Mags GarganEmma Sisk describes her experience of a Youth 2000 festival in Britain
It’s a long way to Tipperary, as the song goes, but I’ve discovered it’s an even longer way to Walsingham where I spent five days this summer at a Catholic youth festival at the national shrine of Our Lady in Norfolk.
The theme of the festival was ‘The Journey’, inspired by the journey in Exodus (although, after a 7½ hour bus ride from Cardiff, I felt like I had completed the journey before the retreat had even begun!).
It was my first time attending a Youth 2000 UK event. I used to go to retreats organised by Youth 2000 Ireland until I emigrated last year.
I had heard great things about the Walsingham festival through my friends at home, and I knew I had to go this year.
One of the things I have really struggled with since I moved to Wales is thinking and feeling like I am the only young Catholic in Cardiff. I have felt very isolated in terms of my faith, but the festival was a reminder for me that I am certainly not on this journey alone.
I don’t know exactly how many people were there, but I would estimate that well over 1,000 people aged between 16 and 35 attended the festival over the weekend.
In fact, so many young people attended over the five days that all of the Eucharist was consumed by the end of the final Mass.
Thanksgiving
During a time of thanksgiving, we were asked to think about how we felt when we arrived in Walsingham and how we felt as we were about to leave. I felt completely different; my attitude towards my faith had changed. I no longer felt like my relationship with Christ needed to be kept a secret.
I was reminded of how great the gift of faith is, and how it is something to be cherished. Through my own fault, I had forgotten this over the past year.
It’s not easy being Catholic nowadays. We’re told that it’s outdated and strange, and I personally fear people will think differently about me if they find out. Before I started going to Youth 2000 events, I thought the same. I never knew it could be fun to be Catholic.
I know Mass for many young people is “boring”. For many years it was for me, too, but that was because I didn’t understand it.
I learned something from every talk and workshop I went to in Walsingham. I didn’t have a favourite talk, but one really moved me that was given by Robert and Amanda Toone, and continued the next day by Ernest Williams.
They co-founded Youth 2000 after they all met in Medjugorje in 1989. I was in awe listening to them speaking with such humility as they recounted how God worked through them to found Youth 2000.
Twenty-five years later, it has spread across the globe and reached every continent and changed many hearts through its mission. I realised that God has given all of us a mission while we are here on earth. He has so much he wants to do through us.
But that involves taking a risk. It involves putting ourselves out there. It involves stepping out and trusting that he will guide us. It requires having a heart that is open and the courage to say ‘yes’. All of this is easier said than done, I can assure you.
John Pridmore gave a talk before the reconciliation service on Saturday night. He said that he had broken practically all of the Ten Commandments and his talk about God’s love for us and his mercy was powerful stuff.
He spoke about how our weakness can become God’s glory, for it is often in weakness that God is glorified. That is something I find hard to get my head around.
John said something else during his talk that I really liked (and not just because it rhymes). Speaking about the sacrament of confession, he said Our Lord was calling us to “come back to him with all your heart, don’t let sin keep you apart” (the hymn Hosea has similar lyrics).
Remember, God is a judge who is much more merciful to us than we are to ourselves.
Shrine
On Saturday morning, everyone walked a mile from our campsite to the grounds of the original shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. The walk was one of the standout moments for me, because it wasn’t just me.
Hundreds of us walked the mile-long country road praying the rosary – and it felt so normal. I drew such strength from those who surrounded me.
I made friends with people from all walks of life during my time at the festival and I am so thankful for their words of support, encouragement and shared experiences.
I would encourage anyone who this thinking about going to a Youth 2000 retreat to take the risk. It’s something you will never regret.
*Emma Sisk (24) is from Tipperary but living in Cardiff. She has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for Youth 2000 at www.gofundme.com/dp1kls