YCW Represented at Flame 2017

Last Saturday around 10,000 young Catholics gathered at Wembley Arena for CYMFed Flame 2017.

The YCW, as a member of CYMFed (Catholic Youth Ministry Federation) had about 100 individual members attend and share in this amazing event together. 

There was lots going on during the day, ranging from music and drama to a focus on the refugee crisis and the dignity of the person. Both Cardinal Bo and Nichols spoke to Flame, as well as Grammy award winner Matt Redman.

A big thank you to all who organised and attended. We are looking forward to the next one!

YCW Welcomes the General Secretary of the ICYCW

YCW in England and Wales has hosted the General Secretary of the ICYCW, Noella Song, at its National HQ in Trafford Park.

Noella was elected General Secretary in August 2016 at the International Council of the ICYCW in South Korea and is currently based in Rome, the HQ of the ICYCW.

Amelie (centre) from our National Team & Noella (far right) on a tour of Manchester Art Gallery

Phil Callaghan, National President of the YCW in England and Wales, said: "It was great to host Noella here in Trafford Park. The YCW is a truly international movement and we are all committed to sharing the vision around the world. We will be keeping Noella, and all the team at the ICYCW, in our prayers."

Friday Lenten Mass at Saint Antony's Church

The YCW has organised a programme of masses over the Lenten period, celebrated by Mgr. John Marsland, National Chaplain of the YCW.

They will take place every Friday from 12:30pm at Saint Anthony's Church, Eleventh Street, Trafford Park, M17 1JF.

All are welcome to attend but especially those who work in and around the Trafford Park area. Please spread the word around.

YCW National Team Welcomes New Member

YCW has welcomed a new member to its National Team in England and Wales. Amélie Peyrard, former International President of the ICYCW, is joining Phil and Eamonn at YCW HQ in Trafford Park.

She will be part of the Development and Training team, with a particular focus on training leaders within YCW and Impact groups across the country. 

Group picture from the 2016 International Conference of the ICYCW in South Korea. Sean and Phil (far left), Fr John (far right) and Amélie (front left)

Amélie has just finished 4 years of leading the international movement, based in Rome, after being elected at the ICYCW International Conference held in London in 2012. So she is bringing with her a wealth of experience and knowledge of the YCW.

We are sure she will make a valued contribution to the team and the mission of the YCW in England and Wales.

80 Years of YCW in England and Wales

The Young Christian Workers (YCW) will be launching our celebration of 80 years in England and Wales this week, to coincide with the Feast of St John Bosco, the Patron Saint of Young People.

The YCW was originally founded in Belgium in 1925 by Fr Joseph Cardijn, who was later to be made a Cardinal for his work with the movement.

In England and Wales, the first YCW group was founded in Wigan, with Father Gerry Rimmer as the Chaplain and Patrick Keegan, a young factory worker, as President. Patrick would go on to become the first lay man to address an Ecumenical Council of the Church when the YCW addressed the Second Vatican Council.

Over the 80th year celebrations the YCW will be looking to expand it’s presence into more schools and parishes, hold training sessions for new and existing volunteers and raise money towards the running of the charity. We will keep you informed about our programme of activities, so keep an eye out for our updates.

National President, Phil Callaghan, said: “We are all really excited to celebrate 80 years of the YCW in England and Wales. We were established to train, serve and educate young people in the world of work and our work is as needed today as when we started 80 years ago.”

If anyone has any stories of their time in the YCW, please get in contact and share them. You can email any comments or enquiries to info@ycwimpact.com.

CYMFed Flame 2017

On Saturday 11th March 2017, around 10,000 young Catholics will gather at Wembley Arena for CYMFed Flame 2017. The YCW, as a member of CYMFed (Catholic Youth Ministry Federation), will be there and have already placed an initial booking of 100 seats. This will allow YCW and Impact members from across England and Wales to share this amazing event together.

To book tickets with the YCW and Impact and to take advantage of the early bird discount, please email YCW HQ at: info@ycwimpact.com

For more information on Flame visit www.cymfed.org.uk/flame2017

You can also find Flame on Facebook at 'CYMFed Flame Congress' and Twitter @FlameCongress