Jesus Youth National Conference 2024
A time to
Celebrate and give thanks the good works of the Holy Spirit through the movement in last 20 years.
Reignite the missionary zeal in our brother and sisters.
Embrace synodality through active deep listening to pave a path to continue as a missionary disciple.
Empower through a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit to spread the message of faith together.
International Speakers & Bishops
Pete Burak is the Vice-President of Renewal Ministries and the director of their young adult outreach called ID. He is a 2010 graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville and has a Master’s Degree in Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. Pete is a frequent speaker on discipleship and evangelization, and he is the co-director of Pine Hills Boys Camp. He is a monthly columnist for Faith Magazine and the host of the Spirit-filled Leadership and The Hour podcasts. Pete and his wife Cait have five children.
Diana Ingle is currently serving as the President and CEO of CRA-Restore. She has been leading and founding CRA (Christian Renewal Association) New Zealand since 2008, where she established an organisational structure and built a team to expand the ministry locally and internationally. Diana has been blessed with a special mission of bringing inner healing ministry to thousands of people worldwide.
Sindhu Subhadra Nadarajan (USA) is a medical graduate and married to Sunil Kumar Nadarajan, a software engineer. Both of them are now full-time missionaries for the Jesus Youth Movement. Sunil is the Director of Amoris Christi Institute, an affiliate of JY. Sindhu is an animator for the Jesus Youth National Council in the US, and mission coordinator in the USA, and a member of the Jesus Youth International Mission team. They are also involved with the School of Nazareth, a four year residential accompaniment program for college students under Amoris Christi in Delray Beach, Florida. Sindhu and Sunil have five kids.
Manoj Sunny, an Engineer by profession, is a full-time Missionary, actively involved in Catholic lay apostolate for 35 years. The first National and International Co-ordinator of the Jesus Youth Movement, he has travelled extensively across 60 countries, conducting more than 1200 training programmes for leaders. He received the Leadership Award by Caritas in Veritate (CiV) USA in October 2022. A participant of the Bishops’ Synod on New Evangelization in the Vatican in 2012, he has had the privilege of meeting St Pope John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis several times. He has attended the National Prayer Breakfast six times in Washington DC with three Presidents of the USA. He is currently the International Director of Formation, Jesus Youth, and the Executive Secretary of the Office of Evangelization for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference. He lives in Cochin, India, with his wife and two sons.
Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy at Thomas the Apostle in Melbourne.
Bishop John served as an assistant parish priest at St. Stephen Cathedral in Brisbane and St. Bernadine Church in Regents Park, Queensland. He also served as the parish priest at Our Lady & St. Dympna’s Church in Aspley, Queensland. Despite ministering in the Latin Church, he actively supported the pastoral needs of the neighbouring Syro-Malabar communities. On January 2023, Pope Francis appointed Bishop John as the second bishop of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy at Thomas the Apostle in Melbourne. On May 31, 2023, he was ordained as bishop and installed as the bishop of the eparchy by His Beatitude Cardinal George Alencherry
Most Rev Christopher Prowse is the Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn. He is a current member of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference as Chair, Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Church Ministry. On 27 February 2014, Pope Francis appointed him as a Consultor to the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli is the current Archbishop of Melbourne. At a national level, Archbishop Comensoli has served on the Bishops Commissions for Family, Youth and Life, Evangelisation and the Plenary Council. He currently serves on the Permanent Committee of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and is Chair of the Bishops Commission for Life, Family and Public Engagement.
James has an unusually rich life story which involves being fostered and adopted, childhood sexual abuse, LGBTQ+ activism and questioning his gender.
He recently discovered he has eight Sunni Muslim half brothers and sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.
James has served and ministered internationally for over 25 years across most Christian churches, from working alongside Popes in the Vatican to catering for the pastoral needs of those on the periphery of society. He has a particular passion for the godly restoration of all men and women.
Today, he facilitates True Identity, an informal national network, which creates peer support for those struggling with porn and sex addiction, and with issues relating to sexuality, gender, and identity.
He loves being a dad, hitting the beach, trying to keep fit, and following Australian football.
Dr Priya Mary Anne Allencherry is a fellow of the Royal Australia & NewZealand, college of Psychiatrists. Through her contact with the Jesus Youth movement as a medical student 20 years ago, she was able to re-discover the beauty of her Catholic faith and roots. This also led her to Pope John paul second challenge to take a Pro-life stance and she has been a keen proponent of Pro-life- working with youth and families. She is married to Thomas Isaac and have two daughters and a son. Dr Priya lives in Ballarat, Victoria.
Fr Ken Barker is an Australian Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Missionaries of God’s Love (MGL), a religious congregation in the Australian Church. He is involved in many works of evangelization and spiritual renewal, and is the author of popular books, including Becoming Fire, Young Men Rise Up, His Name is Mercy, Amazing Love, Alive in the Spirit, The Wonder of the Eucharist, and The Way of Jesus. He is also the founder of the Young Men of God Movement.
Dr Dony Peter Chacko is a passionate Catholic speaker and thought leader in learning design and transformational leadership. He has spoken to audiences in 27 countries across 5 continents. He has been actively involved in Catholic youth ministry over the last 25 years and has previously served as the Assistant International Coordinator of the Jesus Youth Movement. In his current role,he enables workplaces across Australia to psychologically healthy and safe.
Professor O’Shea is semi-retired and continues to serve as professor of religious education at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. He has supervised twenty doctoral students in the fields of education, catechesis and religious education. Gerard spent thirty-three years working in catholic schools as a teacher and then principal. He worked as senior lecturer in religious education and family ministry at the Melbourne campus of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Studies, and then as Assistant Dean of Education and Professor of Religious Education at the University of Notre Dame. Before retiring, he undertook the role of Director of Religious Education and Mission for the Diocese of Wilcannia Forbes. His book and religious education program, Educating in Christ, is an adaptation and expansion of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program for the needs of Catholic primary school classrooms. The program has been picked up by the Franciscan University of Steubenville and promoted throughout the United States via the Franciscan Catechetical Institute. Currently, Dr O’Shea is leading an international team of sixteen academics and teachers who are working on a high school adaptation of Montessori methods for Catholic secondary schools.
Gerard and His wife have been married for forty-three years and have five children and fourteen grandchildren. They served a five year term as president couple of the National Association of Catholic Families.
Fr. Bony Abraham is currently the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Parish Goondiwindi, Diocese of Toowoomba. He has been involved in the youth ministry for the last 20 years. Fr. Bony has been trained with Missionaries of God’s Love Priests. He has been part of Jesus Youth since his high school years. Fr. Bony has a degree in Bachelor of Psychological Science and a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy. He is currently doing an honours in psychology. Fr. Bony is engaged in the work of evangelization of people through preaching, youth ministry and renewal of parish life. He hopes to bring everyone to the grace of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit through his ministry.
Dr. Midhun Paul, hailing from India, joined the Jesus Youth movement in 2003 and has remained actively engaged ever since. Presently, he serves as the International Coordinator of Jesus Youth, having previously been involved with the Jesus Youth International Mission Team and the National Council of India. Additionally, he held the role of Coordinator for Jesus Youth Kerala. Before taking on a full-time commitment as Jesus Youth International Coordinator, Dr. Paul worked as an Assistant Professor at an Engineering College in India. He resides happily with his wife, Bitty, and their children, Jessica and Jerome.
Ron Sunny is a Catholic speaker, worship leader and songwriter. A Jesus Youth since 2009, he has been actively involved in the teens ministry, conducting various trainings and workshops over the past ten years. He is also the coordinator and lead vocalist of Vox Christi, a contemporary rock band that has staged over 100 shows worldwide. In a parallel life, he is an Assistant Professor of Biology at St Joseph’s College, Calicut, India, with a PhD in forest ecology and finds joy in hot chocolate and fries. He lives with his wife and baby, who is on the way.
Invitation from Bishops
Members of Jesus Youth Australia share their experiences of saying Yes to the Lord in their life.