From Friday July 6th to Sunday July 8th, the Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA), held its annual conference in the City of Melbourne, Australia. The Conference was held at Queens College, a residential college of the University of Melbourne. The conference was entitled Defending Human Dignity and Fr Aidan Nichols OP was the invited international speaker.
“ACSA with an appreciation and understanding of the full worth of the Sacred liturgy as described by the Church, desires to have its liturgies celebrated with dignity and in accordance with the mind of the Church, particular under the light of the Second Vatican council’s document Sacrosanctum Concilium.” (ACSA Liturgical Guidelines)
The liturgical life of the conference consisted of three celebrations of Holy Mass, three celebrations of the Divine Office and an all-night vigil of adoration.
The Opening Mass was a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, Missa Cantata, celebrated by Fr Glen Tattersall, chaplain of the Catholic Community of Bl. John Henry Newman and diocesan priest of Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Mass was celebrated at Queens College Chapel. The day was closed by a solemn period of adoration, benediction and then Compline, after which the Sacrament was left exposed for all-night adoration.
Saturday began with Lauds celebrated in Queens College chapel. The Mass of the day was celebrated in the ordinary form by Fr Aidan Nichols OP at Newman College Chapel, likewise another Melbourne University College. It was a votive Mass of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, the Patroness of ACSA. The Mass was celebrated solemnly with all the propers chanted by the Schola of Corpus Christi Seminary, of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and most of the Mass was chanted by the respective ministers. Ad orientem was the chosen position of the Mass. Fr Simon Ckuj, a priest of the Ukrainian Eparch of Australia preached and acted as the principle concelebrant along with Fr Gregory Jordan SJ, ACSA’s national Chaplain.
Sunday also began with a celebration of Lauds in Queens College chapel. The closing Mass of the conference was celebrated in the ordinary form, by Fr Gregory Jordan SJ, at Sacred Heart Church, Carlton, which is attached to Corpus Christi Seminary. This Mass was celebrated Versus Populum, The propers of the Sunday were chanted and the schola was conducted by Mr. Richard Lyons, who earlier that morning was elected with an overwhelming number of votes as the new President of ACSA.
Here are some photos from the weekends events:
