Youth and young adults from the SDC Centre of St Albans took part in the Australian Catholic Youth Festival organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne at the Australian Catholic University Hall on 9 August 2025. Hundreds of young pilgrims from across the archdiocese gathered for a powerful evening of prayer, talks, and live music in the lead-up to the national festival.
The group began their journey with a visit to the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea in West Melbourne, the place where the SDC first took root when St George Preca sent the first members to begin their mission in 1956.
The Archbishop of Melbourne, Rev. Peter Comensoli, encouraged the young people not to be afraid of calling themselves Catholic, and to witness boldly to their faith in Christ, our hope.
Fr Rob Galea, the guest speaker for the evening, inspired many with his message of perseverance, urging everyone not to give up, but to place their trust in God and to offer him their sorrows and difficulties.
The evening concluded with a time of prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

