Lourdes Youth Teams

The Lourdes Youth Teams exist to lead young people in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton to an encounter with Jesus and to help them discover the joy of following him through building community, serving others, nurturing a relationship with Jesus in prayer and the Sacraments, exploring the journey of discipleship and connecting with the local Church in our Diocesan parishes. Build – We seek to lead young people to encounter the living God through creating a nurturing and loving community characterised by joy and friendship where each young person is welcomed and can come to know that they are loved and cherished by God. Serve – We seek to lead young people to encounter Jesus in our pilgrimage and parish families by providing opportunities to serve others, especially those in most need, through various activities of prayer and service experienced in Lourdes and the Diocese. As a group of young pilgrims, we also seek to build friendships through being attentive to one another and serving each other throughout the year, and especially during our week in Lourdes.

Pray – Through the Lourdes experience we seek to lead young people to discover the joy of encountering Jesus by providing pathways into prayer and active participation in the Sacramental life of the Church in Lourdes, their parish and in the Diocese. Explore – We seek to provide an open space where young pilgrims can explore their faith freely. Through ministry sessions which both evangelise and catechise we want to feed the faith of our young people and introduce them to the beauty and joy of the journey of discipleship. Connect – We want to connect young people across the diocese and create a space where faith-based friendships can flourish. We desire to connect young people with the diocese and in particular their school and parish. We want the Lourdes youth experience to go beyond Lourdes and to overflow into a life of discipleship and greater involvement in the life of the Church. “When God touches the heart of a young man or woman they become capable of tremendous things” His Holiness Pope Francis Message for the 32nd World Youth Day, Vatican 27 February 2017

Children’s Liturgy Young people under the age of 7, Years 1 – 2 at Primary School. Orange Shirts Young people aged between 7 and 10, Years 3 – 5 at Primary School. Green Shirts Young people aged between 11 and 14, Year 6 at Primary School and Years 7 – 9 at Secondary School. Redshirts Year 10/11) Young people aged between 15 and 16, Years 10 and 11 at Secondary School. Redshirt (Young Helper) Young people who are 17 years of age in Year 12 at Secondary School. Encounter Young people aged 17 by 31 August following the pilgrimage, up to age 35. During the week for the Family Group, there is a dedicated children’s Reconciliation Service and Children’s Liturgy for most of the Masses. The Family Group also has activities for two other groups of children: the Orange Shirts and the Green Shirts. These two groups have some separate activities organised for them during the Pilgrimage. The Redshirt (Year 10/11) Experience is to be viewed as a two-year programme, with the first year being an opportunity for deepening the experience of prayer and encountering the initial kerygma (1) of the Gospel. This experience of growing in relationship with the person of Christ can then pave the way for more specific formation in the second year of the Redshirt Experience. The Redshirt (Young Helper) Experience gives our 17-year-old pilgrims the opportunity to experience what it means to help someone less able than themselves enjoy the experience of pilgrimage in Lourdes. They serve each day in the hotels where our Assisted Pilgrims stay, and in the evening, their chaplaincy team puts the days toils in perspective and help our young helpers put their daily experience in context in relation to their journey of faith. The Encounter Experience in Lourdes, is offered particularly to the young people caring for Assisted Pilgrims, is a continuation of the Encounter Programme of the Diocese and also an introduction to that programme for those who have not yet experienced it.