North Shields Mercy Associates Visit To Emmaus Youth Village
On Monday July 15th our group travelled from North Shields to the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese Emmaus Youth Village in Allensford. The journey took about an hour and we left the busy traffic behind we travelled through glorious countryside and arrived in beautiful sunshine.
We joined with Youth Ministry Team to celebrate Mass in their newly opened chapel. Fr Charlie, on a visit to Sr Patricia, accompanied us and blessed us with a beautiful and intimate mass.
Afterwards the team joined us for coffee and gave a presentation on the journey, ethos and vision of the Youth Mission Team. Their aim is to bring young people into a personal relationship with Christ, fully into the life of the church and to develop a sense of their unique value. They offer a holistic experience through a strategy of school missions, follow up and residential retreats, local events and support for Parish Youth Ministry. The team has a core staff but equally important is their “Gap Year Team”, young people who willingly volunteer to give a year or more of their lives answering the call of the Second Vatican Council that the young should be “the first apostles of the young …….exercising the apostolate by themselves, among themselves.” (Decree of the Laity, 12)
Sr Patricia presented the team with a cheque for £250 raised at our strawberries and cream coffee morning. This will be used specifically for the formation of the team.
We were given lunch and then a tour of the grounds and accommodation before setting off home.
It was a privilege and a blessing being with these wonderful young people who are giving so much of their lives in the service of God and the young people of our diocese. We all agreed that it had been a truly grace filled day.
