Youth Ministry is an essential part of our parish. Holly Lawton, our Youth Ministry Coordinator organises various activities for youth and young adults. There are 3 youth groups that our parish runs: Cana (year 6-9), Antioch (year 10-23 year old) and Emmaus Young Adults (23-30 year old).
Antioch (Year 10 - 23 years old)
Antioch is a group for young people, run by young people, from Year 10 upwards to 23 years old. The group meets every Sunday from 6-8pm at St Gerard's Parish Meeting Room, with monthly game/social nights. Our meetings consist of a range of activities including music, talks, share groups, prayer, games and food.
Antioch has a strong focus on social justice. Antioch assists in various events throughout the year including: re-enacting the Stations of the Cross for Good Friday, providing regular music for Mass and in particular for Christmas Eve and Holy Thursday, supporting the Angel tree program, hosting a yearly trivia night, sponsoring a child and much more.
Antioch takes its name from the place of one of the first known Christian communities in Acts 11:26 "It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians". We have existed since 1983 and keeping strong!
Cana (Year 7 - 9)
Our junior youth group is named Cana and serves school children between Years 7 to 9. This group has activities once a fortnight on Friday nights during the school term from 7:30-9:00 pm at the Carlingford Parish Hall.
This is a great opportunity for children to gather together, have fun and grow deeper in their faith and strengthen friendships in a welcoming and safe environment. Every term, Cana will have a fun activity such as an Easter Egg Hunt, movie and pizza nights, bonfire evenings, waterfights, painting or going out for laser tag/iceskating or an excursion.
For term 1 2025 Cana will meet on Fridays, 7 March, 21 March and 4 April from 7:30-9pm at St Gerard's parish hall.
Cana is named after the place where Jesus performed his first miracle in John 2:11: “The first of these miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana.”
Emmaus Young Adults (23 - 30 years old)
This young adults group is for young professionals to meet and form a community while helping ongoing formation and faith.
We meet once a fortnight on Thursdays from 7-8:30pm at St Gerard’s Meeting room (543 North Rocks Rd, Carlingford) as well as social activities/hikes. Our Emmaus meetings have 'talk nights, formation nights and community nights'. On the community nights, we order dinner or have pot luck and have games/board games. Emmaus will meet in 2025 on Thursdays fortnightly beginning, 6th Feb, from 7-8:30pm.
Emmaus was the name chosen for this group and appears in Luke 24:13 "On that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem." The road to Emmaus is where Jesus first appeared to two of his disciples after his resurrection.
For all Youth Ministry related enquiries please contact our Youth Minister Holly Lawton on Holly.Lawton@bbcatholic.org.au or 0404 710 588.