YCW Centenary Mass & Reunion Melbourne

The Australian YCW, ACI, the Cardijn Community Australia and YCW Holdings are organising a Mass and reunion in Melbourne on Saturday 24 May 2025 to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of the YCW in Belgium in 1925.

Our principal celebrant will be Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli.

The celebration will take place at All Saints Church, King William St, Fitzroy, on Saturday 24 May 2025, beginning with Mass at 3pm to be followed by a social gathering in the Church hall at 4pm.

Welcome to join us on the day! Why not form a group of friends from your old YCW group to help make it a big day out?

This is one of a series of initiatives now taking place around the world bringing current YCW leaders and former members together to celebrate the first hundred years of the movement and look to the future.

Donate here

Via Trybooking (Debit or credit card)

https://www.trybooking.com/au/donate/ycwcentenarymelb

Direct bank transfer

Account name: Australian Cardijn Institute Cooperative
Bank: Great Southern Bank BSB: 814282 A/c No.: 51304905

Let us know you’re coming

To help us plan, please RSVP by completing this form:

Background

Historically, Cardijn and his colleagues launched the first study circles for teenage female factory workers in his parish of Notre Dame at Laeken near Brussels in 1912. Soon after, similar groups for male young workers were launched.

After the interruption caused by World War I, Cardijn, Fernand Tonnet and Victoire Cappe began work again in 1919 under the name Jeunesse Syndicaliste (Young Trade Unionists) for the male groups and Joie et Travail (Joy and Work) for the female groups.

By 1924, a national movement was developing, which adopted the name Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne (JOC) or Young Christian Workers (YCW).

After much controversy, in March 1925, Pope Pius XI gave his enthusiastic approval to Cardijn’s movement with the memorable words, “at last, someone has come to talk to me about the masses.”

Soon after the first national congresses for the boys’ and girls’ movements were held in what came to be regarded as the official launch date of the movement.