Youth 2000 Summer E-Festival Welcome Pack
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The Lord is my STRENGTH & my song. Psalm 118:6 YOUTH 2000 SUMMER E-FESTIVAL 14-16 AUGUST 2020 WELCOME PACK "Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium! Be contemplative, love prayer; be coherent with your faith and generous in the service of your brothers and sisters, be active members of the Church and builders of peace". Saint John Paul II Patron Saint of Youth 2000 NATIONAL LEADER It is with great joy that Youth 2000 Ireland brings you the Summer E-Festival 2020. This is the fruit of much hard work from our team of dedicated volunteers from around Ireland. In any other year we would be bringing you the Youth 2000 Summer Festival, over 1000 young people gathered in the midlands of Ireland to celebrate their Catholic faith and praise the Lord. However, in the unique situation the world finds itself in this year, we are delighted to bring you the Youth 2000 Summer E-Festival. We ask you to continue to pray for this wonderful and transformative mission as we create and host prayer groups and retreats for young people all across Ireland, and at a time when it is needed more than ever. Please contact us to donate and support this mission or to offer us your prayers, we love to hear from the people we serve across Ireland. Thank you for the last 30 years of grace. This year Youth 2000 celebrates its 30th birthday. There is no doubt that Youth 2000 has changed the pastoral and diocesan landscape of Ireland through its ministry this last 30 years, and by the grace of God will continue to do so for the next 30 years. Watch this space as we will be holding events and activities to celebrate our 30 years in ministry. We love you all very much and we hold each of you up in prayer every day. Please continue to pray for us and come support this amazing mission. Yours in Christ, Peter Sands YOUTH 2000 Youth 2000 is a Catholic youth organisation that organises lively faith festivals, retreats, prayer groups and other events for young people aged 16-35 across the island of Ireland. Our story is about one young man’s response to Pope John Paul II’s call in 1989 to change the world. At World Youth Day in 1989 Pope John Paul II said to the 400,000 young people who had gathered from around the world “It is up to you young people that the task first falls of bearing witness to the faith and bringing into the Third Millennium the Gospel of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life”. But to whom does the task fall to bring this message to those who are not at World Youth Day, who do not go to Mass on Sunday and who do not even know that God exists? This question led Ernest Williams to respond to this need by forming Youth 2000. Youth 2000 was formed because a young man responded to the greatest poverty of our times; a generation of young people living in the spiritual poverty of not knowing that they were created in the image and likeness of God. Immediately after World Youth Day in 1989, Ernest made a pilgrimage to Fatima. It was there during a period of prayer and reflection in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, the structure and format for what Youth 2000 was to do became clear. Through a rediscovery of Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Scriptures, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Devotion to Mary the Mother of God, and the Church’s teaching, young people would discover the unique calling that they had to live as Christians. Ernest began to gather young people together in prayer, and soon this initiative, known as Youth 2000, spread to more than 25 countries all over the world, changing the lives of thousands of young people. Youth 2000 commenced in Ireland in 1993. Youth 2000 is a spiritual initiative established to draw young people through Mary to a deep and lasting union with Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist, the “source and summit of the Christian life.” In short, it is a gateway that leads young people into the everyday life of the Church. Youth 2000 carries out its mission, based on the vision of St John Bosco in the following 3 ways, known as the 3 ‘pillars’ of Youth 2000: 1. Devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament 2. Devotion to Our Lady, particularly through the Rosary 3. Fidelity to the Teaching of the Church, including a deep love for Sacred Scripture. Our Lady of Guadalupe Saint Joseph Saint John Paul II Saint John Bosco FRIDAY 6.30pm Festival kick-off 7.00pm Talk One - Jesus in the Eucharist 8.00pm Holy Mass 9.00pm Adoration SATURDAY 10.00am Talk Two - Mary, Our Mother 11.00am Testimony 12.00pm Adoration 3.00pm Talk Three - Scripture 4.00pm Holy Mass 5.00pm Adoration 7.00pm Talk Four - Reconciliation & Healing 8.00pm Reconciliation & Healing service 9.00pm Adoration SUNDAY 1.00pm Testimony 2.00pm Talk Five - Living the Christian Life 3.15pm Holy Mass Morning Offering God, our Father, I offer you my day. I offer you my prayers, thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings in union with Your Son Jesus Christ, Who continues to offer Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit, Who guided Jesus, be my guide and my strength today so that I may witness to Your love. With Mary, the mother of our Lord and of the Church, I pray especially for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen Evening Review At the end of the day , I ask the Holy Spirit for light to see how the day went. -What gifts, graces and blessings have come my way? -Thank God for these gifts. -Is there anyone I want to remember to pray for today? Now, I take time to examine my conscience. -Did I hurt or break my relationship with God or others by intentionally doing something that I knew was wrong? -Did I avoid doing something I knew I should do? If so, make a heartfelt prayer of sorrow and express your desire that things would be made right between you and God, and anyone else you might have hurt by your sins. Then have a peaceful nights sleep! Youth 2000 Dedication Prayer O Immaculate Heart of Mary, My mother and my queen. I thank you from my heart, for all the blessings and graces you have given me. I love you with all of my heart and I promise to serve you always and to make you loved by all. I place my entire life, with its many cares, anxieties, joys and hopes in the tender arms of your maternal love, knowing that you will always guide and protect me. Inflame my heart with a true love of Jesus, your son, that I may always accomplish His Holy will. O Immaculate Heart of Mary, watch over and guide Youth 2000, that we may be faithful to our mission of leading young people to the heart of the church. Do not leave us until you see us safe in Heaven. There, in your presence, with all the angels and saints, we will sing the praises of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for all eternity. Amen A very recognisable face in Youth 2000 Ireland, Fr. John Harris was the Spiritual Director for many, many years. Fr. John Harris OP is an Irish Dominican. He has a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas in Rome (Angelicum) and has taught dogmatic and moral theology in the Dominican Studium in Dublin. Fr. John has a profound love for the youth of Ireland and we are beyond privileged that he is leading us through our Summer E-Festival weekend with content including Jesus in the Eucharist, Scripture, Our Lady, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Living the Christian Life. Gerard Hanley works for the Archdiocese of Dublin and was previously a goalkeeper in the League of Ireland with Mervue United, Dundalk, Shelbourne and Galway United. This year Gerard will be sharing his testimony with you at the Youth 2000 Summer E-Festival 2020. We are so delighted to have Gerard share his journey with us and hear how God has impacted his life in the profound but also the small ways. Evelyn McGinley is a veterinarian and county sports woman from Creeslough in Donegal. This year she will be sharing her testimony with you at the Youth 2000 Summer E-Festival 2020. We are delighted to have Evelyn share her story with us and show us how God has worked in her journey so far. He was a serious 'Face' in London's East End. His jackets were tailored to hold his machete and knuckledusters. His drug deals netted him thousands. He had a penthouse, sports cars and women. He nearly killed a man outside a nightclub. Then something extraordinary John Pridmore happened. John Pridmore joins us with his workshop called 'What God can do with your life... if you let him'. Sr. Colleen joins us from her role in the USA as Vocations Director for her congregation, the Apostles of the Sacred Heart. Sr Colleen brings us a workshop on the Spirituality of the Sacred Heart and Religious Sisterhood, explaining the potential to achieve Sr. Colleen Mattingly true joy, and how it is only found in Jesus Christ.