Sunday 15 March 2009

A young saint, a young Church, young people

Last Thursday's meeting about the visit of St Thérèse seemed to go well, and has no doubt helped to put the event 'on the radar' around the Diocese. One of the more memorable lines at the meeting was spoken by the Carmelite Fr Eugene McCaffrey, who was heavily involved in the visit of St Thérèse's relics to Ireland in 2001. He said, "Thérèse is a young saint. We must never forget that." With this in mind it is hoped that young people will play a big part in the visit of the relics to Lancaster in September; more details will be published over the coming months. In Sydney last summer at the World Youth Day Pope Benedict spoke of the Church's need of young people: "She needs your faith, your idealism and your generosity, so that she can always be young in the Spirit."

The Holy Father's words in Sydney perhaps echoed part of his homily at his inauguration nearly four years ago: "the Church is young. She holds within herself the future of the world and therefore shows each of us the way towards the future." The visit of St Thérèse will be an opportunity for the young people of our Diocese to show their faith. For those who can't wait that long, take a look at the Diocesan Youth Service website, which has details of events for young people. Their feature, 'Being a young Catholic', is a powerful reminder of the faith of young people in our Diocese.