Day Seventeen: County Meath
Sunday 17 May
The annual VOX magazine Finding Faith Tour looks very different this year. Instead of a 7-day road trip around the island, this year VOX editor Ruth Garvey-Williams brings you highlights from all 32 counties (one per day plus one for each of the 31 days in May). Contact Ruth if you have a story to share.
Day Seventeen: Exploring Faith with Young People
A dynamic partnerships with Youth for Christ Ireland has enabled Dunshaughlin and Culmullen Parish in County Meath to develop a “Rock Solid” programme to help young people explore their Christian faith and grow deeper with God.
We caught up with the parish Youth and Family Pastoral Worker, Jenny Leonard to find out more.
“After studying theology and philosophy, I went into social work and then worked with Foroige for nine years. Doing youth work, I found that the spiritual piece was missing and that was what young people were asking for. So four years ago I began talking with the priest in our parish here and my role developed. We set up ARK (which stands for Awareness, Relationship and Kerygma) to teach the good news to young people and invite them to explore their faith in a safe place”
With only one other volunteer locally, Jenny was aware she needed extra support. She reached out to Youth for Christ and ran a Confirmation Retreat alongside a YFC team last autumn for 70 young people.
“It is really important to journey with the kids when they are in sixth class to think about what they believe and give them a chance to discuss it in small groups. Youth For Christ helped us with the programme for the retreat and also encouraged us as leaders to contribute. We were modelling coming together from different denominations and the young people could see the this is bigger than us and it is authentic.”
Jenny considers it an incredible privilege to work with young people, to walk alongside them as they learn about Jesus and to watch them blossom in their faith. “We use Scripture and help them to see that the Bible is not something distant but it can speak into their lives today. After the retreat, it was so lovely to see the 6th class coming back and sharing their experience with the younger kids. ”
“For me the greatest joy of my life has been knowing God.”
The young people in Dunshaughlin and Culmullen Parish made their confirmation just before lockdown but since then, Jenny and other local volunteers have been able to re-connect and encourage some of them using a brand new YFC online resource called Rock Solid TV.
“It was wonderful to spend time virtually with a group of young people and remind them that God is always there for them. It was really moving to hear them share how they were doing and what they miss,” Jenny said.
