32 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst Year in Review 2020 Greater Heights Youth Ministry Report With great uncertainty often comes great opportunities. The Sandhurst Youth Ministry team members (SYM) were able to trial several online offerings in different forums to engage with young people across the Diocese. Year 12 Retreats and Online School Visits SYM were able to attend several Year 12 retreats in February. School retreats provide students with opportunities to encounter God through relationships with each other. Each retreat provides an opportunity for SYM to make connections with both staff and students, creating opportunities to both learn more about the lives of young people today and accompany them along their faith journey, even if only for part of the road. SYM were also able to attend virtual lessons, chatting with students during their regular classes. These school visits had different forms depending on the needs of the school but varied from informal conversations to more formalised content. WYD @ Home Each year, local Parishes and Dioceses are invited to celebrate World Youth Day at Home on Palm Sunday. In 2020, this was given a more literal meaning as the majority of the world was in lockdown. Over the course of the day, videos were released on different topics connected to Pope Francis’ thematic WORSHIP & PRAYER gospel “Young man, I say to you, arise!” (Lk 7:14). These included a message to the youth of Sandhurst from Bishop Shane, conversations, guided prayer, and wellbeing advice. Each of the videos was made available via the Sandhurst Youth YouTube Channel, as well as Facebook and Instagram. In 2021 WYD has been shifted to the feast of Christ the King. Digital Content YouTube became the main home for SYM’s offerings for 2020 through both the Sandhurst Youth and Stronger Youth Channels. Two Stronger Rallies were run online as well as a Pentecost Vigil Youth Mass. Other videos, including a message from Bishop Shane to all of Sandhurst’s Year 12 students, several weeks’ worth of Weekday Morning Prayer videos, and a series on Advent, were also made available. Other Social Media accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter supported what was available on YouTube. Ms Ruth Lawlor Coordinator of Youth Ministry Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst Each year Sandhurst Youth Ministry draws on a theme to help shape what it offers for the year. For 2020’s theme, “Greater Heights”, inspiration was drawn from Psalm 121:-2, NIV “ I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. ”
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