Rocketing into CYPR 25/26 following this year’s Launch
Reflection written by Bernie Goddard, Engagement Officer for Million Minutes
This year we have been overwhelmed by the response and sign-ups for Celebrating Young People: Revival 25/26 so far. Since we launched this year's fully resourced program at our launch event back in June, everything has fallen into place, bringing a varied and exciting mix of almost 40 schools, parishes, and youth groups from 16 dioceses nationally.
We are excited to be working with over 4000 young people and amplifying their voices not only in our work but with many other organisations who have contributed to this year's program. This is also an opportunity for young people to learn about how organisations such as Pax Christi, Young Christian Workers, CARJ (Catholic Association for Racial Justice), Caritas Salford, Common Good School, FCJ Centre for Spirituality and Eco Justice and many more live out Catholic Social Teaching in their work.
The opportunity to work with so many young people this year means that we will be able to have a broad outlook on what young people around the UK are thinking and feeling about the communities where they live and go to school and the parish communities they are part of, as well as the wider world and Church. This information is important not only for Million Minutes and our work but also for the organisations we work with and for young people themselves. These voices inspire change; they are a call to action and give us the knowledge and understanding needed to stand in solidarity with young people nationally. Celebrating Young People: Revival is about creating a culture of listening, giving reason to why and how we can live out Catholic Social teaching, praying and discerning how we are called to respond, being inspired to act, acting through faith and through dialogue with others, and finally celebrating the amazing things young people offer our world and Church.
We look forward sharing updates from our 25/26 cohort and invite you to join us in supporting and celebrating these inspiring young people.
How to run siLENT in your parish
This year Lent looks a little different, but that doesn’t stop us connecting with our parishioners online. Here are four things you can do to share Million Minutes siLENT in your parish today.
1. Place a notice in the parish newsletter
Place a notice about siLENT in the parish newsletter for two or three weeks in a row, to make sure that parishioners who miss looking at the newsletter one week might see it the next week.
Download our Parish Appeal pack
2. Mention siLENT during Online Mass
Ask your priest to mention siLENT during Masses on the weekends of 27/28 February and 6/7 March, so that more people might hear about it and to remind parishioners that they can give online.
3. Post our stories of change story on social media
Ask your parish Facebook administrator to place posts on your Facebook page to let people know about Shanea’s story, and invite parishioners to give to the Lent appeal, using these special parish resources on our website.
Explore our siLENT resources for Lent
4. Share the siLENT video
Ask if Million Minutes 10 years of deafening silence video could be placed on your parish website and on the Facebook page. If your parish livestreams Mass you could also ask if the Million Minutes video can be played at the end of Mass or a donation link placed on the stream platform.
To find out how you as a Parish can get involved in siLENT today visit: https://millionminutes.org/silent
Contact our Engagement Officer Kate if you have any questions.