Welcome to a special World Youth Day edition of New Springtime. WYD will be the most visible event in the history of the Church in Australia to date, and whether you are reading this before, during, or after the Pope’s visit, we hope that it becomes a part of the pilgrim experience, even for those who cannot make the physical journey to Sydney.

The New Springtime journal is a project of the Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA), and hence our feature article this month could not be more relevant to the Association’s mission. It is written by one of ACSA’s patrons, His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, on ministry to Catholic university students and the impact that he hopes World Youth Day will have on students’ lives.

But every other article in this edition is a real feature in itself. Fr Ian Ker, one of the world’s leading scholars on John Henry Newman, discusses the similarities and differences between Cardinal Newman’s thought and subsequent developments in the Church, with particular emphasis on the Second Vatican Council and new ecclesial movements.

The feminine genius is the topic of Anna Krohn’s illuminating article, drawing together the work of John Paul II and Edith Stein to present an integrated vision of womanhood – a must read by young women and young men alike.   

Cohabitation, a topic similarly relevant to many young people, is the target of Chris Meney’s investigation of, and commentary on recent research on this phenomenon, the results of which may seem counter-intuitive to some.

Next, Sister Mary Catharine gives us an unparalleled insight into her vocation of community, prayer, study and work as a cloistered Dominican nun in the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in the United States.

The challenges posed to students in the secular university environment were amply demonstrated in the recent incident involving the University of Queensland Newman Society, and Patrick Doig’s article looks at the various issues that emerged from the affair as well as ways in which such challenges can be addressed.

For the art lover, Daniel Hill takes a detailed look at two frescos by Fra Angelico in the Dominican priory of San Marco, Florence. Matthew Buckley examines the theological questions surrounding Christ’s beatific vision in the teaching of the Magisterium and St Thomas Aquinas. And finally, Zac Vermeer examines the deeper significance of World Youth Day in the context of the Church’s place in the modern world.

There is no doubt that the first visit of Pope Benedict to Australia will bear many fruits for the Church, but despite the efforts of all those involved in World Youth Day, the reality is that after July those efforts must be multiplied many times over to ensure the continued reinvigoration of Australian Catholicism. When New Springtime was launched last October, our vision was a humble one of hope for the future, a hope that continues to burn brightly thanks to the prayers and support of many people.

Whether this is your first visit or not, a look through our archives (all articles are arranged by topic on the left-hand navigation bar) will reveal the efforts of all the contributors thus far, the majority of whom have been students and young adults. But we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the generous support of many others: my editorial colleagues (and particularly James Baxter who is stepping down from the role of Managing Editor), Justin Lynch as web guru, the Australian Catholic Students Association and its two patrons Cardinal Pell and Tracey Rowland, and finally, our readership which is steadily growing.

We look forward to the continuing support and contribution by all who share our vision for a ‘new springtime’ of the Church, and hope you enjoy reading this edition.

Patrick Giam

Chairman, New Springtime

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