Justice and Peace groups are not just the preserve of adult parishioners. That is the lesson from the young people of the twin parishes of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton, and St Mary’s, Woolton, where a Justice and Peace Youth Group has been thriving for nine years now.
The group is made up of around 40 youngsters, aged between nine and 18, who meet up twice a month to learn, pray and play together. And their shared goal, according to longstanding member Harriet Paes, is “to make a difference based on our Christian values”.
The group was formed after Father Tim Buckley, the parish priest, organised an ‘Awakening Day’ to bring out the gifts and talents of parishioners and boost the number of activities taking place. According to Harriet, “members usually join after they have made their First Holy Communion and reluctantly leave when they go to university!”
Explaining more, she adds: “We invite different charities to come to talk to us and then we try to help. Last autumn, for example, we had a talk from SHARe Knowsley about the difficulties faced by refugees. We then began collecting trainers to give them, to keep their feet warm now that they’ve come to our colder climate.
“Meanwhile, Anna Houghton came in to tell us about Mary’s Meals, and we led a project to get our parishioners to save £19.15 over a fortnight, as this is the amount of money it takes to feed a child at school in a developing country for a whole year. We spoke at several Masses about this, and our parishioners were very generous!”
Other groups they have shared activities with include the SVP, CAFOD, the RSPB, Nugent Care and St Paul’s Eye Hospital. And there have been learning opportunities too, such as when the group attended a session on resuscitation and emergency first aid given by doctors at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
Harriet continues: “We have also held Youth Masses for a number of years now on Youth Sunday, and we organise table sales and have sponsored walks to raise money for different charities.
“In addition, we sing and play instruments at a local old people’s home and collect items for a foodbank. We pray together too, and spend time meditating and reflecting on the teachings of Jesus and the lives of the Saints. But it’s not all hard work! We go bowling and have games nights as well.”
To join the Justice and Peace Youth Group at BishopEton/St Mary’s, or seek advice on setting up your own group, pleasecontact semoorhead@hotmail.com.
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