The young person had to be somebody that when it was all over, could return to his or her parish and ‘tell the story’ of want they had experienced.
This we did, and the response was brilliant – over two thirds of all parishes were able to name a young person, and the planning began.
Not satisfied with taking a group of 220 young people, plus leaders, to London, we decided that as the Mass of Beatification of Cardinal Newman was to take place in our Diocese, we would include that in our itinerary.
Not satisfied with taking a group of 220 young people, plus leaders, to London, we decided that as the Mass of Beatification of Cardinal Newman was to take place in our Diocese, we would include that in our itineraryIn early September each Area Youth Officer organised preparation events in the six pastoral areas of the Archdiocese. These enabled the groups of young people to get to know each other, to learn a little bit more about the Pope, and about Newman, as well as finding out all the practical arrangements, and asking their own questions; such as, where will we sleep, when do we eat? Both very good questions!
As well as young people representing their parishes, we were also asked to nominate twenty young people that would form part of a procession, to be included in a vigil of prayer at Hyde Park. For these young people, we turned to the two Catholic Retreat centres in our Diocese, Alton Castle & Soli House. These young people would also be involved in the preparation meetings, and travel with us to Cofton Park for the Papal Mass.
Friday 17th September
All our young people and those adults that would accompany them joined one of the five coaches chartered by BCYS for the whole weekend. There was a mixture of emotions; excitement, anticipation, apprehension.
During the coach journey to London, the Pilgrim Packs, wristbands etc were given out. We were also able to give out a navy blue T-shirt, with the Papal Visit logo on the front, and the name of our Archdiocese on the back. These would later on form a mosaic of different colour when we gathered outside Westminster Cathedral.
We arrived at St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre in Hendon, where we were due to spend the night. Here all 240 of us were allocated our strip of floor to roll out our sleeping bags for the night. Prior to that we all collected our food that would be tomorrow’s breakfast – there wouldn’t be time in the morning – and joined together in the chapel for night prayer.
The group from the Oxfordshire Area led our prayer, with several young people reading personal reflections on the Mysteries of Light, and leading the praying of the Rosary. We finally got to bed at around 1.30am.
Saturday 18th September
An early wake up call – 5.00am!
After the inevitable queues for the loos and sinks (the last chance for a proper wash), there was a staggered departure on foot to the local tube station. 240 people hitting Hendon station in one go just wouldn’t have been sensible.
We all gathered at Vauxhall station and processed together through the streets of Central London to Westminster Cathedral. There was an eerie quietness in the streets as the anticipation grew. About half a mile before the Cathedral, we could hear the helicopters hovering above, and then in a very surreal moment, the car carrying the Pope drove straight passed us.
As we queued to go through the strict security into the Piazza, we all began to feel part of a much larger group, a community of faith, united by one common goal. The TV cameras, the large screens – even Ann Widdecombe giving autographs!
Although the doors to the Cathedral were closed, we very much felt part of the Mass, and the young people were excellent in their responses, their prayer and their singing, and at the appropriate time, Holy Communion was brought to all of us.
At 12-noon the doors to the Cathedral were opened, and people began to gather on the steps, one representative from each diocese and youth organisation. Our Diocese was represented by Nathalie Tchanga.
The Bishops & clergy joined the people on the steps, followed closely by His Holiness, who arrived to chanting, singing, flags waving, and the flash of cameras.
The Pope was greeted by a young man from a parish in East London, called Pascale Uche. A remarkable young man, whose welcome and sentiments echoed those of all of us: ‘until now you were a face on the telly….but now we behold you face to face’. He went on to describe the Church as a ‘truly living Church’ with ‘opportunities for young people to encounter and share the love of Christ’.
The Pope then addressed the young people gathered, ‘I ask each of you, first and foremost, to look into your own heart. Think of all the love that your heart was made to receive, and all the love it is meant to give. After all, we were made for love... I ask you to look into your hearts each day to find the source of all true love. Jesus is always there, quietly waiting for us to be still with him and to hear his voice. Deep within your heart, he is calling you to spend time with him in prayer.’
The Pope seemed genuinely to enjoy his time with the young people, and his time in the Piazza ran over schedule.
From Westminster we processed through the streets to Hyde Park, passing Buckingham Palace, where the traffic was halted for us, and the tourists took pictures of us, as if we were an attraction.
In Hyde Park, all the young people ate lunch together, and one by one, each Diocese was ushered into the ‘golden circle’, which was the seating area immediately in front of the main stage area. We were all very privileged to have such good vantage points.
During the afternoon, co-hosted by Carol Vorderman, we were entertained by dancers & singers, including a special needs drama group and ‘The Priests’.
There were also testimonies from people who had for example, turned their lives around with the help of the Catholic community. Most moving of all, was when the parents and brothers of Jimmy Mizzen told us about how their teenage son had been murdered in a bakers shop in London. They spoke of how the local Church rallied around to support them, but also how they had forgiven the perpetrators of this horrendous crime. Truly humbling.
Just after 6.00pm, the large screens showed the Popemobile leaving central London and moving towards Hyde Park. Once again the anticipation built. This time not 2500 people but in excess of 60,000. As the vehicle drove within touching distance of us, there was surge of young people, clamouring to get close, and to take their photos.
From Westminster we processed through the streets to Hyde Park, passing Buckingham Palace, where the traffic was halted for us, and the tourists took pictures of us, as if we were an attractionEarlier in the visit, during his address at St Mary’s Twickenham, the Pope told the young people, ‘We live in a celebrity culture, and young people are often encouraged to model themselves on figures from the world of sport or entertainment’ Now Pope Benedict himself was the celebrity the young people felt drawn to.
After leading us in prayer the Pope addressed the crowds, and drew on the words of Newman - ‘Dear young friends: only Jesus knows what ‘definite service’ he has in mind for you. Be open to his voice resounding in the depths of your heart: even now his heart is speaking to your heart: ... Ask our Lord what he has in mind for you! Ask him for the generosity to say ‘yes!’ Do not be afraid to give yourself totally to Jesus. He will give you the grace you need to fulfil your vocation.’
During the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the whole crowd fell quiet. The screen focused solely on the monstrance, and the power of the silence was palpable – enough to bring anybody to tears, again!
After the final blessing we got together into small groups and made our way back to Hendon, where we boarded the coaches for Birmingham and possibly a final opportunity to sleep. Jess from Staffordshire said, ‘…the events on Saturday, in particular the Vigil Service, gave me an overwhelming sense that our faith amongst my age is strong and truly alive’.
Sunday 19th September
After the overnight journey, we arrived in Birmingham, at Our Lady & St Brigid’s, Northfield. Here we were overwhelmed by the generosity of the parishioners, who stayed up late into the night to provide us with soup and hot drinks. We gathered in the church for our night prayer, led this time by the young people from the Coventry area. We then re-joined our coaches and travelled the short distance to Cofton Park for Mass.
We must record our enormous thanks to Fr Jan, Suzanne and all the other parishioners for their kindness.
Arriving at Cofton Park at 3.15am, we were among the first, we laid out our distinctive orange ‘survival bags’ and groundsheets and settled down for the night.
In the words of Tim from the Birmingham area, ‘all you could see around you was an array of stalls for food, footpaths and television screens … we were led to a prime position right at the very front, just behind the seated areas, where we would be able to catch some shuteye and where we would be able to see everything later on in the day…the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic, everyone was here for a common purpose and everyone was willing to help each other, there was a group of ladies behind us who even offered us their umbrellas when it was raining!’
And Ruby from Stoke continues: ‘We were woken up at half past six by the choir singing, and suddenly there were thousands of people there even though the park was virtually empty when we arrived. Even though we were tired and cold, the Mass at Cofton Park was the reason that the Pope came to England, so it was very special to be there. Being with so many Catholics all weekend was so different than anything I’ve done before. So many of us feel the need to hide our faith at times, and this weekend meant that we could all be proud that we are Catholic.’
At 8.00am Boyce & Stanley led the Radio 4 Sunday Worship, and all the young people began to sing along to songs they were very familiar with. They were all fully awake by now!
As the time for Mass got closer the leaden skies buzzed with the sound of helicopters, and our attention again turned to the large screens as the cameras followed the Pope’s arrival and subsequent drive through the Park to the altar. Miraculously, the skies lightened, and the sun even made an appearance.
The Mass of Beatification was very special for all of us, and the Pope reinforced the words of Newman that we had all referred to in our preparation days some weeks before, and as Christina from Stafford says, ‘His message about the importance of making time for moments of silence everyday in order to hear the voice of Jesus was particularly thought provoking, and it has encouraged me to consider my own personal relationship with my faith’.
What impact will the visit have on young people, and what happens next?
We were woken up at half past 6 by the choir singing, and suddenly there were thousands of people there even though the park was virtually empty when we arrivedStephanie from Bedworth says, ‘I will probably never get such an amazing chance again, and therefore it truly was a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget (I’m sure none of us will!) I have made some fantastic friends, met some fantastic people, and shared in the most amazing atmosphere and inspiring experiences and journeys of faith, and made a great journey in my own understanding of what God wants me to do also’.
Eugene from Burton goes on, ‘It was a momentous occasion and I feel privileged and honoured to be part of it. The Pope, through his visit to the UK gave us youth the inspiration to lead a strong Catholic faith, which seems to be something of the past in today’s society’.
Finally Mark from Birmingham says; ‘to actually be in the presence of the Pope when giving his sermons at both Westminster Cathedral and Cofton Park was amazing and so inspiring as a young Catholic. Also to meet with so many new people to show solidarity towards our faith and much needed support for Pope Benedict in such difficult times for the Church shows how much people respect their Catholic faith’.
If these comments, and many more, from young people, are anything to go by, then the future of the Church is in good hands, and referring back to Pascale at Westminster we are all part of a ‘truly living Church’.
We are now encouraging all the young people to meet up again in their own areas, to enjoy each other’s company, and to explore their faith through discussion and mutual support.
We are also asking young people to ‘tell the story’ in their parishes. Many will take this opportunity on National Youth Sunday (the Feast of Christ the King), when they will share the experiences and make known the good work of the Birmingham Catholic Youth Service. ■
