By Claire Spinelli
Last week, I had the privilege of accompanying our Sandhurst Pilgrims to the Australian Catholic Youth Festival where six thousand young people from all over Australia gathered in Melbourne to deepen their relationship with God; explore what it means to be a young Catholic; and celebrate the diversity and vitality of the Church in Australia.
Fr Junray Rayna, Pastoral Leader of the Sandhurst ACYF Pilgrimage often talks about the plumbing and the poetry of events like ACYF, “We need the logistics and the planning to bring out the poetry,” he says, “and we have to be open to those moments.”
Fr Junray’s words stayed with me at ACYF. As I watched our pilgrims, I realised that what makes ACYF truly meaningful are the moments between the formal program of events: the quiet pauses, the conversations, the laughter, and the reflections that emerge when we step away from the scheduled program. At the time, they might seem insignificant, but on reflection, they carry deep resonance.
I saw this firsthand when setting up for our Sandhurst Pilgrimage Mass at Queen’s College. A group of students came into the room, and one asked if she could play the piano. Soon enough, the others had gathered around her, and they lifted the room with their voices. At the time, I felt the joy of this spontaneous spirit-filled moment, but it was only later, on reflection, that I realised the depth of it, the kind of grace that moves quietly and profoundly. The group ended up singing with Gen Bryant at the Mass, inspiring the idea of starting a diocesan Music Ministry Group.
For the 87 Sandhurst pilgrims, ACYF was an event that changed how young people see themselves in the Church. It was not about getting to know more about Jesus, but knowing Jesus, and Jesus knowing each one of them.
The ACYF pilgrimage created the space for young Catholics, who often feel it is difficult to live their faith – even in Catholic schools – to enter a spirit-filled space where faith is celebrated openly. It became “cool to be Catholic,” a place where they could set aside the armour they sometimes wear to hide their commitment to their faith.
The joy was palpable. Watching young people queue to enter Mass, the energy and anticipation was incredible — anyone would have thought it was a Taylor Swift concert. At adoration, with 6,000 gathered, there was perfect silence. In that quiet, God was unmistakably present.
At one Mass, Archbishop Christopher Prowse (Canberra-Goulburn) invited young people to hold one hand out, palm up, to feel the Holy Spirit’s warmth and weight, then cover it with the other, “to hold fast” and keep the Spirit within them. Witnessing that simple, profound ritual, I felt the Spirit moving among us — tangible, alive, transformative.
Reading through social media comments, it was clear that our pilgrims felt affirmed, gifted and filled. Jessan Tano, Sandhurst Youth Ministry Officer, reflected that even for adults and leaders, ACYF was an incredibly powerful experience. For many of our young people, it was the first time they had felt the Spirit so strongly, the first time they had realised the Church is a place where they truly belong.
ACYF is more than an event you attend. Last week, for our Sandhurst pilgrims, it was a journey of encounter, reflection and transformation; a pilgrimage that ignited connections, deepened faith, and reminded us all that God is present in the laughter, the song, the silence, and the shared joy of young hearts open to the Spirit. Our young pilgrims have ‘put on their boots and are ready to walk.’ As they return to their families, schools, parishes and communities, I invite us all to embrace their spark and encourage these young people to belong to our Faith community through participation and leadership.
Claire Spinelli
Sandhurst Youth Ministry Team Leader
{gallery}ACYF 2025{/gallery}
Return to Sandpiper e-News 113 (12 December 2025)
