By Helen Jones, Pastoral Associate

 

The lights of St Wilfrid’s Parish, Garston shone brightly on a dull Saturday in November as young people gathered at Carmel Monastery, Maryton for their first ever Youth Ministry retreat day.  

 

St Wilfrid’s is blessed with a host of musicians, altar servers and readers amongst others. 21 of them ranging from Year 4 to Year 12 experienced a day exploring gifts and talents.  The Avengers may seem like an unlikely focus for spirituality, but each ‘superpower’ that these superheroes displayed inspired the young people to create their own superheroes from their own gifts and talents: music, sport, entertaining, dance, singing, reading, baking, drawing, running…. the list went on.

 

Concluding with spiritual moments in the chapel, the youth ministers reflected on using their gifts and talents in love for the greater good of their parish.  They appreciated being able to come together in a different environment, getting to know each another and praying with one another.

 

Father Joe Kendall said: ‘The future of our parish is in safe hands.  Having seen how our youth come together like this is inspiring for all of us’.

 

Yasmin Maassarani and Jo Wallace led the day and Sr Patricia and the sisters at Maryton offered encouragement and the generous use of their monastery.

 

St Wilfrid’s Youth is indeed ‘Called and Gifted by God’ and their lights truly shone at Carmel, brightening a gloomy day with the light of their lives.