Catholic Youth Services

Ella and James Preece are a Catholic couple living in Kingston Upon Hull in Yorkshire in the UK. This is our blog.

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Blogged by James Preece on 18th November 2008

Wherefore art thou?

Being an agency of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of England and Wales is a pretty big deal. CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) have a big office in London, employ quite a few people and have a definite presence in every Catholic school. CASE (Catholic Agency in Support of Evangelisation) have only been going a couple of years but they already run three web sites and are churning out resources all over the place.

Catholic Youth Services, therefore, is pretty important. They have certainly hindered my life in youth work on many occasions - many times when I have disagreed with something our Youth Office has done, they have come back with "we are following the guidance from Catholic Youth Services".

Imagine my surprise then, when I read this...

Following the closure of the Catholic Youth Services earlier this year, the Bishops of England and Wales have instructed that research is to be carried out to determine the current provision for youth ministry within the Dioceses, and directions for further development. This work will be carried out by an Interim Youth Ministry Co-ordinator under the supervision of Bishop Kieran Conry, within the Bishops' Department of Evangelisation and Catechesis.

[link]

Does anybody else recall the closure of the Catholic Youth Services earlier this year because I didn't. Did they run out of money? Were they closed down for being a big pile of pap? What happened? It's a mystery. Agencies of the Bishop's Conference don't just disapear.

I always said that you could close down Catholic Youth Services and nobody would notice, turns out it's true. Somehow, this year's National Youth Sunday got organised anyway. According to the Reclaimthefuture.org website it was a joint effort by the livesimply network and the youth ministry community in England and Wales.

It raises serious questions for our own Diocesan Youth Service - what exactly are they for?

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Reader Comments

Ttony said...

This work will be carried out by an Interim Youth Ministry Co-ordinator under the supervision of Bishop Kieran Conry, within the Bishops' Department of Evangelisation and Catechesis.

You don't think that there is an outside possibility that what comes might be worse?

Blobby said...

Silly me. I thought CAFOD had taken over the Catholic youth service.

antonia said...

heya! just been catching up on blogs; you're pregnant!!!! yey! congrats!!

xxxx

Joe said...

My observations on this are here: http://rccommentary2.blogspot.com/2008/11/lets-do-some-research.html

Chris said...

Please would you take a look at the following and promote it using your blog and contacts www.invocation.org.uk

Tess said...

I have just realised that the cathothlic youth service website no longer exists and found your site through google...

Fiona Anderson said...

Just found this site, very interesting! As a parent and teacher in Lincolnshire I am at a loss how to get through to the powers that be the dire situation of young Catholics in particular in rural communities, the closure on one Catholic Secondary school and merging (with a non-church school) of another in Lincolnshire further alienates and undermines the Catholic community in our neck of the woods. Feels like the barriers are being drawn up!

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O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon England thy "Dowry" and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee.

By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more.

Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the cross.

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Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee, in our heavenly home.

Amen.

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Grant that by thy mercy, neither of us may ever say one unkind word to the other. Forgive and correct our faults, and make us constantly to forgive one another should one of us unconsciously hurt the other.

Make us and keep us sound and well in body, alert in mind, tender in heart, and devout in spirit. O Lord, grant us each to rise to the other's best. Then, we pray thee, add to our common life such virtues as only thou canst give.

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Amen.

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