Here are some useful things for new participants to know before you come to FAST24.  Please read below, so that you will be well-prepared for FAST24.

1. How to get to FAST24 Perth

Venue:  Our Lady Queen of Apostles Parish

Address: 55 Tudor Avenue South, Riverton, WA 6148

Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/7ZW1YLCwEnQDvk5z9

Free Parking: If you are driving, free parking is available inside the church car park.  As this year’s FAST24 will be held in the John Luemmen Hall (aka Parish Hall), you may prefer to park nearer to the Hall where the basketball court is located.  

2. What to bring

We want to make a community effort to reduce our reliance on disposable cups, so please try to bring your own reusable water bottle and/or a mug.  We will still provide some disposable cups this year, however numbers are limited as we are phasing out the disposable cups, as our existing stock runs out. 

Please remember to bring the following as well:

• Payment for your FAST24 registration fee if you have not already paid.

• A pen for writing because you may be asked to write personal reflections or want to take notes during group discussions.

• Bible and rosary for personal use, particularly during prayer and reflection time.

3. Check the Latest Program Schedule.

The program schedule may have been updated and improved since you last looked at it.  So please review the latest program schedule online at: https://www.catholicyouthapostolate.com/fast24/program

(For your quick reference, you can bookmark this link if you wish)  

4. Check-in upon arrival at the John Luemmen Hall on Friday, from 5.30pm onwards. 

Upon arrival, please proceed to the Welcome Desk inside the John Luemmen Hall, which is also known as the Parish Hall.  Check-in at the Welcome Desk, which opens from 5.30pm on the Friday at FAST24. 

5. Make Payment for your Registration Fee at the Welcome Desk

At the Welcome Desk, you will be able to pay the registration fee/or and collect your name-tags before proceeding into the Parish Hall for the meal.

6. The organising team takes your safety and security very seriously.  

All FAST24 participants are required to check-in at the Welcome Desk, so that we can verify that the person participating is the same person whose name is in our register.  There will be an additional register for participants taking part in the overnight sleepout.

7. After you have checked-in

Once you have checked-in, please proceed to enter the Hall. Do not wander out of the Hall.  Go ahead to introduce yourself to other participants inside the Hall.  And if you are new to the parish or need help with directions, you can approach any of our friendly FAST24 Ambassadors who will assist you.  Our FAST24 Ambassadors consist of FAST24 alumni who have volunteered to help support you at this year's FAST24 while taking part in the fast themselves.  

8. The “last supper” (i.e. fast dinner before the Fast begins) on Friday

If you have indicated that you will be taking part in the "last supper" before the 24-hour fast begins, please note that the meal will be served from 6pm and conclude by 6.45pm at the Hall because the Stations of the Cross begins at 7pm.  All participants will be expected to help out with the clean-up after the meal.  The last supper will be a simple dinner, consisting of a variety of cooked vegetarian and/or fish dishes respectively, lovingly prepared and donated by volunteers from Our Lady Queen of Apostles Parish. We make it a point to ask all our FAST24 participants about their dietary concerns at the time of submitting their registration form.  However, if you have forgotten to mention your dietary concerns in your registration, you must inform us of any food allergies when you check-in at the Welcome Desk.  Otherwise, it will be interpreted that you have no food allergies to be concerned about.

9. The Stations of the Cross on Friday

Generally, the Stations of the Cross and Session 1 on Friday evening are open to everyone to attend, not just FAST24 participants.  This is to allow those who are undecided about joining FAST24 to have a preview of what FAST24 is about.  The FAST24 Stations of the Cross marks the start of the 24-hour fast and abstinence challenge as a community experience.  Among other things, the Stations of the Cross usually consists of at least 14 devotions or reflections that remind us of Jesus' suffering and death. The Stations will start at 7pm in either the church or the Parish Hall (check the Program Schedule for the start location).

10. The Fasting Experience

The purpose of all the activities organised during FAST24 is to help participants through the challenge of the 24-hour fast, which is essentially a Eucharistic Fast leading to the Celebration of the Eucharist at the Holy Mass.  The 24-hour fast is not a rigid no-food-or-drink fast. The fasting is voluntary. The central idea behind the community fast is to involve beginners and appreciate the FAST24 experience of community fasting.   The point of fasting and abstinence as a FAST24 community is to help us realise and accomplish something that we as individuals might not normally do on our own.  That said, if you are more experienced at fasting, you can set your own pace during FAST24.  If at any point you feel unwell, please inform us immediately.  Your health and safety are important to us.  

11. Overnight Sleepout on Friday

The overnight sleepout activity is an optional experience that is very popular.  It is an opportunity for families and friends to bond together in a safe environment.  If you have indicated that you are taking part in the overnight sleepout, you can choose to bring your own sleeping bag / quilt and/or cardboard boxes (clean ones, of course).  Only registered FAST24 participants will be allowed on the premises overnight, and the gate will be locked for security reasons. If you are staying overnight, please bring your own toiletries, such as your toothbrush, toothpaste, and towel for washing your face/hands. Currently, there are no shower facilities available at the parish hall.  The Hall has standard toilet facilities only.  We usually provide some cardboard boxes, which you can use to sleep on or build creative shelters.  But we cannot guarantee that we will have enough cardboard boxes for every person, so you are encouraged to contribute some of your own.

12. FAST24 Creativity Workshop

This year's Creativity Workshop will involve designing FAST24 T-shirts with special fabric markers that will be lent to participants.  The plain white T-shirts that we will use are symbolic reminders of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.  If you haven't done so already, you can let us know your preferred T-shirt size either by replying to this email, or informing the Welcome Desk on the day when you check-in at FAST24.  The sooner you let us know, the better the chance of us providing you with a T-shirt that fits your preferred size.  

13.  For Parents/Guardians: taking part with children under 12 years old

When you check-in, you can let us know if you are accompanying or bringing along your child who is under 12 years old.  As a general rule, children under the age of 18 should be accompanied by a responsible adult.  However, we know that children often prefer to be in the company of other children. Members of our parish's Post-Confirmation Teens Ministry group will be taking part or be involved in leading some parts of FAST24. The Teens Ministry organises activities for 12-16 year olds once a month at Our Lady Queen of Apostles Parish. So with your permission, we can introduce your child to our Teens Ministry Leaders, and your child can get to know another young person who can relate this year's FAST24 topics in easier-to-understand terms.  This is an option if you are concerned that your child’s attention may wander during the talks/workshops.

14. Mass and Dinner to break the fast on Saturday

It makes sense that if we start the fast together as a community, we should break the fast together and celebrate our accomplishment as a community.  And sometimes we want to share our great joy with our loved ones.  You are welcome to invite close friends and family members who were not involved in FAST24 this year, to join in the Mass on Saturday evening 6pm, and the dinner after the Mass.  This is a simple act of evangelisation.  Dinner on Saturday may be catered, so the cost per Guest Visitor to join in our Saturday dinner (dinner only) will be $10 per guest.  Additional donations are welcome – all proceeds go to subsidising the annual costs of organising FAST24.   Please note that for security reasons, all invited dinner guests must be registered via our Welcome Desk.