YCW members past and present as well as chaplains and friends of the movement were amongst those who gathered on Monday 4th May at St Joseph's in Ordsall, Salford to celebrate May Day and the Feast of St Joseph the Worker.
The Rt. Rev. John Arnold, Bishop of Salford was the principal celebrant at a Mass in which those present gave thanks for the actions that the YCW methodology has inspired and the leadership that it has developed in young people.
In his homily, Bishop John referred to the importance of the unique charism that Joseph Cardijn, the founder of the YCW, received from God and how this has been passed on throughout the world through reaching out to others.
Following the Mass, there was a reception where Phil Callaghan, National President gave a short speech in which he paid special tribute to the presence of the priests and religious present. Referring to the important element of chaplaincy in the movement he quoted a famous line of Cardijn, 'everything by the young people, nothing without the chaplain.'
The parish of St Joseph's in Ordsall has a long connection with the YCW movement in England and Wales and at one point was the home of the national headquarters of the girls movement. Therefore it was fitting that a national celebration of this kind should take place there.
The gathering took place in Salford, with the Bishop, to mark the beginning of the process that will see the National Headquarters of the YCW relocated from the current home of London to a location within the Diocese of Salford.
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A group of YCW leaders gathered at the May Day celebration
