Young people want more out of life than just a wild weekend, says bishop

Derry’s bishop, Donal McKeown, has set a new challenge to the youth across the island of Ireland to follow in the bare-footsteps of the young people he encountered on Lough Derg over the weekend who are leading the way for a National Youth Pilgrimage on the ancient place of Christian Pilgrimage.

Over the weekend a number of pilgrimage organisers made it possible for groups of people of all ages to travel together to Lough Derg from Derry and Elphin Diocese as well as other groups from Birmingham, England and a youth group from St Louis School, Ballymena.

A couple of months ago Bishop McKeown had the idea of a National Youth Pilgrimage to Lough Derg and has set the wheels in motion to make this a regular event in July every year from 2019. Commenting on the new initiative Bishop Donal said: “All I can say is, I’m going – come with me. That’s really what Jesus did, ‘come follow me’. All I can do is ask people to come do what I am doing – come with me to do something I’m not afraid to do myself.

“I think people are ready for a challenge in an excessively comfortable time we live in and I think we are looking for heroes nowadays who will be the prophetic voice, who will be fools for Christ’s sake.

“Right down the centuries fools for Christ’s sake have always drawn the attention towards God.”

The bishop stressed that Lough Derg provides a place for self-reflection and maturation, which can often be difficult to do in a society which is pushing opposing values.

“Young people are full of dreams and they want to do great things with their lives and so often culture tells them all you can expect is a wild weekend and a bit of a party or go to a fancy concert and then you forget about it.

“I think Lough Derg offers, not only an experience, but an opportunity to go into your own story, to be at peace with silence, to not be afraid of pushing the barriers out in terms of hunger, sleeplessness and bare feet and so on…it actually invites you into a space that helps you to mature rather than keep one infantile as so often the modern culture suggests you want to be,” the bishop said.

“Yet, I find young people like to do something big – they like to take on a challenge and particularly to do it along with other young people.”

He added that over the weekend young people supported one another and took the time to “chitter away with each other”, which was time they don’t very often have when they are living their everyday life at home.

For more information about Lough Derg’s three-day pilgrimage, see: https://www.loughderg.org/