Active in faith

Published: 28 March 2004

Learning curve: Kerygma team members (back row, from left) Roy van Bijsterveld from Holland, Daniel Eyre from New Zealand, Damasius Francis from Papua New Guinea, Caitlin Humphrys from Brisbane, Idelien Meijer from Holland, (front row, from left) Petra Schilli from Germany, Heilin Nic Giolla Cathain from Northern Ireland and Kyla Clasie from Sydney

CAITLIN Humphrys' relationship with God is 100 per cent better thanks to an intensive six-month Kerygma Team Discipleship Training School (DTS) course.

DTS courses are designed to encourage young Catholics to get out and do mission work and be active in their faith.

Kerygma is a reference to the proclamation of the essence of the gospel.

The 18 year-old from St Pascal Parish, Wavell Heights is one of 10 young adults attending the course in Sydney. The group also comprises three more Australians, two from Holland, a German, an Austrian, a New Zealander and an Irish girl.

'I'm sharing a room with one of the Dutch girls and the Irish girl,' Caitlin said.

'It's all very multicultural.'

The group attends weekly lectures at Campion Hall, an old Marist Seminary at Toongabbie.

Caitlin said half of the group also assists in running an Alpha course every Friday night.

The group will break from lectures to take part in mid-school outreach, with some of the group heading to Tasmania.

Caitlin's team will remain in Sydney visiting schools, prisoners and helping low income families for the first two weeks.

For the last couple of days they will help out at the 'Living the Dream' National Catholic Family Gathering in Sydney in April.

Caitlin said all the speakers on the course so far had been great, but the standouts for her were Bishop Joseph Grech of Sandhurst on evangelisation; Dominican Father Dominic Murphy on the cross, repentance, salvation and restitution; Gordon Gibbs on the Holy Spirit and Brendan Woodnutt on the Father's Heart.

'God has really managed to reach me with through these speakers.'

She said she had learnt so much already with only six weeks of the course done.

'(I) feel like I need a month off just to process what God has been doing in me,' she said.

'Also having the opportunity to go to daily Mass and participate in divine office every morning has been such a blessing.

'All in all I have been abundantly blessed by being here,' Caitlin said.