Gospel Enquiry - First Sunday of Lent

The YCW have put together a Gospel Enquiry for the first Sunday of Lent, which centres around the Temptation of Christ in Luke’s Gospel.

This well known Gospel story is a rich source of reflection through the SEE, JUDGE, ACT Method and can be a helpful tool for Groups hoping to use the season of Lent to deepen their faith and understanding of the world around them.

The YCW website includes lots of different resources that can be found here and we would encourage all Groups and young leaders to take advantage of that.

Mgr. John Marsland, National Chaplain of the YCW, added: “As we journey towards Easter, let us use the season of Lent to reaffirm our commitment to being authentic Christian Leaders in our families, workplaces and places of study. We can use this Gospel Enquiry as a means to opening up to what God asks of us during Lent and seeing where the Spirit takes us on that journey.”

A History Of The YCW

2022 marks 140 years since the birth of Cardinal Joseph Cardijn. 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.

In light of this, we wanted to share a brief history of Cardijn and the growth of the YCW movement across the world.

1882 - Joseph 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. 

1896 - Aged fourteen, Joseph was preparing to finish his studies and enter the working world. His parents looked forward to the additional household income. However, one night Joseph tells his parents that he wants to be a priest. With no hesitation his parents agree to work harder to allow their son to enter the seminary.

1897 - Joseph enters 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.

1903 - After a lifetime of hard work, Henry Cardijn dies. On his death bed, Joseph promises him that he will give his life to the salvation of the working class of the world.

1906 - Cardinal Mercier ordains Joseph Cardijn a priest.

1912 - Fr. Cardijn was assigned to the Parish of Our Lady of Laeken, Brussels where 13,000 factory workers lived. Fr. Cardijn made a habit of greeting them every morning, walking beside them and asking about their conditions. He was assigned to take charge of the girl’s youth club and organised the members into small groups called “cells”. At each cell meeting a procedure was followed: SEE, JUDGE, and ACT.

1913 - Fernand Tonnet, a local bank clerk, begged Fr. Cardijn to establish similar units for young men. 

After two and a half years in Laeken, his workers movement, called the Trade Union Youth initially, is having great success. He set out to ensure good conditions for workers but his fundamental purpose was to restore young people’s sense of personal dignity, to awaken in them an understanding of their true value as brothers and sisters in Christ. 

1914 - 1918 - The First World War interrupts the work of Cardijn who was arrested and imprisoned on two separate occasions.

1925 - The title “Trade Union Youth” is changed to “Young Christian Workers”.

Father Cardijn has the opportunity to announce his plans to Pope Pius XI who upon receiving him exclaimed, “Finally, someone speaks to me of the working class.” And then “Not only do we bless your movement - we make it our own.”

1937 - The first YCW group in England is founded in Wigan. Father Gerry Rimmer was the chaplain and Patrick Keegan, a young factory worker, was president. Patrick went on to accompany Cardijn on his international travels, was elected YCW International President and became the first lay man to address an Ecumenical Council of the Church when we addressed the Second Vatican Council on the apostolate of the laity.

1939 - 1945 - The progress of the movement is yet again disturbed by war. Fernand Tonnet and Paul Garcet (two of the three founder members of the YCW in Belgium) die in the extermination camp in Dachau.

1946 - Fr. Cardijn makes several international visits to spread the YCW message. He experiences the terrible injustice in the Third World.

1950 - In the year of the Silver Anniversary, Pope Pius XII honours the YCW by ordaining Father Cardijn as a Bishop. By this point, the YCW had been established in 60 countries across the world.

1958 - Pope John XXIII releases the encyclical ‘Mater et Magistra’ which enshrines Cardijn’s See, Judge, Act methodology. Two key documents of the Second Vatican Council, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church and the Decree on the Laity, owe much to the vision of Cardijn.

1965 - Pope Paul VI appoints Joseph Cardijn as a Cardinal.

1967 - Cardinal Cardijn was stricken with a kidney ailment and died peacefully on 24th July.

Lenten Resources For YCW And IMPACT Groups

The Young Christian Workers in England and Wales have a resource for the Lenten season - including a Review of Life and a Gospel Enquiry. 

Beginning on Ash Wednesday (2nd March 2022) and ending on Easter Sunday (17th April 2022) Lent is that special time of prayer, sacrifice, good works and preparation for the wonderful celebration of Easter when we, as Christians, celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Many people use the forty days of Lent as a time of soul searching or sacrifice, giving up something they enjoy, like sweets, chocolate or alcohol.

Others use the time to take up something new, like good works or acts of charity.

But Lent can also be a time for us to consider how we might live out our faith in our everyday lives as we journey towards the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection. Through the method of See, Judge, Act we invite you to explore the Gospel with us as you journey through the season of Lent in preparation for the wonder of Easter.

Mgr. John Marsland, National Chaplain of the YCW, added: “As we start preparing for Easter, let us use the season of Lent to reaffirm our commitment to being authentic Christian Leaders in our families, workplaces and places of study. We can begin by using these resources as a means to opening up to what God asks of us during Lent and seeing where the Spirit takes us on that journey.”

Can You Help Support The YCW?

The YCW is a Movement led by young people but is supported by a dedicated and committed base of supporters, many of whom were part of the YCW in their early years! We greatly appreciate any support they give, from financial support to being adult companions.

If you can help support the movement with a donation, please read below what that involves and how it will help.

Your contribution would help:

• develop a new generation of YCW leaders equipped through the SEE, JUDGE and ACT method.

• train and develop new “Companions”, the adults who accompany and support us

• produce new resources

• organise events across the country

To continue this vital and unique work we hope you can help support us financially.

Please download our standing order form to make a regular donation (including gift aid). Just fill it in and return to us at:

Young Christian Workers, St. Antony's House, Eleventh Street, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1JF

If you would like more details or to speak to us directly about our work, please contact us on 0161 872 6017.

Anniversary of Joseph Cardijn's Elevation To The Cardinalate

Today is the anniversary of Joseph Cardijn - YCW founder - becoming a Cardinal. We asked former National President Phil Callaghan to share some of his thoughts on this important moment in YCW history.

In 1965, Pope Paul VI, who had been elected following the death of John XXIII midway through the Council, appointed Cardijn as a Cardinal. By this time the Council was almost over and therefore there was little more influence that Cardijn could have on the proceedings. Cardijn was in crisis over the decision whether to accept the honour, concerned that it would remove him from his ability to speak for the working classes. The Pope convinced him however that as a Cardinal, Cardijn would have more influence and opportunity to speak for young workers.

The picture above is the coat of arms which Cardijn chose upon his elevation to the cardinalate. The red cross and wheat are taken from the emblem of the YCW, the wheat representing labour and the cross as a symbol of the Christian nature of the movement. In addition to this we see an image of Our Lady of Hal. This was a popular devotion in the area of Belgium where Cardijn was born and raised. This highlights the importance that Cardijn placed on the experiences he had during his upbringing. The motto he chose was “Evangelizare Pauperibus” which translates from Latin as “to evangelise (bring good news to) the poor.” This exhibits his lifelong commitment to the evangelisation of the working classes, almost sixty years after the same commitment he made to his dying father.

In response to the news, he told staffers of the YCW movement: "Please treat me as before and don't be formal. Go on calling me 'monsignor' or simply 'Mr. Cardijn.'"

Could Your Parish Set Up A YCW Group?

As a movement that is officially recognised by the Catholic Church, the vast majority of YCW and Impact groups have historically been present in Catholic parishes across England and Wales. We believe that the presence of a YCW or Impact group greatly enhances the life of a parish and we would recommend as much interaction as possible between the group and the wider Catholic community.

Starting an YCW or Impact group in your parish shows that you value young people and wish to make a difference in the world around us. Groups start in two ways. However a group can only start when there is an adult (over the age of 18 for an Impact group or over the age of 30 for a YCW group) who is willing to act as a chaplain or adult companion to the group. The presence of an adult in the life of the group is very important. The founder of the YCW, Joseph Cardijn famously stated that the YCW should be “everything by the young people but nothing without the chaplain.”

If you are an adult who wishes to start an Impact group, due to our Safeguarding Policy which is in line with national standards, you will need to identify at least one other person over the age of 18 who will be willing to become a companion to the group. Your parish priest may be able to assist you in this task.

If you are a young person, we advise that you speak to your parish priest and ask for his support in setting up a group in your parish.

Whether you are a young person or an adult who is committed to helping young people the National Team are on hand to assist you in any way. Please contact the YCW Headquarters on 020 8203 6290 or info@ycwimpact.com. Alternatively you can fill in the contact form on the ‘Contact Us’ page of this website and we will get back in touch as soon as possible.

The National Team, including the National Chaplain, can offer help and support in setting up groups, supporting and training chaplains and adult companions and providing ongoing advice with our publications, visits and contact. Once your group is established you will be invited to take part in regional and national events where you can meet and have fun with young people from across the country.