Youth Event 26th October 2024 “Become Pilgrims of hope” Little Sisters of the Poor St Anne’s Home London.

To prepare for the Jubilee Year in Rome 2025 a group of 42 youth accepted the invitation to come to a special event prepared at St Anne’s home, to listen to the word of God and reflect on God’s gift of creation. Contemplating on the word “Pilgrimage and finding God in all things”.

The countries represented were Nigeria, India, China, Portugal, Spain, Malaysia, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Ghana, Ireland, Poland, England, Honk Kong, Pakistan, Cyprus and the Philippines, Ireland, Vietnam and Uganda. Three little Sisters participated at the event.

The red paper beacons of hope used during the entrance procession were made by a group of young people. Geraldine one of the youth leaders played music as the group entered the chapel.

Millie the youngest girl placed a big heart with the words “Become a Beacon of Hope” in front of the altar and a candle beside the heart as a symbol of prayer.

The youth from St Francis’s youth group in Kent formed the choir and Geraldine played the organ with great expression and harmony, during the communion one of the girls sang Panis Angelicus and Geraldine sang the descant, it was beautiful. Sister Mary Benedicta played the drums for the final hymn.

During the homily Father Kingsley encouraged the youth to pray the rosary during this month of October. He highlighted the importance of youth in our society; he wants us to walk with God in our daily lives. Life is full of distractions, which separates us from our religion and ruins our inner peace, which comes from Our Lord.

After Mass, everyone appreciated refreshments. When we arrived in the meeting hall, each person introduced himself or herself to the group. The event opened with the JUBILEE PRAYER of Pope Francis, which we recited together. Sister Mary Agnes gave a short introduction explaining, “What is the signification of a Jubilee Year, celebrated every 25 years in Rome”.

Hope and Patience makes us see clearly that the Christian life is a journey, calling for moments of greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as the constant companion that guides our steps towards the goal of our encounter with the Lord.

We separated into groups of five to explore Hope, Patience and Journey, we wrote on the board our findings, and the next question was “how can we seek greater intensity in our life”? “How do we encourage others”? “Do we sustain Hope as the constant companion that guides our steps”?

After the group work, we listened to the Jubilee hymn admiring pictures on the power point with words to enable meditation.

Various beautiful pictures were on display, everyone could take a picture home with them to remind them of the presence of God in nature.

I pm was time for lunch. The catering staff had prepared a hot meal and made scones and cakes for the afternoon. Some of the youth went to the garden to enjoy their lunch.

The youth visited the residents. We met at 2-30 pm and went into groups of five ready to walk to the nearby park. We had a sheet of paper “Nature in the bible” giving us short passages so that we could meditate on Scripture as we walked to the park. Each group recited a decade of the rosary during the walk. When we arrived at the park, we had time to admire nature, hear the birds singing and enjoy a game on the lawn. The activities were engaging and fun we relaxed together and made new friends. We did not forget to thank God for the gift of creation.

When we returned to St Anne’s we spent time in the chapel for a time of adoration and thanksgiving. We recited a final prayer together. We appreciated some refreshments before the group went on their pilgrimage home. There was a shared feeling of positivity and hope amongst us reflecting the theme of the day “Become Pilgrims of Hope”.