Oblate Youth Australia

Created by Fr Christian Fini in mid 2000 after spending time in Italy on his pastoral year of learning, OYA was humble in its beginning.

The National Coordinators of Oblate Youth Australia are Matthew Pilcher, Vanessa Ashokkumar, Hayley Chapman, Tishan Lokuge, Edward Bartels and Jason D'Rozario.

Inspired by his recent travels to Italy, Christian Fini worked on a number of missions and youth camps.

Following this experience, Christian took a small group of twelve young people away on a three-day camp in Dromana, Victoria.

In 2001, Father Christian was ordained and sent to work in Mary Immaculate Parish, Sydney, where he established another similar youth group.

With the help of Loretta Brinkman from Sydney, and Daniel Kelly from Melbourne, Father Christian organized yet another end of year camp involving the youth from the two parishes.

The 2001 camp had now increased to 26 young people with youth attending from St John Vianneys, Victoria and from Mary Immaculate Parish, Sefton and Eaglevale, NSW.

These two oblate parishes being Immaculate Conception, Sunshine, Victoria and Saint David's, Tea Tree Gully, South Australia.

In 2003, the difficult and risky decision to move the camp location up the mountains ofo Fitzroy Falls, NSW, proved to be the right one.

With 70 young people and 4 Oblates now attending, a move of location proved to benefit the group of such a large size.

The most recent camp held again at the Coonawarra Farm Resort, was much the same size as the year previous, but heading in a different direction.