart
On Friday 19 January 2007, a group of 17 Marists from around Australia gathered at the Marist Provincial Offices, Drummoyne (Sydney) for a ?dreaming? of the Marist International Festival coinciding with World Youth Day. The meeting was the first step for 2007 in the consultation process to organize an event which will be a vibrant and energetic celebration of being part of the international Marist family. It will be an opportunity for young people from all over the globe to explore the different cultural expressions of being Marist, their life and their faith, and ways of living this out in a spirit of hope, in service and solidarity with others.
The event is being organised in cooperation with the General Council. There has been a growing demand for an international gathering of young Marists and the General Council is eager for this to happen in Sydney, to coincide with World Youth Day.
Organisers are hoping that this international festival will be a pilgrimage of the heart, leading into World Youth Day 2008. It is hoped it will provide young Marists with the inspiration to be powerful witnesses to the Champagnat tradition of bringing Christ?s compassion and justice to the world?s young and most vulnerable in the way of Mary.
The appointment of Carole Wark to the position of WYD Project Officer is one of the steps in the process of making the festival a reality. She will be responsible for the design, organization and conduct of the festival. Carole has been part of the Marist family for over 10 years, working in Marist schools during that time, most recently at Marcellin College Randwick as the Co-ordinator of Pastoral Ministry. She brings a great deal of energy and enthusiasm to the WYD role as well as strong organizational skills, creativity and a deep commitment to the Marist charism as a way of making Jesus known and loved among the young. Speaking about her new role Carole said: ?I am really looking forward to the opportunity presented by the International Marist Festival to give young people the chance to gather as family, to be involved in something that celebrates their own goodness, the goodness that Marcellin Champagnat saw in them, that Christ sees in all of them, that the world is longing for them to share in their embracing of the good in others. It?s very hard not to be people of compassion, justice and action when you discover first hand what life is like for others that you come to know as family.?
More information will be available on this web site: www.champagnat.org/wyd/ and also atwww.maristoz.edu.au