Catholic Students' Conference

Mark II

Doing anything during the last weekend of the holidays? If not, how about going back to school; to be precise, St. Pat's College in Kilbirnie? What for? For the Second 'Annual' New Zealand Catholic Students Conference (revised Standard Version) of course!

For those of you who didn't know there was a first one, we have to go back to this time last year. In May, 1980, several superior intellects from certain South Island universities began developing the idea of a gathering of Catholic students to share ideas about and help formulate a vision of the future of the Catholic church in New Zealand and their part in it. Idea became reality last August when over one hundred girls and guys from throughout New Zealand, with different ideas and beliefs and the odd heresy or two got together at St. Pats to try to come to terms with their faith and the church, and to see how the two could become more compatible. Various key themes and ideas emerged from the ruck: the need to live an authentic (ie Gospel based) Christian life; the value of community living as a means of achieving that authenticity; the changing emphasis in Catholic education from child to adult; the need for a more vibrant and meaningful appeal to youth; and the importance of revitalising parish life. We talked and argued and listened and prayed and laughed and sometimes cryed and, through it all, met new friends and received a great boost of hope in the church and our role in it. So now, ignoring the adage about repeating a good thing, we bring you the Catholic Students Conference - Mark II!

'Mark II' runs from May 2l to 24 at St. Pats College - live-in optional. Auckland University is organising the weekend, with lots of help from Victoria, and has settled on the theme of 'Mission on Campus'. Each University decides how it will approach this theme and prepares an hour long session which is designed to present its point of view and provoke discussion. Victoria is tentatively looking at tying the concept of Mission into a view of the church: what is the 'church'; what is it supposed to achieve (its/our mission); and is it going about it in the right way? However, the measure of the success of the Conference is not the answers we arrive at (if any) but how we arrive at them (by prayer, discussion, etc), and how many participate - which is where you come in! Other significant highlights of the weekend will be: Archbishop Tom William's address, some neat masses, the socialising, and Victoria's own brand of Pythonesque humour - to the fore on Saturday night!

The programme in brief is: Thursday afternoon - registration; Friday morning and afternoon - prepared sessions and discussion; Friday night - Tom Williams; Saturday morning and afternoon - prepared sessions and discussions; Saturday night - hooley and shenanigans; Sunday morning - conclusions and homeward bound. So you see, there is something for everyone, and everyone can contribute something.

So, bring yourself and your sleeping bag and a head full of ideas and a heart full of feelings along to St. Pats anytime that weekend, and share your faith with others and watch it grow as a result. You've got nothing to lose but some sleep and the $15 registration fee; you've got everything to gain. See you there.

VUW Catholic Society