Hi everyone!
I hope you are all well, enjoying the hot weather, and (unlike me on the Walsingham Walk) managing not to get burnt!
Thanks for reading the first instalment of my summer term blog. I’m now back again to pick up where I left off.
After half term, I admit I was feeling slightly less rested than I’d hoped. Job applications and college work had been combined with my break, so I could hopefully navigate the next hectic few weeks more easily. The first week provided many challenges and opportunities. The main one of these was the opportunity to lead retreats as a programme leader. I’d been hoping I would have this chance to develop my experience, and the first retreats I experienced from the other side were 2 Campion day retreats. These were great fun, I really enjoyed leading the fruits of the holy spirit auction (and surprising the team when I did something slightly different too). The second group that week were certainly more excitable than the first, celebrating by literally bouncing around when they won a fruit! The opening prayers and liturgies were great and built on my experiences of night prayers. Having watched these for most of the year, I still had to consider my own examples and this required some preparation. But the end of the two day retreats came with a real sense of achievement and also a sense of shock, that I had actually led the retreats after all.
The following week saw my next programme leading challenge. 71 Year 6s in Walsingham House! If you’re wondering how they fitted in, you weren’t the only one. Despite hoping for a really sunny day where the young people could experience as much fresh air as possible, the sun refused to shine on. This left a rather grey day, but didn’t dampen the spirits of the team. We were able to begin outside, then have 3 groups of about 20 for the workshops. This part of the day was one where I risked being idle, as I wasn’t leading any workshops. Keeping teachers up to date and helping to prepare for the final liturgy ensured this didn’t happen, I definitely found enough to keep me occupied. We had also experienced a slight technical hitch earlier in the day, but despite that everyone enjoyed their workshops and seemed to gain a lot from them. Opening prayer and closing liturgy in the Ark were a new experience for me, but worked really well. When all the young people had left to head back to school the house seemed eerily silent.
Over the next few weeks, I embraced the opportunity to do more. I led a Year 7 day retreat and two Year 10 outreaches. Whilst I’ll be the first to admit some retreats were better than others, I wouldn’t have changed the experience. Thankfully, I was able to draw on the experiences of the team and other programme leaders to improve and develop things. Before too long, the last residential of the year arrived. This coincided with Mission Week, when most of the team headed to Hemel Hempstead. The updates I received were always positive, but Leighton, Aisling and I found the house very quiet. The residential saw me joint programme leading with Leighton for the St John Payne leadership retreat. The new Head Pupils, chaplaincy prefects and house captains came to get to know one another and understand their leadership role. Having met some of them before, it was great to see them really excited about their role and to support them in that. The end of that retreat was very surreal, as it was the last residential retreat as a team member 2012-13. But enjoyable all the same.
As well as programme leading, I also small group led for a few retreats. In the first week of the half term, Leighton, Roisin and I headed to St Mary’s for an assembly with Year 9. The first challenge was to find reception. It appeared to have moved since I was in Sixth Form! Thankfully, a sign pointed the way and we were soon back in the Hume Theatre. We all said something in the assembly, and it was quite surreal for me as one of the teachers I knew was still there and they were watching! Afterwards, we went to the RE department to provide some impromptu information about CAFOD before a meet and greet with Year 9 and also many Year 10s who had been on retreat before Christmas. This meant 25 of them turned up for the retreat (whether this was all down to the assembly I will never know). But it definitely made for an interesting experience. We headed to the beach during the break on Thursday to find the tide was in, but many of the boys enjoyed the opportunity to play some football. The talent show that evening saw me revealing a hidden talent. I performed a card trick to the Year 9s. This was the same trick I had failed to perform during a Year 5 magic show, so perhaps I was mainly putting 15 year old ghosts to rest. But it was good fun and it definitely worked! I was also part of an outreach retreat to St Cedd’s Church. We had been here previously for a confirmation outreach, this time there were about 80 Year 12s and us. It was a really good day, leading team building games and watching Joe, one of next year’s team experience his first outreach. Sean, another team member, helped us on our final retreat of the year at Gray’s Convent. It was great to see them building up confidence and being really excited about the year ahead. This gives me an opportunity to say thank you to all the past team members, youth service friends and particularly Sophie from my Parish who responded to begging phone calls for more help. Their support meant we could make the most of prep days and not feel so panicked about the heavy workload. So thank you everyone.
We have also been able to get involved with events both in and outside of Walsingham House. Youth Masses as usual were very well attended in June and July. July was a very special Mass, marking the end of an era for Walsingham House and the Youth Service, as Jon prepares to leave and take up his new challenge in Birmingham Diocese. It was also quite emotional for us, the last Youth Mass before the new team are commissioned in September. But we all managed, Olivia read wonderfully and we looked out for each other.
8th June saw me and some of the team taking part in the IF campaign G8 rally in London. We headed to Westminster to receive out CAFOD t-shirts (an important moment for me if you’ve been reading any previous blogs!) After an ecumenical service we walked from there to Hyde Park to take part in the main events. This was a great chance to spread the word, and I was also interviewed by someone from CAFOD about my involvement with them (the team could hear the interview from where they were in the line as well, I had to talk quite loudly into a Dictaphone!) Once we arrived and had eaten, my next challenge was face painting. Those of you who know me well will be laughing about this I know. But we aren’t talking animals, I was painting the IF logo. So much easier than what it could’ve been! The highlight of the afternoon for me was seeing Ian dressed as a loaf of bread CAFOD mascot! At the very end, we managed to get down to the very front by the stage. The videos were emotional, but we were also able to be part of the celebrations at the end with photographs. That’s not the end though, keep finding out about the campaign because it definitely affects more people and more communities than you may realise!
Our next big event was Lourdes Leaders weekend, coinciding with my 25th birthday. The day before, I had enjoyed a performance of Viva Forever with Mum in London and a meal at ASK with Mum and Dad, which was wonderful. The day itself, I took great pains to announce to everyone I wasn’t officially 25 until 14:04, something which never really bothered me up until then. I definitely blame the team for all their wind ups during the year. I was very nervous that day, there seemed to be a lot of people I didn’t know, but there were also a lot of people from Easter Lourdes to catch up with! Saturday involved getting to know your groups, Sunday was for first time leaders, where I led morning prayer for the others. I was very surprised to find I had been placed with Year 13s as a leader, the service group for the week who are known as The Sopranos! This means Joe and Sean from next year’s team are both in my small group, but they seem pretty pleased about that, thankfully! After all the training was completed, we travelled to Billericay for the meeting with parents. One of the topics on the agenda was the recent flooding in Lourdes. This has meant that the hotels we normally use are closed, but it looks like we’ve found some excellent alternatives. The clean up operation has been phenomenal. The baths have been re-opened and the underground basilica might be available too, two things we thought impossible initially. So it’s all looking up as we head off in 4 days! Can’t believe it’s come round so quick.
The final event was the Bradwell pilgrimage last weekend. This was an opportunity to re-engage with some of our Year 9 Ambassadors who joined the day. After the two mile walk, we sat with Bishop Thomas to eat lunch and then provided arts and crafts activities for the children and young people. Some of us even spoke in the service, reading out faith statements. At the end of the day, we visited the small but wonderful chapel, the oldest in the UK, and definitely experienced some peace.
Community wise, birthdays have been taking over the social calendar. Mine was amazing. The team and Sophie were there for a world themed dinner, based on my visit to Seville. Joe’s paella was amazing and Jon made the most impressive cake (this was cake 3, having been surprised by Aisling and Olive on my birthday with a chocolate cake and Mum making and icing a pineapple and cherry cake for me). I did share them all, don’t worry! We then had a quiz, including a Colin Firth round, which was harder than it looked. But we played our joker and won the round. Full marks in the CAFOD round, courtesy of the many social justice sessions and Olivia’s input helped us do very well in the NOW Music round too. The Stansted round was, of course, about the airport and my personalised bracelet even had an aeroplane charm! The final round was a things Katharine said round, mostly focussing on bizarre conversations or funny tweets. We finished with a time of prayer and praise of worship, what was a wonderful evening. Jade’s birthday party the other night was Les Mis themed. We dined on French food, sang (or perhaps that’s too generous) Can you Hear the People Sing and then finished with a prayer which made Jade weep. Because it was lovely, not mean of course! Our next celebration is tonight with Joe’s birthday, but I won’t say too much in case the birthday boy is reading!
Aside from all this excitement, my MA studies and applications have been ongoing. I completed a presentation the other week and was delighted with the result. I then had two more essays, but it paid off. Having received a letter saying I am clear to progress to the next year, I am now just waiting for the marks. Looking forward to choosing my optional modules for next year. As yet, applications haven’t brought me any jobs, but have provided interview experience. This means I am still uncertain what will happen next, but continue to plug away at applications, so fingers crossed! Most of the team are all set for next year, which brings us to the week which in September seemed inconceivable. That is exit week. The week of excitement, anticipation and dread all in one. This started earlier than normal last week, as Aish left Walsingham House to begin her pilgrimage to World Youth Day. She is in Sao Paulo at the moment, working in the slums, before travelling to Rio for the main celebration. Please keep her in your prayers. We really do miss her and I’m not the only one finding this week exceedingly strange without her. Our rooms are now all clear and clean, as is Walsingham House. I feel like a guest in my own room at the moment, and I only have 2 sleeps left here. Despite the nearing end to the year, we are taking the opportunity to spend more time with each other. As we are in the middle of it, it doesn’t seem right to give too much detail about the week just yet.
This is another odd feeling, that apart from reporting on Exit Week and Summer Lourdes pilgrimage, this will soon mark the end for the this blog. I’m undecided whether I will begin another. But the end isn’t happening just yet. Do keep reading, and thank you for bearing with this long post once again!
Take care
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