It's a chance to deepen our understanding of the teachings of Christ and how to apply them in our own lives. Here are a few local events that you might be interested in attending:

• Theology @ the pub*: Once a month, theology@thepub brings together young people from all over Melbourne for a meal, a drink and a fantastic talk about the Catholic faith. Join hundreds of other young Catholics and listen to our great speakers tackle the deep issues of life-  faith, relationships, prayer, ethics, politics sexuality and much more. The talks are engaging, relevant and spiritually enriching, and are followed by Q+A with the speaker and plenty of discussion with friends. Previous topics/speakers have included: Romance without Regret (Jason Evert), The Mass 101 (Bishop Peter Elliot), From Pro-Choice to Pro-Life (Abby Johnson). So whether you want to listen, talk, grab a meal or have a drink, you will love theology@thepub! Details: theology@thepub runs on the first Monday of the month from 6.30 – 8.30pm at The Pumphouse Hotel (128 Nicholson St, Fitzroy). t@p is an event for young adults aged 18 – 35 (although priests and religious of any age are welcome to attend). For more info and to see talk topics visit: www.theologyatthepub.com.au or email: penny@theologyatthepub.com.au

Our Archdiocese is home to many parish and community-based youth groups - a place to form new friendships and to listen and share your thoughts with other young people also exploring their faith. A chance to meet regularly for prayer, Mass, talks, volunteer activities, etc. Check out our list of youth groups and see what's available in your local area.

Music can be a very powerful form of prayer. There are lots of parish groups and communities who host praise and worship gatherings regularly. Here are just a few:

• COSDU (Melbourne University): COSDU is the Catholic society at the University of Melbourne. The group meets every Friday during the university term for praise and worship, talks on issues relevant to the Catholic faith, and Mass. Contact: cosdu.mebuni@gmail.com / www.cosdu.blogspot.com
• Knox Deanery parishes: The Knox Deanery consists of several parish youth groups who meet several times throughout the year for a special Youth Mass. St Jude’s (Scoresby) for instance has its own youth choir as well, with weekly rehearsals for singers and instrumentalists. More info
• Shalom Youth Group: This charismatic youth group meets every Thursday night at 7.30pm in the local parish hall (Rear 113 Devonshire Road, Sunshine). The group does praise and worship and celebrates Mass together every last Thursday of the month. There are talks, group discussions, and activities. Contact: Silvia Linares - 0425 861945 / silvilin_25@hotmail.com
• Jesus Youth: Jesus Youth is an international community and regularly holds a praise and worship evening at St Francis’ Church in the city (Lonsdale St).

• Six30 Holy Hour at St Patrick's Cathedral: About 10 years ago, a group of pilgrims returned from WYD Rome and started what is now known as Six30 Holy Hour. It is held at St Patrick's Cathedral in the city every Thursday night and young people from all over the Archdiocese come together for an hour of prayer and adoration.
• Adoration at St Anthony's Shrine, Hawthorn: The parish holds a Holy Hour for young adults every Sunday following the 6pm Mass. Discussions are also held, called “Faith with the Friars”, exploring the different aspects of the Church's teaching. Contact 9819 3775 / capuchinfriars@gmail.com

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is also often held in many local parishes – probably including your own – so be sure to check your local parish too.

The Sacrament of the Eucharist can truly come alive when you're surrounded by other like-minded young people. In case you’re looking for somewhere to attend Mass (and don't necessarily know anyone at your local parish), here are a few parishes that host regular youth masses. **Note: These are just a few parishes. Visit the Get Involved section for a full list of youth groups and communities to see what’s available around the Archdiocese.

• EASTERN REGION. St Benedict's, Burwood: The parish holds a Youth Mass every Sunday at 5pm and invites young people to participate in various groups in the parish. Contact: Noel Cabigting MGL - 9808 2646
• SOUTHERN. St John Vianney, Mulgrave: A Youth Mass is held at St John Vianney’s at 5.30pm on the first Sunday of every month. Contact: Marc Johnson - 0412 198 167
• WESTERN. St James the Apostle, Hoppers Crossing North: Catholics Seriously Inspired: Hoppers Crossing North (CSI: HCN) is a youth group for High School-aged teenagers. Every Sunday, there is a Youth Mass at 6:00pm followed by games, prayer and discussion until 9pm. Contact: Red Lusterio - 0457 123 154 / csi.hc.leaders@gmail.com
• NORTHERN. St Francis’, Mill Park: This parish has a well-established youth group called LIFE TEEN (aged 13 to 19) which meets for Mass on Sundays at 5pm and after Mass (until 7:30 pm) for the Life night. There is also a Young Adults Group (aged 18 to 35) that meets 7:30pm on the first Tuesday of the month.

Do you want to just need to get something new going in your local parish or want to continue learning about your faith? Consider the following suggestions:

• Start a youth group: One of the fruits of WYD08 Sydney was the mass of pilgrims who came back home fired up and ready to continue their faith journey. Several youth groups and communities sprung up, many of whom still meet today, offering young people the chance to network and deepen their faith. Maybe this is something you could do in your local area? Have a read of this resource How to start a youth group for ideas on how to get things going in your parish community. It doesn’t necessarily need to be community-based either; you might have just met other pilgrims at WYD with the idea of starting a new 'bible study group' – you never know!
• Do a short (or long!) course on faith-related topics:There are numerous courses on offer in Melbourne that cover a range of topics related to the faith:
  • Catholic Theological College (CTC). CTC offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as individual units for interest rather than assessment. Topics include Church History, Scripture Studies, Philosophy, etc. (What's more, the College is in the same building as the Youth Office, so you'd get to see us all the time!) Visit ctc.edu.au
  • Australian Catholic University (ACU). There are a number of undergraduate and postgraduate units in Theology and Philosophy on offer at ACU. Visit acu.edu.au