Bishop O'Donoghue's letter – Sunday 23rd November 2003
Christ the King

Dear Friends,

In truth I can say that the Church's mission to Young People is in my thoughts by day and my dreams by night. At the World Youth Festival in Toronto last year I found them inspirational; in Lourdes this summer their commitment to the sick and disabled was immensely moving and in my many visits to our Schools and Colleges they display a wonderful openness, an eagerness to listen, coupled with a genuine search for the meaning of life. At times I admit my disappointment when all of this does not translate into a regular practice of their faith. Perhaps I'm looking for too much, too early, and not in the right place!

So many of our young people do make a deep impression on others because of their zest for life, their willingness to learn and their positive attitudes. But they want other, older people to understand that they are "young" with all that this implies - being idealistic, enthusiastic, energetic, self-confident and possessing a youthful conviction about what they see as being right and wrong with their world and their Church.

They are also susceptible to new ideas - both good and bad - and to peer pressure and are able to respond with varying degrees of maturity. But above all it is increasingly apparent that young people themselves are searching for a spiritual dimension to their lives which makes sense to them in very real and practical ways. Our young people can be, and indeed admit to being, openly challenging of rites and practices which they see as being outmoded and often irrelevant. But so many of them do identify with the great commandment "Love God…Love your neighbour" through an individual relationship with God, their Father and Creator and through respect, tolerance and care for others - especially those less fortunate than themselves.

They seek a sense of belonging. They ask that adults and their parishes develop a great sense of understanding towards them and that they are made more welcome, to feel less neglected and given opportunities to become more involved.

And there are parishes where this happens - as well as the opportunities provided at Castlerigg Manor. These are places where young people are given time to reflect upon many aspects of their lives and because they feel they are respected and listened to, they grow in confidence, recognising their own special and unique qualities as individuals striving to become the people God wants them to be.

This, then, is the challenge for parents and our parishes. But how do we set about this?

Our purpose should be one dedicated to a 'Celebration of Faith', with our aim being to actively involve a far greater number of young people. We need to help them to discover the riches of the faith and come to a greater understanding and appreciation of God's love for them; then they will recognise the distinctiveness of their Christian vocation. They will be willing to bear witness to Christ in the world and, through service, lead others to Him. In this way, the encounter they have with Christ through prayer, scripture, the sacraments and the liturgy will be more meaningful and truly become a "celebration of faith".

First we have to be prepared to follow Christ's example and to welcome the less committed as well as the committed; to reach out to those who may be indifferent or have even become hostile to the Church. We also need to recognise the gifts and talents of our young people. We need to encourage their use in our parishes and wider communities.

Last month the Council of Priests agreed that everything possible will be done to develop and encourage local initiatives. The Responsibility to begin this important work will rest with each deanery or family of parishes. We also have to recognise that the Church's responsibility towards our young people has to rest with the parents, the whole parish community and not just one or two individuals. If our ministry to young people is to succeed, then those who do work with them will need our full support. They will also need to have access to training as they strive to become more confident in working alongside young people. We also need to seek the involvement of our Catholic schools with this.

In order that there is a sense of common purpose, the diocese will be requiring each deanery, or family of parishes, to form a Deanery Council. This will include young people and a priest or deacon from the locality. It is also our intention to appoint to the diocese a suitably qualified and experienced person. Their responsibilities will be to encourage local initiatives in support of the diocesan mission and to organize training as well as providing help and encouragement to the deaneries and families of parishes.

We do recognise that this mission also provides a real opportunity for chaplaincy for young people to be redefined in terms of purpose, scope, training and organization - especially its role in supporting our schools and colleges in their important work or serving our families and parish communities in the formation and education of our young people.

We recognise, and are grateful for, all the efforts of so many people throughout the diocese so far, but it is time for us to do more, and to put young people far higher on our list of priorities.

This new impetus for work with young people arises from a need as well as a desire to reach out to them. It will be one of the greatest challenges we have taken on in recent years and we have to understand that it will make demands on all of us. We intend to get underway in January 2004.

Your prayers are needed. But we also have to be courageous and take encouragement from the words of Pope John Paul II who, in the apostolic letter, "Novo Millennio Ineunte" invited us "to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence". The Pope went on to say that the new Millennium "is opening up before the Church like a vast ocean upon which we shall venture, relying on the help of Christ". He concludes the letter by reiterating the same theme - we are "to go forward in hope".

In the Pope's own words, we have to dare "to put out into the deep", thus responding to the call of Jesus.

Finally, to the young people present who are listening to this message, I say that you are important. God loves you and the Church loves you. You are precious to us and together we are God's family. We get great support from our families, but of course sometimes things are not always perfect.

Yes, there are also times when it is hard to be a follower of Jesus, especially when things are difficult for us, perhaps because our friends are not here, or when the values of the gospel we believe in collide with those of people around us. Trust in God; be happy, knowing that you are loved by Him, and that he wants all people to experience that love. You have a unique mission in life now, one that is entrusted only to you and not to anyone else. You are not the ' Church of Tomorrow', you are the 'Church of Today' and you have an important place in this Church. Value your relationship with Christ and your faith in him. Celebrate that faith and live it, both in the world and at the heart of this community gathered here today.

May we all continue to pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit in our immensely important work with and for young people.

Patrick O'Donoghue
Bishop of Lancaster

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