ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE RELEASE:
By Alphonsus Tan
Thirty-seven tertiary students from the Catholic Overseas
Student Down Under (COSDU) of The University of Melbourne participated in its
annual Easter camp held during the Easter Weekend (6 April – 9 April) at Wesley
Point Camp in the vicinity of Lake Eppalock.
COSDU Catholic Society is the only Catholic students group based in the University of Melbourne. It was founded in 1987 by a group of international tertiary students from the university. It aims to provide a family away from home and to support the faith formation of youths and young adults. Over the years, COSDU has forged a network of relationships with Australian communities, and reached out to local students as well as other universities in Victoria. COSDU Catholic Society also aims to serve the community through various social justice programs. The society has about 65 members this year.
COSDU Easter Camp is organised annually to promote community bonding between members and to support the faith formation and spiritual life of its members. This year, the Easter Camp Committee adopted the theme 'God is Love'. This theme is based on John 15: 1-17 with a strong emphasis on the verse 'I am the vine; you are the branches'. (Jn 15:5) .
Led by Father Simon Wayte MGL, the participants were able
to reflect on their personal relationship with God and to understand the special
type of ‘love’ that Jesus has shown through his dying on the cross for us. Fr
Wayte covered aspects of God’s saving love through the image of Jesus on the
cross and used the Parable of the Prodigal Son to explain the Father’s
unfaltering love for us sinners. The participants were challenged to live in
God’s message of love in our relationships with others by trusting in God and
inviting Jesus to be the ‘bridge of Salvation’ for us to God the Father. The
participants were also encouraged to take the first step in expressing God’s
love by sharing their gifts and talents within the Christian community in order
to bear witness to life in union with God the Father.
In addition, participants were also involved in various activities such as group discussions and sharing, Good Friday Service, Stations of the Cross, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses, TaizĂ©, games, talent night and reconciliation ceremony. One of the key activities which has been the tradition of COSDU Easter Camp is the ‘Affirmation Night’, where participants are encouraged to show their appreciation for one another by affirming each others’ gifts and talents in both personal and community level.
Easter Camp 2012 was a success as the participants provided positive responses and experiences below:
This was my first ever COSDU Easter Camp. In fact I have never celebrated Easter in this way before. Rather than just going to mass, I celebrated Easter with many of my good friends from COSDU in the tranquil surroundings of Lake Eppalock. In the four days I was able to focus on God, listen to his words and reflect upon his love for us all. It was an enlightening experience and I had a great sense of joy inside me by the end of the camp. I would definitely go again next year and I recommend you to go as well.
Ivan Fung
I really enjoyed myself at Easter Camp this year. Apart from the wonderful friends I've made, the camp also provided me with a good opportunity to spend quiet time with God and for self-reflection in a beautiful and tranquil place.
Joanna Ting
Easter Camp has helped me to realise how great and amazing is God’s love for me, and that I need not worry so much as he has the best of plans set out for me.
Jeanne Chiew
For more information about COSDU Catholic Society or its upcoming events, visit http://cosdu.blogspot.com.au
or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cosdu/, or at cosdu.melbuni@gmail.com
Photos supplied by Fr Thinh Nguyen
By Alphonsus Tan
Thirty-seven tertiary students from the Catholic Overseas
Student Down Under (COSDU) of The University of Melbourne participated in its
annual Easter camp held during the Easter Weekend (6 April – 9 April) at Wesley
Point Camp in the vicinity of Lake Eppalock.COSDU Catholic Society is the only Catholic students group based in the University of Melbourne. It was founded in 1987 by a group of international tertiary students from the university. It aims to provide a family away from home and to support the faith formation of youths and young adults. Over the years, COSDU has forged a network of relationships with Australian communities, and reached out to local students as well as other universities in Victoria. COSDU Catholic Society also aims to serve the community through various social justice programs. The society has about 65 members this year.
COSDU Easter Camp is organised annually to promote community bonding between members and to support the faith formation and spiritual life of its members. This year, the Easter Camp Committee adopted the theme 'God is Love'. This theme is based on John 15: 1-17 with a strong emphasis on the verse 'I am the vine; you are the branches'. (Jn 15:5) .
Led by Father Simon Wayte MGL, the participants were able
to reflect on their personal relationship with God and to understand the special
type of ‘love’ that Jesus has shown through his dying on the cross for us. Fr
Wayte covered aspects of God’s saving love through the image of Jesus on the
cross and used the Parable of the Prodigal Son to explain the Father’s
unfaltering love for us sinners. The participants were challenged to live in
God’s message of love in our relationships with others by trusting in God and
inviting Jesus to be the ‘bridge of Salvation’ for us to God the Father. The
participants were also encouraged to take the first step in expressing God’s
love by sharing their gifts and talents within the Christian community in order
to bear witness to life in union with God the Father.In addition, participants were also involved in various activities such as group discussions and sharing, Good Friday Service, Stations of the Cross, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses, TaizĂ©, games, talent night and reconciliation ceremony. One of the key activities which has been the tradition of COSDU Easter Camp is the ‘Affirmation Night’, where participants are encouraged to show their appreciation for one another by affirming each others’ gifts and talents in both personal and community level.
Easter Camp 2012 was a success as the participants provided positive responses and experiences below:
This was my first ever COSDU Easter Camp. In fact I have never celebrated Easter in this way before. Rather than just going to mass, I celebrated Easter with many of my good friends from COSDU in the tranquil surroundings of Lake Eppalock. In the four days I was able to focus on God, listen to his words and reflect upon his love for us all. It was an enlightening experience and I had a great sense of joy inside me by the end of the camp. I would definitely go again next year and I recommend you to go as well.
Ivan Fung
I really enjoyed myself at Easter Camp this year. Apart from the wonderful friends I've made, the camp also provided me with a good opportunity to spend quiet time with God and for self-reflection in a beautiful and tranquil place.
Joanna Ting
Easter Camp has helped me to realise how great and amazing is God’s love for me, and that I need not worry so much as he has the best of plans set out for me.
Jeanne Chiew
For more information about COSDU Catholic Society or its upcoming events, visit http://cosdu.blogspot.com.au
or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cosdu/, or at cosdu.melbuni@gmail.com
Photos supplied by Fr Thinh Nguyen
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