When asked what message he would share with the young Catholics gearing up for his appearance at Purpose Fest, Fr Gregory Pine OP, the renowned Dominican scholar based in the US, responded with two words: “let’s go!”
Excitement is building ahead of Fr Gregory’s inspiring talks at Purpose Fest on 2 July, organised by the Sydney Catholic Youth team (SCY) within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation.
Known for his appearances on Pints with Aquinas, his podcasts Godsplaining and Catholic Classics, as well as his influential writings on theology and philosophy, Fr Gregory is also an instructor of dogmatic and moral theology at the Dominican House of Studies and Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute.
He told The Catholic Weekly he’ll be offering audiences a fresh new perspective on ancient virtues, focussing on the virtue, “Hope,” something he believes today’s young people need to hear more of at Purpose Fest.
His talk, focusing on the virtue of hope, will challenge young Catholics to reconsider their spiritual journey.
“Virtues equip us for a human life,” he explains. “Not an angelic life, but a human one.”
Father Gregory sees too many young people stumbling because they imagine a path to salvation must be grand or flashy.
“Often enough, the Lord just asks of us that we do the simple things.”
“I’ll be discussing hope as a willingness to use the humble means God provides for our salvation,” he says. “Hope isn’t just wishful thinking—it’s a virtue that keeps us moving forward, even when others fall into despair or presumption.”
Fr Gregory recognises that young Catholics need practical wisdom for everyday life. “Virtues are our active participation in goodness,” he explains. “They help us to live well, not just to think about living well.” He adds that “the life of grace is our participation in divine life,” sharing in God’s own divine nature through his grace.
He’s especially looking forward to connecting with Australian Catholics, describing them as “hilariously direct” and different from Americans—whose cities, like Philadelphia, he calls “cities of brutal honesty.” He’s eager to engage in lively discussions and “sparring” in an evangelical setting.
His message for young Catholics facing today’s challenges is both honest and inspiring: “Don’t expect life to be all positive emotions or a carefree experience. But also, don’t expect too little. God desires to share his divinity with you—often in hidden, modest ways. If we have hope to see it, faith to trust in it, and love to uphold it, there’s real grandeur in that.”
The second speaker at Purpose Fest 2025 is local priest, Fr Gregory Morgan from St Catherine Laboure in Gymea.
“I hope to reflect on how issues such as time and attention have become significant obstacles for young people in discovering the truth and beauty of the Real Presence,” Fr Gregory told The Catholic Weekly.
“A major part of the problem lies in how contemporary culture actively inoculates us against serious self-reflection — our attention is drawn to what is superficial, comfortable, and ultimately empty — devoid of presence. This only leads to a deeper unhappiness,” he said.
“My hope is that young Catholics at Purpose Fest come away with a heightened realisation that what the Catholic faith offers is, in fact, what they are searching for deep down. They need to reclaim control over their attention and to realise how precious it is.”
Fr Gregory Pine is visiting Australia under the auspices of University Catholics from the Archdiocese of Sydney. As their guest he will be on campus with students from 2-8 July, running the Uni Retreat, giving a lecture for the Alumni Association on “Eutrapelia – Why being boring is a sin” and a public lecture on “Martyrdom and the Virtue of Courage” at UTS on 7 July.
His simple yet profound message for Sydney’s young Catholics is this: “It’s possible to truly know and love God. This is within your power as a human being, and God makes it possible in you. You can freely choose to cooperate with His work in your life.”
Purpose Fest takes place on 2 July. Follow Sydney Catholic Youth (SCY) on Instagram for the latest updates and registration information. https://www.instagram.com/sydneycatholicyouth/
For registration and info about Fr Gregory Pine’s talks for University Catholics go to: unicatholics.org.au/thomistic-institute