Mags Gargan
Across the country, participants at this year’s World Youth Day (WYD) have reunited to celebrate Christmas together with lively, youth-centred liturgies.
About 500 people attended a youth Mass in St Michael’s Church, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, organised by Clogher Don Oige, the diocesan youth ministry group.
”Following an evaluation after WYD, the young pilgrims wanted a number of things including regular liturgies that spoke to them — they wanted upbeat and uptempo music, youth orientated atmosphere and a homily that spoke directly to them as young people,” said Matthew McFadden, youth director.
”The youth Mass was a huge success and the amazing thing for me was to see Facebook buzzing within an hour of the Mass.”
Youth 2000 also welcomed around 500 young people to their annual Christmas retreat in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, with Monsignor John Armitage as the main speaker.
”When you see events like this one or the Youth 2000 Summer Festival in Clonmacnois or WYD, you see that the Church is very much alive and that young people are very much involved in their Church,” said one participant, Sarah Ryan (24).