As excitement builds for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) in November 2025, Sandhurst Pilgrimage Group Leaders are preparing the hearts and minds of their young pilgrims for the journey ahead.
“The ACYF is not a stand-alone event,” explained Youth Ministry Team Leader, Claire Spinelli. “Pilgrims need to see the time before and after the Festival as part of their pilgrimage. They need to see their whole life as a pilgrimage — and the more prepared they are for the ACYF experience in Melbourne, the more they will gain from it.”
To help guide this journey, Sandhurst Youth Ministry, together with the Sandhurst Youth Ministry Reference Group, have developed a formation program designed to flow outwards — from leaders to pilgrims. The model is simple but effective: Group Leaders first receive formation through “train-the-trainer” sessions, then take what they’ve learned back to their own pilgrimage groups, guiding their young pilgrims through reflection, prayer and discussion.
“This formation aims to help participants grow in their relationship with Christ, discovering prayer as a source of guidance, hope and strength in daily life and as a central and essential part of the pilgrimage journey,” said Claire.
“So far, we’ve delivered three of the four leader formation sessions,” said Claire. “Most schools and small groups are now running fortnightly formation until they head to ACYF. The resources are flexible — they can be used as a single one- or two-hour session, or broken into shorter gatherings — whatever best suits the group.”
Claire emphasised that formation is valuable for everyone, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. “It’s like this,” she said. “No matter how healthy you are, you’re never full on one meal — you still need to eat and drink water every day to live your best life. If you don’t nourish your body, it weakens; and if you don’t feed your spirit, your spirit will, too.”
The first leader session, Prayer, held on 2 September and led by Fr Jackson Saunders, invited participants to rediscover prayer as a living dialogue with God — the heartbeat of pilgrimage. Through reflection and practices such as the Examen, leaders explored how prayer shapes discernment, offers strength, and keeps Christ at the centre of the journey.
The second session, What Does it Mean to be a Pilgrim?, hosted by Claire and Youth Ministry Officer, Jessan Tano, on 15 October, focused on the sacred call of leadership — recognising that each person is known, loved and sent by God. Leaders reflected on their roles as companions and mentors, and how they might bring their unique gifts to life in the service of others.
The third session, Pilgrims of Hope, held on 30 October and led by Georgia Gordon, brought Sandhurst’s local Jubilee theme, Hope is Alive!, to life. Participants reflected on hope as more than an idea — a living reality rooted in Christ, especially in times of uncertainty — and were encouraged to embody that hope with authenticity and joy.
Next month’s final session, Preparing the Pilgrimage Journey, will draw all the threads together, helping leaders and pilgrims prepare spiritually and practically for ACYF. From Reconciliation and Adoration to the shared joy of Mass and the Plenary Sessions, this final gathering will help ground the adventure ahead in faith and purpose.
Through this layered model of formation, Sandhurst Group Leaders are being equipped not just as organisers, but as true pilgrims of hope — ready to walk alongside their young people as they encounter the living Christ at ACYF 2025.
