A light in the night

At the recent World Youth Day in Krakow the Pope addressed young people asking them to become the ‘hope for the future’. He challenged them in two ways. Firstly, he asked them to engage with their elders by listening to their real or mythical stories. Parents and other older people have great wisdom to share. All we need is to spend time listening, and asking. The Pope then encouraged them to have the courage to make a difference in the world by getting actively involved in our society.
Let us reflect on our mission as we prepare for Schoolies. Rosies offers a presence, and gives an ear to our friends on the street. We listen with an open heart. Whether it is at Schoolies, on the street, in courts, or detention centre we engage with them. The people we meet have the courage to be who they are and brave enough to share their stories with us. Courage is also what it takes to commit. Our volunteers are committed to go out regularly and meet with our many friends on the street regardless of the temperature or the weather. Rosies has been committed to come and offer our presence to the many teenagers as part of the Safety Program at the Gold Coast Schoolies week for nearly thirty years. Persistence and patience are wonderful virtues, I witness on outreach.

Fr John David OMI
Rosies Chaplain