Do you have young people and youth leaders in your communities doing amazing things? Do you think that they deserve some recognition, encouragement and even an award for all they are doing? Then consider nominating them for the Celebrating Young People Award!

The awards see hundreds of young people nominated in six categories, each celebrating a different aspect of Catholic Social Teaching lived out in social action. One young person will also receive the Pope Francis Award, presented by Cardinal Vincent Nichols. 
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​If you think about your young people for just a moment, I am sure you can identify many who we should celebrate. Previous award recipients include young careers, climate change activists, a student challenging bullying and a mental health campaigner.     It is quick and easy to nominate (and there are lots of resources online)-visit https://millionminutes.org/awards.  

Deadline for nominations is 24 May 2019.   

This July there is a fab opportunity to immerse ourselves in St Pope John Paul II's writings, Theology of the Body. Helping us understand what it is to be human and exploring what life giving relationships look like. 

This retreat is a collaboration between the Shrine and Dumb Ox Ministries, an American based ministry specialising in sharing the teaching of Theology of the Body. 

The retreat is taking place from Saturday July 6th - Thursday July 11th 2019 and the total cost is £400. (£350 early bird prices available until May 3rd) It is open to all young people aged 18-35 and will take place at the Shrine in Walsingham. 

The organisers say, "At ECHO, we will immerse ourselves in, unpack, and explore the themes of prayer, our identity, and our mission to love. We are all created to be in personal relationship with God, and each of us are created as a unique, unrepeatable man or woman with a vocation to love like God. At ECHO, we probe into questions like: What does it mean to be a man or woman? What does it mean to be a son/daughter, brother/sister, husband/wife, father/mother? What does it mean to really love like GOD? What does it mean to have authentic, pure, life-giving relationships? How can being single, dating, religious life, marriage become a life-giving experience? And...so much more!"

For more information or to book your place check out the website here!

One of the biggest gatherings of our Diocesan family each year, is the annual Pilgrimage to the Marian shrine at Hednesford in Staffordshire. This year is it's 50th anniversary and it promises to be a great day!
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On Sunday 7th July, older and younger people from across the Archdiocese are openly invited to come and celebrate the day. The day starts at 12.00 Midday and ends with Mass at 4.00pm.

It is especially a great opportunity to catch up with the friends that you may have travelled to Lourdes with in the past

Staffordshire schools are also gathering for a Vigil and overnight stay from the Saturday. For more details contact David.

There are always so many great events for young people, both in our Diocese and beyond. Here at BCYS we think it is really important to look back, to share the memories and fun that we had and to see how we have grown closer to Christ. On this page you will find links to the latest events, with photos, footage, feedback and thoughts on what we did. You can read about Fearless, Flame and Mission @ Home.

A couple of weeks ago 84 Young People and Young Leaders had a Fearless adventure at Alton Castle. The weekend started with various activities that explored Fearless heroes from the Old Testament, (teams faced ‘The Lion’s Den’, took down a giant with a giant slingshot, and stepped out in faith on the blind obstacle course. On Saturday morning Young People conquered their fears on various outdoor activities whilst the Young Leaders completed leadership masterclasses, learning practical skills to equip them to lead.  One afternoon of adventure later, the group celebrated Mass together, before taking a fear-conquering tour through the history of Alton and finishing the day in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Young people reported being refreshed in their faith and described encountering God in a new way. One young man who was undecided about whether to be Confirmed came out of the church that night, determined to prepare for Confirmation.
 
On Sunday there was time for more outdoor adventure before a look back at the weekend with the help of our drone! Video highlights of the weekend will be released very shortly. Stay tuned to our social media accounts to catch it!

Mission Team

Have you ever thought about taking a gap year on the Mission Team at Alton Castle and Soli Centre for Youth Ministry? If you don't like the sound of

• A life-changing year working with 1000s of young people of different ages
• The opportunity to experience outdoor adventure and gain nationally recognised qualifications
• Growing as a disciple in a community of young adults
• Spending a year in the breath-taking scenery of the Churnet Valley (did we mention that there's a Castle?)
• Gaining confidence, skills and experience that will boost your CV or personal statement (Being on the Mission Team might be the first step towards a full time role in Youth Ministry. But it doesn't have to be. Previous team members have gone on to be teachers, doctors, nurses, accountants, lawyers, designers, professional musicians, pharmacists, and there's even a museum curator!

then it's probably not for you. And you probably won't want to click here for more information. 

Three Lay Chaplain's posts are being advertised in schools in the Diocese at the moment: Blessed William Howard in Stafford, St. John Fisher in Newcastle under Lyme and St. Thomas More in Nuneaton.

Click on the adverts below to go through to the post on the schools' own websites.

Happy Ss. Cyril and Methodius day! Erm, isn’t this a post about St. Valentine? Well, it is, but we’ve got to begin by saying that it’s not actually St. Valentine’s feast day today! What? Wait a minute!  Is this one of those weird Mandela Effect things?!
 
Well no. You see, we used to celebrate St. Valentine’s day on the 14th February, before the Second Vatican Council.
 
But we don’t know a great deal about St. Valentine, which is perhaps why the feast became a local, rather than a universal, feast. In fact there are not one, but two, third Century and martyrs called Valentine: Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni. Both of these early saints were buried on the Via Flaminia in Rome. To make things more confusing, there is a third Valentine, martyred somewhere in Africa, who is mentioned in some texts, and he is also remembered on the 14th February!
 
And we can’t be sure about much more than that! The stories that later were later passed down about the Valentines depict brave men who challenged the hegemony of the pagan Roman Empire in order to tell people about Jesus.
 
There are lots of churches dedicated to St. Valentine, and lots of places that venerate relics of St. Valentine.
 
But did you know that one of those places is the Birmingham Oratory?!
 
When Blessed John Henry Newman founded the Oratory, the Pope gave Newman the remains of St. Valentine. Blessed John Henry Newman had some difficulty getting the relics through customs. Officials in Verona thought he should pay a duty! They recorded the remains as ‘a mummy’ and they are now enshrined at a side altar near the pulpit in the Oratory. The pope, Blessed Pius IX, also gave permission for the Oratory to celebrate St. Valentine’s feast on 21st February.
 
So folks, wish your loved ones a happy Ss. Cryil and Methodius Day today: You’ve actually got until this time next week to get a St. Valentine’s Day card. And why not take a moment to remember the real meaning of St. Valentine’s day? Although we know very little about those early martyrs, they gave their lives to tell the world of a love divine, all loves excelling.
 

The Fearless weekend retreat is running at Alton Castle from the 22nd-24th March 2019 and promises to be filled with adventure, adrenaline, times of prayer, worship and an opportunity to enter into the sacraments. 

As always this retreat is open to all young people in Years 5 through to Year 9 however this year, Fearless will include a stream for Young Leaders in Years 10 through to 13.
The young leaders stream will have their own accommodation in Soli Centre for Youth Ministry and will take part in sessions tailored just for them: designed to engage inspire and build up their ability to lead and share the faith.

Experience a weekend at Alton Castle like no other. Cost: £75pp. Email Stephen for more info, or download a booking form here and book your place today.