Between Thursday 18th and Sunday 21st June, representatives from the national YCW team's in Europe met together in Turin, Italy for training and support. Phil, Paul and Father John as President, Secretary and Chaplain were the representatives of the YCW in England and Wales.
Phil and Paul present the reality of the YCW in England and Wales
The meeting was organised by the European Commission of the International Coordination of Young Christian Workers in collaboration with the International Secretariat and the movements represented were England and Wales, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Catalonia.
The theme of the meeting was the consolidation and extension of the national movements and what this definition meant in regards to the training and development of young leaders. As with any good gathering of YCW leaders, the meeting was conducted using the See, Judge, Act methodology. The delegates shared the reality of their own national movements including their resources and training materials before turning to The Gospel and the words of Cardijn to help them reflect upon what leadership means in the context of the Christian faith.
The meeting coincided with the visitation of Pope Francis to the city of Turin. Consequently, the European leaders took part in an audience with the Holy Father where he spoke directly to young people. In typical Pope Francis fashion, he put aside his prepared homily and instead spoke openly to those gathered on a range of issues including politics, economics, charity and purity. All of which, he said, had an impact on the way in which we express our love to others and to Christ. The video of this event can be viewed at the bottom of this page.
Upon returning to England, Paul said, "This was my first experience of a European YCW meeting. It is really inspiring to see that the methodology of the YCW crosses borders and enables young people to grow as leaders, despite the situations of their reality." Phil added, "This gathering has confirmed that there is so much we can learn from our European brothers and sisters. It's very important that we continue to work together for the good of all young people."
