Impact Group

No formal membership - all young people 15+ welcome!

Revised Apr 2004

Building Bridges Project 2003-4

The project experienced some losses in September. Ginny returned to her career in Occupation therapy and after 21 years of hard work, Anne Kennedy left the diocese to live in Australia. Fr Kevin Lowry (St Anthony's), Fr Peter Sharrock (English Martyrs) and Fr Bernard Woods (Our Lady and St Edward's) who put vast amounts of time and energy into the project also moved to pastures new. A huge thankyou goes to all those people and we wish them every happiness. The project is continuing another year and a new trainee youth worker, Lorena Troiani. Lorena, originally from Venezuela, was appointed and looked forward with much enthusiasm to the exciting challenges ahead. St Gregory's also opted into the project for the coming year.
However, the changes within the diocese will mean that the parishes and schools will have to continue to work together to ensure the project's success next year and to support Lorena. (original report by Ginny Ellwood)

July 2003 Ancona, Italy Photo Album
Some reactions from the young people of the Deanery:

April 2003 Visitors from Finland

The young people from Finland just before the 10.30 Mass on Sunday 27 April 2003 The International Youth Festival took place at Corpus Christi school during Easter week. Just before they left to go home we welcomed the young people from Finland who were mostly from Kuopio, seen here just before the 10.30 Mass. Their choir sang the Taise antiphon 'Laudate Dominum' and a Finnish hymn called 'The Vine Tree' at Communion and many of them joined in some of the other hymns as well. Our young folk will be paying a return visit to Kuopio, Finland

October 2002 Annual Weekend for Young people (Y10) at Castlerigg - Photo Album

2002 Toronto World Youth Day 2002

Summer 2002 Return Visit from Hudson, Wisconsin - Report - Parish Lunch

A link was made by the Impact Group in 2000 with St Patrick's Parish, Hudson, Wisconsin, USA. It was decided that an exchange between youth groups would be of mutual benefit. Both parishes, St Patrick's and Our Lady and St Edward's, set up support and planning groups for their visitors well in advance. The first visit was made by the Impact Group from Our Lady and St Edward's to Wisconsin in August 2001, staying with members of the parish and joining in their various activities.

"The main goals of the visit to America were to see how a different culture approaches different issues and to see the real side of America and American life not just the tourist side. To meet new people, make new friends and to have fun. To build links with young people and to welcome them to England in 2002."

This first visit was returned in July 2002 by 26 young Americans aged 16-19, who have now returned home to Wisconsin. (Report) We hope that our American visitors have a safe journey home and have enjoyed their visit.

Website - St Patrick's, Hudson

Building Bridges Project
Enabling parishes and their young people to work together...

Easter 2001 Visit to Finland

Impact Group - Events 2000

Youth Jubilee

Jenny Gardner and Catriona Sudlow in 2000 Catriona writes: "The two weeks in Alba and Rome were the best two weeks of my life. The pilgrimage was a very uplifting experience and one I'll never forget. The fact that 2.6 million people had all gathered in one place united in their faith was very emotional and made me feel like one of the majority not the minority. The Vigil that celebrated World Youth Day was awe-inspiring to see so many people in one place was amazing. It had the atmosphere of a music festival with all these young people gathered to see the Pope. It was a night I'll always remember. The Pope seemed so overwhelmed and moved by the whole experience and the look on his face was one that will remain with me forever. "I am so grateful for being given the chance to sample Italian life and culture in Alba with the families and making new friendships and then continuing our pilgrimage to Rome where we all united as one in faith. "Thank you to all who helped me in my journey to Rome and for enabling me to experience this amazing event."

As part of the Year of Jubilee the Pope invited young people from all over the world to join him in Rome in August. Twenty-two young people from our diocese have been on this pilgrimage, including two from our own parish: Jenny and Catriona were both members of the parish group Impact for the previous five years. They were among the 2.6 million young people who responded to the Pope's call to Rome in 2000. P.S. All the British participants were disappointed to find that this great event was ignored by the British press and TV, unlike European countries which covered it extensively.

From the Diocesan Catholic Voice, March 2000, Issue No.105

"EQUAL RIGHTS, EQUAL RESPONSIBILITIES"

The IMPACT Group, based at Our Lady & St Edward's, Fulwood with the support of the Faith and Justice Commission and CAFOD North-West, hosted an overnight conference for young people at Our Lady's High School at the end of January 2000

Fifty-five young people from Manchester, Horwich, Brownedge and Preston gathered in the school on Saturday evening. The first part of the programme was really an opportunity to get to know each other with a meal (brought in from the local chip shop) and a disco, after which it was time to sort out various classrooms which were to provide adequate, if not luxurious, sleeping accommodation.

>It appears that some slept better than others, but there was not a lot of movement at the official waking time of 8 a.m. on Sunday.

After a breakfast of cereal and toast the serious part of the conference began with the workshops throughout the morning and after lunch. The workshops offered a great variety of activities, both practical and thought-provoking - art, banner-making, music, dance and drama, CAFOD, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, and 'Making a Difference' (FAITH AND JUSTICE)

Lunch was a simple affair of sandwiches and crisps, and the workshops continued for another hour or so.

There was an opportunity to question the leaders of the CAFOD, AMNESTY and FAITH AND JUSTICE workshops about some of the issues raised during the day.

The drama workshop gave a very impressive performance of their interpretation of the conference theme and the school hall was decorated with the contributions from the other groups.

It was time then for the Mass concelebrated by three local priests and one who had come with the Manchester group in which the theme of 'Rights and Responsibilities' was taken up again.

The visitors then made their way back to various parts of Lancashire, while the local young people tidied the school. It had been an ambitious project which involved a lot of hard work, but it had been well worth it.

Some of the comments from those who took part included:

	"It was interesting, informative and fun - do it again.
	"I realise that as an individual I may not be able to make much difference, but as a group we can."
	"I think the weekend was a great success, and there should be more events like this."
	"We learned that with rights come responsibilities; we all have a responsibility to ensure that others have their rights respected also."
	"It was not long enough."