Core Team Meeting March 2011
Youth Core Team
Meeting & CYMFed National Congress 2011
On 12-13 March 2011 the newly formed Youth Core Team met in Hammersmith. On 12 March, the team attended the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation (CYMFed) Congress which took place at the Friends Meeting House in Euston. CYMFed was formed in 2009 to help shape and support Catholic Youth Ministry in England and Wales. Consisting of the 22 Dioceses, Catholic organisations and Religious Orders working with young people in England and Wales (including the Augustinians), it is recognised and supported by the Bishops' Conference.
The following day the team met at St Augustine’s to plan the next National Gathering and greeted parishioners after the morning Masses, inviting the young people to World Youth Day this summer.
Aisling Boughton Reynolds shares her experience of the Congress:
We were welcomed into the venue to music by CJM, who helped to set the warm, inclusive tone of the day and encouraged us all to be ‘Church’. The theme of the day was ‘called to a noble adventure’, a quote from Pope John Paul encouraging young people to participate fully in the life of the Church.
The speakers were very inspirational and enthusiastic. Michelle Moran managed to simplify a complicated document from the Bishops whilst also being entertaining. We had a chance to hear from Paschal Uche and the fantastic opportunity he had last year to great Pope Benedict on behalf of the youth of Great Britain. We were reminded of the importance to taking time out to be silent. HE Cardinal Peter Turkson discussed the problems of spiritual poverty and material poverty and how one leads to the other. Fr J-Glenn Murray OJ had a very special technique of breaking into song to get his message across. He spoke about the roles of saints of old and gave a modern take on what they would be doing now by listing many of the roles that all do today suggesting that we are saints already and that it's our role to make more saints. Next we heard from A Million Minutes, fairly simple in its idea, but so profound in its possible impact. The idea is a basic sponsored silence, but what if we do that sponsored silence all together (adding up to a million minutes) on 8 May, speaking out by our silence for those who don’t have a voice.
We also had the opportunity to look round some stalls, which gave great youth work resources and further inspiration. Another highlight of the day was the chance to get up close and have a look at the CYMFed Candle stand blessed by Pope Benedict on his recent visit. It was very interesting to have a proper look all four sides (as I could only see one on the TV). I came away from the day with a burning desire to do more to and sore shoulder from carrying all the literature.
The next day we had the chance to put some of our burning hearts into practise as we planned the next Augustinian youth event in the summer. Each of us seemed to take away many different parts as the day, but found they could all be united under the word 'Love'
The Augustinian Youth Core Team now consists of:
Anna Hornby & Roz Lamb (Clare)
Marcus Duffy (Edinburgh)
Nick Macneil (Hammersmith)
Clare Bailey (Harborne)
Preye Tokoro & Kemi Olawole (Hoxton)
Annecy Semley (Woodvale)
David Boughton
Gabriella Notarianni
Aisling Boughton Reynolds
Claire Webster
Gianni Notarianni OSA
The next National gathering :
8-10 July 2011
At Lee Valley YHS, Cheshunt, Herts.
Theme: ‘In All Things, Love’
