Spark

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All Lourdes inbetweeners, redshirts and helpers aged between 11-35 are invited to come to put a Spark! into your faith in this year of faith.

On 3rd February at 3pm in Weybridge there will be a big gathering of young people and an afternoon of praise, worship, adoration and testimonials, with availability of priests for reconciliation, and ending in mass at 6pm.

Edwin Fawcett, inspirational young composer and pianist who led two choirs in Hyde park for Pope Benedict, and recently did the music for the tour of St John Bosco’s relics, is leading the afternoon.

Fr Malachy Keegan, head of the Prison Chaplaincy service, will be the main celebrant of the mass. For more details please contact Adam Simon  or call 07979 180859.

 

Sunday, February 3, 2013 – 15:00

 

Location: Christ The Prince Of Peace Weybridge

 

 

A and B Spring Spectacular 2013

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The Saturday will start at noon with prayers at 1pm, a traditional family sports day from 2:30 and a Disco at 7pm

Face painting, various stalls and games, music, a Hog Roast and BBQ will be running throughout the day.

On Sunday the Sponsored Walk will return. This is a great way to help cover your expenses of the pilgrimage and to help the Sick Fund.

If you would like to help with either event, running a stall on the saturday, marshalling at the sponsored walk etc, please contact Ray Mooney or Lorraine Burrows at the Youth Office. Email ray.mooney@dabnet.org/lorraine.burrows@dabnet.org.

Saturday, April 27, 2013 – 13:00 to Sunday, April 28, 2013 – 18:00

Location: Wintershall Estate

 

Redshirts 2013 – Applications Available

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Applications for Lourdes Pilgrimage Redshirts 2013. A fantastic opportunity for anyone currently in school year 10 or 11; or of equivalent age.

The application pack for Lourdes Redshirts 2013 is now ready. If you have already contacted me at the youth office you should receive your copy this week. If not, or you have not yet contacted the youth office then please email lorraine.burrows@dabnet.org and you will be sent an app pack in the post. Parents will receive relevant information at the same time. There is a deadline for return of the app pack by 31st January so please do make contact asap.

A selection panel will look at the packs during February half term and the decisions notified to applicants before end of February.

Preparation gatherings will be held in the Easter break in Crawley on Sunday 14th April and a 24 hour overnight in Weybridge Saturday 6th to Sunday 7th July . There are also post pilgrimage gatherings in September and December.

The dates for Lourdes this year are Wednesday 24th July to Friday 2nd August. We meet in Crawley on the Wednesday around 9am, celebrate Mass with  Bishop Kieran and then travel by coach from Crawley and cross the channel by Eurotunnel or Ferry (this will be decided mid January). We then journey down overnight (with food and comfort stops) arriving at our Hotel Chapelle Et Parc in Lourdes around 9am on Thursday 25th July.

The following days are a mixture of the Faith, Fun, Friendship and Food! We welcome other pilgrims from the diocese at the rail station and assist with movement of luggage and resources. We continue the welcome ministry across the week at all the services and processions. We lead groups in prayer and song, we have our catechesis sessions on faith and life issues. We give a stage presentation to about 500 other diocesan pilgrims using, music, song, drama, comedy and testimonies. Many strong friendships are made too which continue well beyond the pilgrimage itself. The opportunities to serve others and make a difference is very powerful and along with the friendly bond within the group can have a big positive impact on ones spiritual experience of our time together.

We also eat ice cream and have a great week. You can find out more at www.ablourdes.org

For your information the cost this year will be £695 and includes, all coach transport to/from and in Lourdes, full board accommodation, travel insurance, four red tops and preparation gatherings. Payments can be made monthly.

If you have any further questions you can either call me/txt me/email me. (youth office number is 01293 651163, my Secretary lorraine.Burrows@dabnet.org 01293 651163 or my mobile number 07768696547)

Youthgather 2012

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St. Theresa’s School , Effingham welcomed over 340 young people, youth workers, school chaplains and teachers to this year’s annual youth ministry gathering. The largest attendance for over 10 years.

The day was blessed with good weather which enabled everyone to experience a beautiful  7 mile countryside walk from the school to the National Trust site at Polesden Lacey for lunch and back to St. Theresa’s. Along the route several students from the school recited speeches from well known characters in history such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Rosa parks, Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. Other  entertainment was provided by the Penny Royal Clog Dancers.

These moments along with displays of paralympians perfectly reflected the theme of the day “DARE TO BE DIFFERENT”.  In addition workshops were held on topics of Drama & Dance, Fun & Games, Music, Art and a quiz run by CAFOD. Displays on behalf of the charities chosen to receive monies raised attracted much interest throughout the day. Cherry Trees Hospice, Chernobyl’s Children’s Group and the Community of Puentecitos will be the recipients of the funds raised.

The day started with a beautiful celebration of Mass led by Bishop Kieran with music provided by students and staff from Cardinal Newman School, Hove. Students from Cranmore School, West Horsley came to serve at the Mass.  Young people from Weybridge Youth Group provided a wonderful surprise Flash Mob song after Mass. Many parishes and schools processed to the altar with their community banners.

The closing liturgy was provided by students from St. George’s, Weybridge, St. Leonard’s Mayfield and St. Peter’s in Merrow.

By their presence at Mass and the various elements of the day all who came to YouthGather 2012 DARED TO BE DIFFERENT!

“Youth gather gave us all a chance to catch up with people we haven’t seen since Lourdes, but also to meet some lovely new people! I didn’t think the walk was going to be much fun, but I loved it, we didn’t get lost luckily and we all stayed together (mostly!) it was really really good and I’m going next year too!”  Faye

“Youthgather 2012 was so much fun as it was a great experience to catch up and meet new people my age who I share my faith with. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed getting to know new people on the walk and sharing sweets with them! The atmosphere of the whole day was great as everyone was having a good time, and I will definitely be going again next year!!”  Niamh

“I really enjoyed Youthgather 2012, not the least because it was so close to my home but also because it was  chance to meet other young people in the diocese who are just as passionate with youth events as the Redshirts and I are. I made some very good friends as well as bonding further with the redshirts who were present.” Andrew

“Youth Gather was fantastic, I was able to meet people of a similar age who shared my belief, as well raising money for a well deserving charity with my friends at my side. I can’t wait for next year.” Anna

“What a Fantastic day! Thank you so much for organising it. So many people turned up! Days like this are so important and give so much back to those involved – Thank You… ”

“Great to see so many “Nice” people”  Bass

 

Youthgather 2012 – 30 September at St Teresa’s, Effingham

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Young people at a previous Youthgather

YouthGather 2012 will be take place at St Teresa’s School, Effingham Hill, Surrey on Sunday 30th September. The Youth Service and St. Teresa’s in partnership are looking forward to producing a fantastic day of celebration of Faith, Fun, Friendship and Food.  

Please book this event in your diaries. Further details available from Ray Mooney. 
on ray.mooney@dabnet.org.

Get involved and book now

The Last Couple of Days…………

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The last couple of days have been utterly amazing. Being in the choir in the underground () is awesome because you have the coolest organ behind you and you can see all the pilgrims all singing with you and totally devoted to what they believe in.

The possession was an experience we will never forget… The atmosphere was amazing and the candle light and the singing in the darkness made everything more special.

Yesterday before we met the inbetweeners, (not the real ones) we had a ministry session where we wrote down all our burdens that have been troubling us at home or anywhere in our lives. It was an emotional moment for us but we all supported each other. J Later in the night we went to the candle bank where we lit the candle that had all of our burdens attached to it. (God is now loaded with all our burdens J)

Later we then met the inbetweeners who are not old enough to be Redshirts. It was very enjoyable as we sang songs and prayed together.

Today was our day off however this morning we went to the healing of the sick mass. It was rather emotional! (We even made our leader Barney cry :O love you Barnabus J ) Later we went and had a picnic together a little away from the town, (yum yum) J

We also had a time of reconciliation and time to relax and reflect on what we have done in Lourdes. After that, some of us went and visited the Baths. It was a fascinating experience even though the water felt like the Arctic…

Later on this evening we’re going to crash all the other pilgrims’ hotels parties… lol jokes ;)

Lots of love hugs and kisses :D

Kat and Sophia. E J J J

The Napkin News…………

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Napkin News :-)

Saturday was not a normal Saturday for us Redshirts. We began the day like every day with a reflective morning prayer. We went to mass, despite the location being changed due to the weather, we still had a lovely service and it was great to be together with the rest of the pilgrimage and hearing their lifetime experiences on the red carpet. Then we retired for lunch (yummayyy!!)

                After lunch we had the pilgrimage photo which included singing various songs and the some of the other pilgrims even joined in with the hokey cokey. After posing for the camera (gosh we looked beautiful) we had a deep ministry led by Barney, Ruth and Beth which led to a few teary eyes. We were rewarded with free time and used it for burning cash at the shops, a peaceful time at the grotto or simply resting at the hotel. After dinner (which is the best part of the day!!) we finished the day with a visit to the grotto which was a new experience for most of the Redshirts which let us reflect on our lives and our faith. This day has been the ,most reflective day so far and has introduced most of our Redshirts to themselves and their inner faith.

By Scarlett and Lisa

1st Day Thoughts

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Ray & Redshirts 2012

Well we finally arrigved in Lourdes! After an interesting journey, we got into Lourdes railway station around 11am. The Redshirts then did a fantastic job of serving the rest of the pilgrimage by their welcome and the hard work of unloading the train of luggage and equipment.  Some Redshirts then walked down to the Acceuil to help unload all of their hospital equipment. Then it was shower time at last and a well deserved lunch. We got ready for Mass and went down to Cote Grotte to get ready for our first official “Red carpet”, our way of welcoming the rest of the pilgrimage to Mass. Half way through Mass the heavens opened… by the time Mass was over parts of the domaine were flooded. The Redshirts rose to the challenge and offered the service of taxiiing the pilgrims back to their hotels under the dry of our umbrellas. We spent most of the afternoon and early evening drying ourselves, and feasting on the wondeful food! We finished our first day with evening prayer (lead by Fr Rob), it was a calm and peacful end to a very long day.

“My red-shirt experience so far has been unexpected. From finding out that all the other redshirt’s were going to be on the train to being transformed into an impromtu taxi service as we ferried pilgrims back to their hotels after the heavens well and truly opened during our opening mass at the Cote Grotte. I think the most apt choice of words to describe the experience so far would have to be exhilariating and exhausting [ and watching the Opening Ceremony into the wee hours of the morning didn’t help with getting my energy back!].”

~Bill Pierce

“The red carpet has been my favourite part of our Lourdes pilgramige so far, the people have so much fratitude for our happy spirits! After the weather took a turn half way through mass, we were afterwards able to show what red-shirts are made of and aid who we could back to their hotels dry. I learnt that it’s a great feeling to prioritize another person’s needs. During evening prayer, lead by Fr Rob, people within the group were really able to open up and share their thoughts with the rest of the group. Afterwards, once we’d broken up into our smaller groups, I felt really secure when discussing personal subjects. I trust everyone here and that’s an amazing feeling.”

~Anna Rhoden

 

Redshirts 2012 – Unexpected Delay

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Redshirts 2012 Singing in the Church of St Saens

Hello everyone and welcome to the first update from Lourdes 2012. Apologies for the delay in keeping everyone updated but we have been on an un-planned adventure! Our new coach managed to break down once we had made the crossing from Dover to Calais; around two hours into the journey from Calais to Le Havre the engine overheated and we were left standing by the motorway for a couple of hours. Thankfully the Gendarmes (Police) were extremely helpful and managed to contact the Mayor of the nearest town. The local town, Sait Saens, put us into a school hall for the evening. In the morning they very kindly gave us lunch and allowed us use of their beautiful church.Many phone calls and conversations took place between people in England and France, and finally we ended up on a coach heading back to Calais so we could join the wider pilgrimage on the overnight train to Lourdes. As unexpected and testing as the de-tour was, many people helped us along the way; we would like to thank the Local Mayor and Gendarmes for their kind efforts!

Twenty four hours later and we have spent our first full day in Lourdes, and it is raining! We have celebrated Mass with the Bishop and held umbrellas for the pilgrims in our customary fashion (Red Carpet.) The show still goes on…………..we are all a little sleepy and hungry but really looking forward to our week ahead :-)

DAMASCUS Catholic summer camp and Emerge Overnighter

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DAMASCUS is a Catholic summer camp for young people aged 14-18. DAMASCUS is one of the youth initiatives from Guildford Youth Ministry (GYM) supported by the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.  It runs Friday 24th-Monday 27th August 2012. Cost £80.

DAMASCUS encourages young people to come together and consider their spiritual journey and their relationship with God in the relaxed and inspirational setting of Wintershall Estate, Bramley.  The event programme contains a mix of music worship, scripture brought to life, creative workshops, prayer, outdoor activities, camping and chill time all within and around the barns and fields of Wintershall. It’s an amazing combination!

Further information and the application form can be downloaded from http://www.damascusyouthevent.com/summercamp.html. For more information also contact Aseel Gilbert, Guildford Catholic Churches Youth Coordinator, 12 Eastgate Gardens, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4AZ. Tel: 01483 562 704. Email: youth@GuildfordCatholicChurches.co.uk. Website: www.guildfordcatholicchurches.co.uk/youth/

Also Emerge: Young Adult Over-night Retreat. Ages 18-25. Wednesday 22nd-Thursday 23rd August 2012. Cost £30.

The programme is packed with music worship, prayer, teaching and food. It’s all about providing a space for young adults to take some time out from their busy lives to focus on their relationship with God and how we can sustain it whether they are working or at university. Come join us for a fun, relaxed and inspiring over-night retreat.

Further information and the application form can be downloaded from http://www.damascusyouthevent.com/summercamp.html. For more information also contact Aseel Gilbert, Guildford Catholic Churches Youth Coordinator, 12 Eastgate Gardens, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4AZ. Tel: 01483 562 704. Email: youth@GuildfordCatholicChurches.co.uk. Website: www.guildfordcatholicchurches.co.uk/youth/

REDSHIRTS ‘DOOR IS OPEN’ FOR 2012!

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The Diocesan Youth Service Group (Lourdes) is now inviting applications from young people from within the diocese to join the Redshirts 2012. All applicants should be in school years 10 or 11 (or equivalent age) and available for the duration of the pilgrimage: Wednesday 25th July to Friday 3rd August 2012.

Anyone who would like to put themselves forward for consideration should email Ray Mooney (ray.mooney@dabnet.org). Please provide the applicant’s full name, address, home phone number, school year, name of school and parish. The email should also include the applicant’s reasons for wanting to be a Redshirt next year. This is the first stage of the selection process; an Application Pack will then be sent to all applicants in the New Year.

For more information go to www.ablourdes.org. If you have any questions regarding any aspect of the above please contact Ray on 01293 651158.

Flame Congress Sets Fire in Our Hearts

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Many folk from A&B Diocese were at the Flame Congress with over 8,000 other young people. One group from A&B tells us all about it:

All in the purple

‘St Teresa’s  has caught the ‘flame’ after girls accepted the invitation to join over 8,000 young Catholics to reflect, celebrate and pray at the Wembley Arena on Saturday 24 March. The girls were accompanied by Mrs Mary Arnal (Prep Head) and Angela (Chaplain) were immensely inspired by the witness of the speakers, they loved the music were in awe during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

David Wells, Fr Timothy Radcliffe and Fr Christopher Jamison presented thought provoking challenges that spoke directly to hearts through humour, prayer and stillness. The Mizen family, whose son was killed in London, shared and an incredible testimony of forgiveness, hope and peace.

The St Teresa’s girls commented on the conviction of Paschal Uche the young man who greeted Pope Benedict XVI at Westminster Cathedral. Stef Reid (28yr old Paralympian) and Debbie Flood (Champion rower) struck a chord with all of group with their stories and were incredibly inspiring.

Sr Catherine Holum (a Franciscan Sister of the Renewal) moved everyone with her sharing of her vocation.’

Go to http://cymfed.org/congress/flame/2012/ for more pics and stuff

Keeley Sydes Testimony

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‘Hello, my name is Keeley, I’m 16 and I have recently converted to the catholic faith at the Easter vigil. When I was growing up, God was never a prominent part of my life as I wasn’t even sure if I believed if there was a God or not. I do not come from a traditional catholic family and neither do I attend a catholic school. I think this has made me who I am as I know it was truly my decision to pursue my faith as I had no persuasion from either my family or school friends or teachers. I’ve always thought this is the best way for me as I can see how God has truly entered my life and has not merely been pressed upon me without really understanding. My religious journey began about a year and a half ago when I turned to myself and told myself that there had to be more to life than this. I had had this nagging feeling for quite some time that we were made with a certain plan for this life, I just didn’t realise at this point that religion and God was the answer. Along with this, I also felt like a part of me was missing and that I wasn’t entirely happy with my life even though I could have many materialistic things in life. No matter what I had, I was never entirely complete. When I first thought that the missing piece of me of was religion, I knew at once that it was true. I began research into the Roman Catholic faith and the more I learnt the more I became assured that this was the way to eternal happiness.

I decided to go to mass one Saturday evening to see what it was all about and to see if it would strengthen me in my choice which I was still looking to confirm. After my first time in mass, I was definitely not left disappointed! I was left totally awestruck after seeing the beauty of the church, the sincerity and humility of the people and the solemn, powerful yet moving atmosphere around the Eucharist. I knew straight after that first mass that nothing in the world could dissuade me now. Every time I went back to mass week after week my faith grew stronger. I would always leave mass feeling fresh, new and open to the world and to God. I had never experienced anything that had this level of reverence and devotion. As I carried on attending mass, I was introduced to some really spectacular people who have been so supportive throughout my whole journey. Whenever I needed advice on anything, to ask any question or just want a chat, they were always there. They were really enthusiastic with me and this in turn boosted my confidence greatly.

I started RCIA sessions last September which introduced me to the facts, beliefs, symbolism and much more of the Catholic Church.  I found this really interesting as I have a great interest for history as well. Every week I would come home having learnt so much more than I would have walked in knowing (Although some weeks, I would have learnt so much that I would come out and not be able to remember a thing!) Prayer was also a fundamental part of this journey because as I started praying every night, I realised what a powerful weapon prayer was to have in life. The beautiful thing I discovered about prayer was that no matter what had happened, no matter what I wanted to talk about, there would always be someone to listen. All the worries that I considered too trivial to be mentioned were gladly taken by God and I found this a real asset in my life.

So finally it came to the vigil. I had waited a year and a half for this and so I was full of excitement on the day. I was however quite nervous as I had a moment of sudden realisation of the impact this would have on my life. I also became abruptly aware of everything Christ did for us, he made the ultimate sacrifice for us and he and his father in heaven gave everything to us. This came with the sudden realisation that I was not worthy of the everlasting love bestowed on us by God. This was a rather daunting thought and one that was so big that I just couldn’t get my head around.  When the time came for me to get baptised, I felt a sense of extreme inner peace and one that could only have been bestowed by Christ. Then, there came a sense of coming home and belonging. This was where I was meant to be. However the climax of my journey had to be receiving my first holy communion. As soon as I received it I got lost in the deepest moment of love, adoration and the true realisation of what I was doing. That moment, summed up for me, my deepest love for God, his son Jesus Christ and the church. The best way I can some up my feelings about Catholicism is through the Eucharist. It is not something that requires words. It only requires a moment of reflection, an open mind and a willingness to accept God’s love. It’s that simple and that complicated.’

Keeley Sydes, Crawley parish.