Have you always practised your faith?

I grew up in a Vietnamese, Catholic family. However, I was not really interested in my faith growing up and had many doubts about it. I viewed God as a policeman, a spoilsport because I thought our faith was just a set of rules that we must follow. I felt like Christianity was very boring, depriving and restricting. I began actively practicing my faith after my confirmation in 2013 and developed a strong relationship with God as a young adult. During this period, I became more aware of God’s grace, unconditional love and mercy. I eventually saw God as someone who was loving, merciful and forgiving, which was completely different to how I viewed him growing up.

What helps you to keep growing in your faith throughout your time at University?

Currently, I am actively involved in my faith where I help lead the “Alpha Youth” program for our young adults group alongside three other wonderful leaders. We gather every second Wednesday night to explore the basics of the Christian faith. In each session, we have food together, watch an episode about an aspect of Christianity and participate in small group discussions.

At Monash Catholics, my role involves assisting other committee members and creating and managing posts on the club’s social media sites. Our weekly club events have allowed me to connect with many other Catholics at university and ultimately, strengthen my faith.