Embrace Youth Group

Embrace is the young adults group at St Mary’s Cathedral.

Please note: the Embrace Young Adults Group is currently on an extended break until April 2024, please check back accordingly when the group will resume.

The group meets every Sunday after 6pm Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral House, next to St Mary’s Cathedral.

Fr George Sigamony, an Assistant Priest at the Cathedral who currently assists the group, says the group was formed more than 10 years ago to provide a gathering for young people between the ages of 18-35 with activities and youth projects designed to support spiritual development and encourage active practice of the faith.

“I assist the group with an overview and discuss objectives with the group leader while helping to develop a vision for where the group is heading and what we should actually be doing to help the young people to be grounded in their faith and, in the case of foreign students, just helping them to settle in.

For more information,
join the Embrace Facebook page or
visit the Cathedral’s Events Page or
call the Cathedral Office on (02) 9220 0400 or
email: [email protected]

“It is a very interesting dynamic. We find a lot of people from overseas here temporarily, either students here for a couple of years or people working in the city for the short term, so there are a lot of different people from different cultures and backgrounds.

“This poses a challenge in terms of stability but it also provides a place for those overseas young people to actually come and be a part of something. Often they don’t actually have many friends here and if they are Catholic, they can come to the Cathedral and they are able to join a group and see and meet with other like-minded young people.

“Every Sunday after the evening Mass around 7 pm, the group gathers at St Mary’s Cathedral House for about an hour and half. We may have presentations or guest speakers and we are looking at some outside activities this year, for instance helping out at a local soup kitchen. This will be an opportunity for the group to get together and do some works of mercy.

“We are exploring a lot of different options and the leadership team is very enthusiastic and has some great ideas and plans. Being welcomed and part of a community is important for many temporary residents. It can be quite lonely for many of them and they can come to join others in similar situations. Of course there are others who are not in the same situation but still want the opportunity to belong and find a home in a community of young people. All are welcome.”