It was great to spend the day with so many amazing young people passionate about their faith.
When you’re organising a Catholic youth even for the first time common sense would tell you to start small, organise a few speakers, and tap some local talent for the music ministry. What you should never do is to book Matt Maher, the biggest name in worship music in the world, and see what happens. However, that’s exactly what the team at NET Ministries did for the Fortify Youth Conference. It was more than a shot in the dark. It was a leap of faith and it paid off!
Here are a few familiar faces from our NET Team.
The Fortify Youth Conference was designed to showcase youth ministry options available to parishes in Ireland. Over 200 people from across Ireland attended who were involved in or concerned about ministry to young people. As you can imagine there’s about two degrees of separation, so if you didn’t know someone the chances were you knew someone who did. The atmosphere was joyful and welcoming.
Matt Maher played an amazing set for a capacity crowd in Dublin.
The day began with a series of inputs from different speakers in the field of youth ministry, discussing the difference young people make in our Church. Our ministry can simply be about getting young people to go to Mass. We have to be clear what we’re hoping to achieve. We looked at what needed to change and what different groups were doing successfully. Then we asked the big question: What’s stopping you from getting stuck in and making a difference yourself? We finished the day with a sense of hope and enthusiasm for the future. The Fortify Youth Conference wasn’t a once off event. It’s a beginning. Now lets get moving!
After the conference we had an evening concert with Matt Maher. Matt is an eight time-GRAMMY nominee, he has garnered multiple radio successes writing and recording songs like “Lord, I Need You,” “Hold Us Together,” “Christ Is Risen,” “Because He Lives (Amen)” and “Your Grace Is Enough.” Maher has penned songs recorded by Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Third Day, Matt Redman, Hillsong, Casting Crowns, Jesus Culture and Bethel among others. Matt has written or co-written five No. 1 radio singles. In 2013, Maher had a career highlight performing in Rio in front of Pope Francis and a crowd of 3 million people, as well as performing in 2015 in downtown Philadelphia as part of the World Meeting of Families with The Fray, Aretha Franklin, Juanes, Jim Gaffigan, among others. In 2015, Maher was awarded his first RIAA Gold certification for his popular single “Lord, I Need You.” Most importantly having met him previously at the Brightlights Catholic Youth Festival and the Alpha Leadership Conference I can tell you he’s a really sound guy.
A gathering in the Scottish Highlands celebrating the Catholic faith
A Youth 2000 Retreat is always going to be special, but the last regional gathering in Craig Lodge in the Scottish Highlands was wonderful. This is the home of Mary’s Meals, the dynamic charity that provides over a million meals every day to children living in poverty around the world. This time we had almost 200 young people from around Scotland and beyond. Some even bussed it up from London. It didn’t matter where you came from. It was just fantastic to be there. We had those who have been at the last twenty Youth 2000 Retreats and others for whom it was their first time. All were equally welcome.
The music ministry is always great, but this time is was extraordinary
We were blessed to have some of the most amazing music ministry, led by Kate and the team. Throughout the whole weekend we had Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. It was the perfect opportunity to raise hearts and minds to God, while putting up with the midges. I had heard about them, but honestly anything I was told didn’t do them justice. They were relentless, as was the rain, but plagues of insects and floods of water couldn’t dampen the spirits of all the people there. In fact it kind of made it better. In the River is now officially one of my top five favourite hymns, along with Kate Curran’s Pentecost Sequence that she sang for the first time that weekend.
Every three years, young Catholics from around the world come together for World Youth Day (WYD), gathering in the spirit of prayer, celebration, reflection, and above all, joy. The WYD celebrations give young people a chance to grow together in their faith, sharing their hopes, prayers, and aspirations in the company of millions of others who are there to offer encouragement, strength, and support. World Youth Day is a uniquely powerful expression of the universality of the Catholic Church, and has quickly become a highlight of the festival calendar.
The celebrations take place in a different city every three years. In 2013, Rio de Janeiro hosted the festivities, 2016 saw the gathering take place in Krakow, Poland, and in 2019, young people from all over the world came together in Panama, to celebrate their relationship with God and with each other, and to take the opportunity to attend an audience with the Pope. From Mission Week to the Pope’s address, the World Youth Day festivities are invariably a resounding success – and the countdown has already begun ahead of the next WYD festival, due to take place in Lisbon in 2022.
How did it all begin?
In 1984, as the Holy Year of Redemption drew to a close, Pope St John Paul II issued an open invitation to young people all over the world, asking them to join together for an International Jubilee of Youth in St Peter’s Square. The response was overwhelming, and on Palm Sunday, over 300,000 young people from different cultures and different nations came together in a jubilant celebration of faith.
On this day, Pope St John Paul II passed on what is now known as the World Youth Day Cross, a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity to be carried across the world. Welcoming all who had travelled to Rome, he said:
“What a fantastic spectacle is presented on this stage by your gathering here today! Who claimed that today’s youth has lost their sense of values? Is it really true that they cannot be counted on?”
This initial gathering marked the beginning of something special. The following year, Palm Sunday coincided with the United Nations’ International Year of Youth. Once again, the Pope invited the youth of the world to join him in Rome, and once again, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. The institution of World Youth Day was announced later that year, on December 20th, 1985, and the first official World Youth Day celebrations took place in 1986, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Reflections on World Youth Day
Initiated by Pope St John Paul II, the success of these gatherings have made them an international institution that are planned for and looked forward to with joyous anticipation. John Paul II’s final celebration of International World Youth Day took place in Toronto in 2002. Speaking to a crowd of 800,000, he said:
“When, back in 1985, I wanted to start the World Youth Days… I imagined a powerful moment in which the young people of the world could meet Christ, who is eternally young, and could learn from him how to be bearers of the Gospel to other young people. This evening, together with you, I praise God and give thanks to him for the gift bestowed on the Church through the World Youth Days. Millions of young people have taken part, and as a result have become better and more committed Christian witnesses.”
World Youth Day can be seen as John Paul II’s legacy to young Christians all over the world, a legacy that has been faithfully carried on in his stead, first by Pope Benedict XVI and now by Pope Francis. The sense of joy and strength in faith that comes from a shared experienced is reinforced year by year, embracing both the young and the young at heart. In 2013, Pope Francis reflected:
“Dear young people, I saw you in the procession as you were coming in; I think of you celebrating around Jesus, waving your olive branches. I think of you crying out his name and expressing your joy at being with him! You have an important part in the celebration of faith! You bring us the joy of faith and you tell us that we must live the faith with a young heart, always: a young heart, even at the age of seventy or eighty.”
Unity, celebration, and togetherness: this is the message that International World Youth Day proclaims, and this is the essence of spirit in which we endeavour to live on a daily basis.
“Young people must say to the world: to follow Christ is good; to go with Christ is good; the message of Christ is good; emerging from ourselves, to the ends of the earth and of existence, to take Jesus there, is good!”
A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place, undertaken for the purposes of spiritual development. It’s a journey that often includes both highs and lows, as pilgrims seek to find harmony between the physical and the spiritual on their own personal voyage of exploration. True, this road to enlightenment is often paved by circumstances of physical discomfort; every step, however, brings pilgrims closer to God and to the heart of their spirituality.
Catholic pilgrimages take place all over the world. Pilgrims venture to places that have connections with the birth, life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus, to shrines of the Apostles, saints, and martyrs, to sites where there have been apparitions of the Virgin Mary, and to locations where miracles have been witnessed or performed. No matter where in the world a pilgrimage takes place, one thing remains the same – the unwavering determination and strength of faith that drives Christian pilgrims to know God better.
Historically, pilgrims would leave their homes, their families, and all of their creature comforts, embarking on journeys that could stretch to hundreds of miles with nothing but what they could carry on their backs. Today, the circumstances of pilgrimage may be less extreme, but they are nonetheless powerful for it, and modern-day pilgrims continue to leave their homes and their daily comforts behind in the quest for spiritual fulfilment.
What is it like to go on a pilgrimage?
The experience of pilgrimage is different for every individual; the major common denominator, however, is joy, and an awareness of something bigger, of something more. A sense of something special comes into being on a pilgrimage; the Holy Spirit moves amongst those making the journey, while strangers become friends and unite in the solidarity of faith. Physical discomfort takes a back seat as this feeling of cohesion and harmony comes to the fore, and groups of pilgrims support and carry each other through any doubt, pain, fear, or uncertainty. Community spirit comes out in force – no matter where you may find yourself in the world, the message of God’s love overcomes all cultural barriers in a true celebration of faith, togetherness, and intimacy with God.
In a nutshell, what is the idea of pilgrimage all about? In the words of Fr Alan:
“It’s about freedom. It’s about walking to the horizon – and when you get there, you keep on going. It’s about taking part in something that is at the same time enjoyable and profound. I’ve yet to meet one person who regretted making the trip. For every one of them it has been a powerful, even life-changing experience. The invitation is open to all, so what’s keeping you?”
“Your life is a sacred journey. And it is about change, growth, discovery, movement, transformation, continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, learning to see clearly and deeply, listening to your intuition, taking courageous challenges at every step along the way. You are on the path… exactly where you are meant to be right now… And from here, you can only go forward, shaping your life story into a magnificent tale of triumph, of healing of courage, of beauty, of wisdom, of power, of dignity, and of love.”
Have you ever felt like taking time out from college or work, and trying something completely different? Would you like to step out of your comfort zone, and be an agent of change in the world? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of struggling communities across the globe? The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme (MSCVP) could be just the thing you’ve been looking for.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart minister in over 50 countries all over the world, with bases in a wide variety of different areas including schools, parishes, hospitals, and prisons. Our volunteer programme gives people between the ages of 23 and 40 the opportunity to spend some time living and working in some of these locations, contributing to our missionary projects and making positive changes in the lives of people who live in conditions of extreme poverty.
Through our volunteer programme, you will have the chance to work with a like-minded group in a community that needs your skills, your talents, and your enthusiasm. This is an experience that focuses on working in partnership with others, teaching and learning as you go, and sharing your skills in a way that makes a real difference in the world.
Volunteering on a missionary project is not a one-way street, but promotes a sense of appreciation, fulfilment, and satisfaction on a number of different levels for both the volunteers and the communities they visit. Help is given to those who need it, but the volunteering experience is so much more than that as volunteers encounter new challenges and triumphs, build new friendships, and make memories that will last a lifetime.
The main goals of the MSCVP are:
To provide enriching, challenging, and meaningful short-term voluntary experiences.
To share the valuable skills and talents of our volunteers with our partner projects.
To work towards promoting responsible volunteering in our partner projects in South Africa.
To allow enthusiastic, talented individuals to use their abilities in a positive and productive way, in a mutually beneficial experience.
We would be delighted to hear from men and women between the ages of 23 and 40, who are interested in undertaking overseas volunteering work during the summer months. Specialised skill sets, such as teaching, mechanics, carpentry, nursing, electrics, or medicine are extremely welcome, and each applicant will be assessed on their own individual merits.
Please note that all necessary preparatory training will be provided. This eight-week trip usually costs approximately €3,000 in total, with volunteers asked to contribute €1,500, and the balance covered by the MSC. This covers flights, food, accommodation, insurance, transfers, and training.
Where we work
One of the main locations for our volunteer programme is the Holy Family Care Centre, situated at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains in Ofcolaco, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. This centre cares for the sick and the vulnerable, especially orphaned children with HIV/AIDS and TB.
The Holy Family Care Centre has the capacity to accommodate 70 children, ranging in age from infants to teenagers, and they are usually stretched to their limits in terms of resources. The centre, however, is about far more than just basic food, accommodation, and healthcare – it doesn’t just provide a house for these children, it provides a home filled with life and joy, and volunteer workers are an integral part of this.
The centre is run by our sister congregation, the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The sisters work with a dedicated team made up of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to provide a welcoming, loving environment for the children in their care.
The Holy Family Care Centre is just one example of the projects on which we work, where we would welcome the additional help of enthusiastic volunteers. We aim to provide a wide range of volunteering experiences, involving everything from education to medical care, while also working with partners who follow the highest standards of care.
The nature of the volunteer work you undertake will endeavour to engage your particular skill set, while also incorporating the day-to-day duties and tasks involved in life on a missionary project. Most importantly, the time you spend with the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme will provide you with an experience that is rewarding and unforgettable in equal parts, benefitting you and the people whose lives are touched by your support.
So, what’s it really like to work with the MSCVP?
“More so than any other time in my life… I laughed! Every day the kids found new ways to just make us laugh! Whether we were on an imaginary Safari inside the fence of the centre, hitching a lift in a car made from a piece of wire and an old shoe, or chasing the crèche children who never wanted to go to bed, we laughed! A beautiful place, a great team and the most adorable children on the planet made for a summer I will cherish dearly!” ~ Karen
“Working with the kids has been absolutely outstanding. They’re so full of life and energy – they keep you on your toes, and the kids are great at helping in any way they can. The feeling when you see the kids laugh and smile, you can’t put a price on it. It’s just the greatest feeling in the world.” ~ Kevin
“We have really got to know all the kids and workers here at Holy Family over the past months. We can recognise the voices calling out for us at our gate, the different cries of the crèche children, and the different laughs that echo around the centre. We opened our hearts fully and really connected with each and every one. We have learned more from them than they have from us and boy oh boy, can these kids teach you a thing or two.” ~ Joanie
“When I look back at my time at Holy Family, most of our visit was simply spent just spending time with these young South Africans. The real volunteering was sitting about in the spring sunshine, talking or watching videos on my iPhone. The real volunteering was being the big brother or sister that was never there. The real volunteering was being the role model absent from their lives as they grew and continue to grow.
The truth is, it didn’t really matter what activities we did with the kids as long as we were with them and for them. As long as someone wanted to spend time with them and show them that they really cared, then it really didn’t matter whether we played football for twenty minutes or sat idly on the withered grass for two hours. When you see so many children with joy on their faces, just because you are there with them in the moment, it’s then you realise that your small contribution is making hearts big. When you become aware of the sadness in your own heart as you leave this special place behind, then you see that these little ones are making your world big.” ~ Mark
…And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll find more stories and reflections from MSCs and past volunteers at our MSC Vocations blog.
Want to know more?
If you’d like to find out more about the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme, please feel free to get in touch. You can contact Fr Alan Neville MSC by phone on +353 (0) 86 785 7955 (Ireland) or +44 (0) 75 2676 4236 (UK), or by email at vocations@mscmissions.ie.
The MSC Volunteer Programme supports best practice in volunteering, and upholds the Comhlamh’s Volunteer Charter. We are also signatories of the Dóchas Code of Best Practice. If you have any queries or issues about our application of either the Comhlamh or Dóchas Code of Best Practice, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to address this.
As part of our commitment to best practice in child safeguarding, all successful applicants to the MSCVP must complete a Garda vetting check (in Ireland) or a Disclosure and Barring Service check (in the UK).
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are involved in a number of Catholic festivals across Ireland and England throughout the year. From local gatherings to international events, these festivals provide a wealth of wonderful opportunities for people of all ages to explore their faith through various channels – and to have fun while they’re doing it!
Inspirational speakers, interactive workshops, and motivational music are just some of the ways in which our faith is explored, celebrated, and strengthened as people from all walks of life come together for one purpose: to rejoice in their relationship with God. With open hearts and joyful souls, people from all backgrounds become one community as they unite in worship and celebration of God’s love.
Would you like to be part of something special? Click here to check out upcoming events, and to read Fr Alan’s blog posts about MSC festivals, faith, and fun.
“More so than any other time in my life… I laughed! Every day the kids found new ways to just make us laugh! Whether we were on an imaginary Safari inside the fence of the centre, hitching a lift in a car made from a piece of wire and an old shoe, or chasing the crèche children who never wanted to go to bed, we laughed! A beautiful place, a great team and the most adorable children on the planet made for a summer I will cherish dearly!”
“Working with the kids has been absolutely outstanding. They’re so full of life and energy – they keep you on your toes, and the kids are great at helping in any way they can. The feeling when you see the kids laugh and smile, you can’t put a price on it. It’s just the greatest feeling in the world.”
“We have really got to know all the kids and workers here at Holy Family over the past months. We can recognise the voices calling out for us at our gate, the different cries of the crèche children, and the different laughs that echo around the centre. We opened our hearts fully and really connected with each and every one. We have learned more from them than they have from us and boy oh boy, can these kids teach you a thing or two.”
“When I look back at my time at Holy Family, most of our visit was simply spent just spending time with these young South Africans. The real volunteering was sitting about in the spring sunshine, talking or watching videos on my iPhone. The real volunteering was being the big brother or sister that was never there. The real volunteering was being the role model absent from their lives as they grew and continue to grow.
