Antioch is a parish-based ministry of youth to youth. It is for young people of high school age (equivalent to Years 10, 11 and 12) and a little older.
It is a spiritual program that begins with a weekend experience and has a strong follow-up. It offers youth an ongoing opportunity to listen, discuss and better understand what it means to be a Catholic today.
Antioch takes its name from the place of one of the first known Christian communities. “It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26).
Background
The Antioch program was developed at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA in the 1960s, for use on university campuses. Since 1973, it has been adapted for those of high school age and based in parishes.
In this form, it was brought to Australia by three teenagers, Byron, Teresa and Claire Pirola, and launched in Maroubra Bay parish, Sydney in September, 1981. Since then, it has spread to all states, and further afield to New Zealand, Fiji, the Philippines, New Guinea, Indonesia and Hungary.
What are its aims?
To help our youth develop a love of Jesus and of His Church through an experience of community – a community where they are always welcome and where they can find a relevant and supportive environment.