MELBOURNE - AUSTRALIA - AUSTRALIAN LASALLIAN YOUTH GATHERING – “LIVE THE MESSAGE”: Eighty five young people aged between 16 and 26 from Lasallian schools and youth ministry in Sydney, Armidale, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth attended the 2007 Lasallian Youth Gathering, held at De La Salle College Malvern in Melbourne, Australia on 6 – 9th July.

The assembly is part of the De La Salle Brothers Youth Ministry program to give opportunities for young people to develop and share their faith through service and community in the tradition of the founder, St John Baptist De La Salle. The program of speakers, prayer and community activities focused on the theme “Live the Message”.

Tom McIlroy, 21 a Lasallian Youth Minister at De La Salle Malvern who helped organize and lead the event said “We wanted a program that challenged the participants to consider how they live the Gospel message of ‘love God and love your neighbour’. Keynote speakers included several De La Salle Brothers who spoke about the challenge to be a witness of the message of the Gospel in our daily lives.

Brother Paul Smith from the Lasallian Foundation spoke about the work of the Brothers and Lay Partners in India, who through education and welfare programs help combat the labour and sexual exploitation of children and their use as soldiers.

Simone McGill, 18 said “The way in which the Brothers spoke to us about their lives and their work and how they see the presence of God in that really inspired me to think about how God ‘fits’ in my life and influences the choices I make”.

Bec Barrett, Lasallian Youth Minister, facilitated a workshop on the International Lasallian Youth Council and youth ministry activities around the world.

David Collins, 20 said “Learning about the work of the De La Salle Brothers and the Lasallian activities in Australia and overseas gives us a greater understanding of the Lasallian spirit”.

That spirit was evident by the efforts of the young people to raise $4600 for the Lasallian Foundation by competing in an activity based on the T.V. series “The Amazing Race”. Participants had to locate fourteen places of Lasallian significance in the city of Melbourne. The challenge was made all the more difficult by adverse weather conditions!

Brother Mark McKeon, Director of Vocations and Lasallian Youth Ministry said “The youth gathering was a sure sign of the enormous capacity of young people to communicate and model Gospel values. The spirit of the event was inspiring. At the closing ceremony each participant received a candle as a reminder to ‘let their light shine”.
^{(Angela Finn, District of Australia-NZ-PNG)}

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