Eleven staff representing Catholic schools across WA have started the new year with a renewed sense of hope after reflecting on their experience at the 2025 Australian Catholic Youth Festival, which was held from 30 November to 2 December.
18 Feb 2026
Staff enter year with renewed hope on back of Youth Festival experience
The staff were sponsored by CEWA to attend the national gathering of over 6,000 Catholic young people in Melbourne, which was themed around hope in the Jubilee Year.
Attendees enjoyed three days of prayer, worship, music, dialogue and formation. For many educators, the experience was both professionally enriching and deeply personal.
The festival was ‘three days filled with music, conversations, prayer and powerful reminders of who we are and what we are called to do,’ according to Casey, from Holy Cross College in Ellenbrook.
Angela, a teacher at Mercy College in Koondoola, presented a workshop prayer experience, forming strong bonds with fellow pilgrims. Praying alongside thousands of other pilgrims reminded her of ‘the strength of our faith community and the beauty of collective prayer’.
Angela hopes to bring back hands-on, service-based learning and richer prayer experiences into her classroom, helping students see faith as ‘alive, engaging and deeply personal’.
Linh, from Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, reflected on the significance of witnessing thousands of pilgrims gathered with a shared mission.
The Commissioning Mass was a defining moment, as pilgrims were reminded they were ‘not there by chance, but intentionally chosen by God’ and sent back to their communities to carry hope into the world. She went on to share her desire to model Christ-like values of forgiveness and love for her students and colleagues.
Alongside The Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB DD, Archbishop of Perth
Claire-Anne, who works at St Joseph’s College, found encouragement in seeing the vitality of the Church’s future. A simple but powerful moment during the opening plenary, hearing pilgrims call out where they were from, revealed the breadth and unity of the Church across Australia.
Brooke, who teaches at Orana Catholic Primary School, described ACYF as a ‘valuable and faith-filled experience’ and took inspiration which allowed her to develop a year’s worth of resources for her school community.
Finlay, a teacher at Kolbe Catholic College in Rockingham, was filled with hope observing the faith of high school students on display during one plenary:
“It made me think more deeply about my own faith journey.”
He now plans to create more opportunities for prayer, reflection and worship through music in his classroom, alongside open and respectful dialogue.
As pilgrims were commissioned and sent forth at the conclusion of the festival, the experiences these staff had at ACYF 2025 will continue to ripple through classrooms and communities, shaping the way faith is lived, taught and celebrated in Catholic schools.