YCW Welcomes The Working Sisters Of The Holy House Of Nazareth To HQ

This past weekend members of the YCW National Team hosted Sr. Erika and Sr. Maria of the Working Sisters Of The Holy House Of Nazareth to the YCW HQ. We had a great conversation about our common missions in the world of work and shared about our respective histories in Britain and around the world.

The English Sector of the religious order is based in Peterborough and established there due to the sizeable Italian community there in years past. Since then, the "Working Sisters have broadened their reach to the wider community around the parishes in the local area. Globally, the Working Sisters also have a presence in Italy, Brazil and Burundi.

Part of their mission is to take on jobs - such as factory or warehouse work, social care and others - in order to “evangelise the working world” through sharing themselves with the straightforward and daily lives of the worker. Naturally this was a familiar outlook to our own movement.

We even shared a similar origin. The Working Sisters told us of Fr Arcangelo Tadini, a local parish priest who saw the plight of working women forced to leave their homes in order to find work in spinning mills out of town. Their description of returning like “squashed lemons” made us recall Cardijn’s realisation upon seeing his friends and former classmates coming home from the harsh factory conditions. In response, Fr Tadini built a mill for the local workers to come to, managed in such a way to ensure their dignity and began the Congregation of the Working Sisters.

Marc Besford, YCW National President said: “It was fantastic to invite the Sisters up to our HQ and hear so much about our common history and mission. I am looking forward to collaborating with them in the future and perhaps establishing a YCW presence in Peterborough.”

Trafford Park YCW Group Update

The latest meeting of the YCW Group based at the Trafford Park HQ met last month to work through a gospel enquiry.

Fr Mark Connolly, the Group Chaplain, proposed the enquiry be based on a passage from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 3:14-20:

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

The group reflected on what it is to consider ourselves loved by God, even if we know it “surpasses knowledge” and what this means for our daily lives. The challenge to try and grasp this about ourselves is also at the heart of how we see our fellow workers, friends, family and neighbours too. If we are loved, so are they and if they are, we must treat them as such.

It was a helpful reminder to all of us that our God-given dignity is shared freely with us and with all. In response, we explored the need for mutual respect and humility in society - something that many felt was in short supply. The Group decided that their action was to do more to promote such values in their daily lives and will feedback at the next meeting as to how this went.

There was also the opportunity to update each other with any other aspects of work or life that the Group members wished to raise. This is a helpful way of growing in solidarity with each other and strengthening the bonds of friendship within the Group.

NEC And Trustees Meeting Latest Update

The YCW Trustees and NEC met a few weeks ago to review the progress of the movement, discuss current plans and policies, and explore plans for the year ahead.

The National Team report outlined all the work over the summer visiting groups, organising training and representing the movement at a European and International level. Key points included the REM in Portugal and the associated Chaplains training, increased publicity online and in the Catholic press and successful fundraising efforts.

We also welcomed on board a new Trustee - Marie Reynolds - who is a former member of the YCW and has been part of our past member working group since the 80th Celebrations in 2017.

The NEC also took the opportunity to review the past year’s action plan and will be refreshing it for the upcoming 12 months. One particular new project will be how we can expand the role of the regions in the movement and help build leadership across all parts of the country.

Salford Youth Ministry Day Promotes YCW And IMPACT

The YCW recently attended a local youth ministry training day as part of Salford Diocese’s “Hope in the Future” programme. The day was aimed at providing the skills and knowledge to assist parishioners to take on roles in their parishes around the formation of young people.

It began by looking at the current work being undertaken throughout the Diocese, both at a local Parish and wider Diocesan level. Some examples of this included the new Confirmation programme being developed, the Faith In Action Awards and plans for a youth pilgrimage along the Camino.

This was followed by a fantastic presentation on the recent Youth Synod and some of its outcome by Chris Knowles, who heads up a new group called Synod Fruits. One important outcome was the release of Christus Vivit, in which Pope Francis calls on the Church to make young people the “now” of God and support them to become leaders in both the Church and the World.

Following these presentations, there were a series of workshops on different aspects of youth ministry. One of the workshops was led by our very own Ramsbottom IMPACT Group. The young people explained how they came about, how they functioned and what sort of impact they are making - including lots of great examples of actions they have taken.

In the Q&A they outlined how they had connected more as a Group by working through the YCW Method, Friendship Circle and Review of Life, and how they felt more confidence to become leaders. By growing in awareness of the world around them and the message of the Gospel, they had achieved a huge amount.

There was also the opportunity for the YCW National President, Marc Besford, to speak to those in attendance at our YCW stall. He said: “There was a lot of interest in what we do and in our new Leadership Programme, so we hope to build on this in the coming weeks and months. It was also nice to see so many past members come up and share their fond memories of the YCW.”

Anniversary Of Joseph Cardijn's Ordination

There can be no doubt that the success and growth of the Young Christian Workers movement was a consequence of the vision, determination and dedication of its founder, Joseph Cardijn.

Cardijn was born in the town of Hal, in Belgium. His parents were Henry and Louise Cardijn. He was a lively boy with an enquiring mind and very sensitive to every human suffering he met, especially that of the workers he saw going to the factories at dawn each morning.

At age fourteen, Cardijn was preparing to finish his studies and enter the working world. His parents looked forward to the additional household income. However, one night he told his parents that he wanted to become a priest. With no hesitation his parents agreed to work harder to allow their son to enter the seminary.

In 1897 Cardijn entered the junior seminary at Malines. When the holidays came, he visited his schoolmates now working in the factories. But his friends gave him a cold reception believing that he had betrayed them and joined with the forces that oppressed the working class. Their rejection wounded his heart.

This experience stayed with the young Cardijn as he went back to his studies in seminary. However, it was the death of his father that would be the moment he felt drawn to respond to a new call from God, a call that was clear and decisive. In his innermost being he swore to consecrate his whole life as a priest to save the workers.

In 1906, Cardinal Mercier ordained Joseph Cardijn a priest and he began to develop his own education in the sociological and political spheres, not only theology and philosophy.

Today therefore, we thank God for the revelation of the young Joseph Cardijn and his vocational calling to the priesthood. We also thank the countless number of priests, religious, bishops and Popes who have supported our mission since its creation.

Current National Chaplain of the YCW in England and Wales, Msg. John Marsland, said: “The tradition of priests empowering the laity through the YCW has been our cornerstone since Cardijn began the movement. He recognised that our priestly ministry had to be one that was close to the lives of the faithful and those in need of our help. We continue that mission to this day.”

YCW Shows Solidarity With Workers At ASDA

The YCW has joined with local workers to protest the imposition of a new contract on staff that would remove pay for breaks and force employees to work bank holidays. The consequence of not signing would mean workers being fired on 2nd November.

The protest by staff from across the country was organised by the GMB union and our neighbours in Trafford Park, St Anthony’s Centre for Church and Industry.

Members of the YCW National Team joined staff and trade union members to express their solidarity with many of the young workers under threat.

The demonstration was also joined by local MPs and supported by many of the shoppers who were passing by.

Marc Besford, National President of the YCW, who attended the protest said: “We have a lot of our young people who work in the service sector, especially when they are just starting out in the world of work, so we wanted to show our support for their rights and dignity.”