Prayer, Praise & Prophecy

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^{‍Source: Diocese of Nottingham}

Young people across Nottingham Diocese gathered at Holy Trinity Church, Newark on Saturday January 25, to share a day of faith, food and fellowship.

In an inspiring retreat, led by Hubert, Sam, Ben and Fr Javier of the Cor Et Lumen Christi Community, around 30 students and young professionals met together for Mass at 3pm, followed by a talk, reflection, dinner and prayer.

During a thought-provoking presentation, Hubert encouraged those on retreat to reflect on supernatural hope; namely placing our hope in God, rather than in earthly desires and preoccupations.

Once the talk was over, participants broke out into discussion groups before sharing pizza in the church hall.

Following supper time, they met again in the chapel for prayer, praise and worship and were able to also attend Confession with Canon Eddie Jarosz, who was chaplain for the retreat.

The evening concluded with more social time in the parish bar.

Reflecting on the evening, Charles Archer, Diocesan Lead for Young Adult Ministry, said: “We were so blessed to have this time together at Holy Trinity, Newark. It was a great opportunity for prayer, community and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We are excited to see a repeat of these events in the future.”

Commenting on the event, one participant said: “Amazing! I didn't know what to expect but I was totally blown away by the passion of Cor et Lumen Christi and I was inspired by the whole event. It has brought me closer to God and being prayed with was such an emotional experience. Thank you!”

If you are aged between 18 and 35 and are based in the Diocese of Nottingham, young adult evenings are being hosted throughout the diocese, for the duration of February and March, every Thursday.

Young adult evenings typically begin at 6pm with a Eucharistic Holy Hour, Confessions and Benediction. This time of prayer is followed by a 20-minute talk, delivered by a guest speaker and then they end with Compline, followed by a social time in the parish hall or the nearest pub.

The first Thursday meetings of the month, will take place in Nottingham, the second Thursday meetings will take place in Lincoln, the third Thursday meetings will be based in Derby and the fourth Thursday meetings will take place in Leicester. The precise locations will be confirmed soon.

In a previous interview we got to know Charles (Diocesan Young Adult Ministry Lead) more, and found out about other events he coordinates for Young Adults in the Diocese of Nottingham.

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Charles Archer never had a ‘Damascus moment.’  “I was never hit by lightning” he tells me, but I’m still curious about the faith journey of someone whose job title is ‘Young Adult Ministry Lead’ for Nottingham Diocese.  

Charles was baptised when he was six years old, served on the altar and did not rebel against the faith during his teenage years, although he tells me that all this time, he didn’t really have a personal relationship with Jesus, either. He went to university, joined the Catholic Society but it was not until he graduated and returned home to his parents, when something more began to grow. He suddenly felt lonely without a community of faith-filed young adults around him and so he began to work at the diocesan Catholic youth centre- The Briars- and it was there that his faith really deepened.

“We were in the midst of working with young people and working with a team of volunteers,” he tells me. “That’s when I realised that I needed to develop my own prayer life and spend time with Jesus. That’s when I had some really powerful moments with Him, over those years which have kept me in that relationship with Him.”

Charles’s ministry is a relatively new development, and as far as he knows, is unique to the Diocese of Nottingham. Nottingham has a strong young adult demographic down to the fact that it is geographically vast, and boasts 9 universities, along with four major cities.

It is the diocese’s size which poses one of the biggest hurdles for Charles and the Director of Adult Formation for Mission, Joe Hopkins. Charles explains: “I think one of the biggest challenges Joe and I face is being able to get to places as regularly as we’d like to. Having people in Glossop, North Lincolnshire, Brigg, Grimsby and Immingham, for example. It’s about helping young adults to realise that we do exist; we are just spread out, so it’s about finding places for them to get to.”

So, what does a typical, Young Adults evening look like, anyway? Charles tells me that meetings take place on a Thursday evening each week and rotate between Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Lincolnshire. They begin at 6pm with a Eucharistic Holy Hour, Confessions and Benediction. This time of prayer is followed by a 20-minute talk, delivered by a guest speaker and then they end with Compline, followed by a social time in the parish hall or the nearest pub.

When I ask Charles about any particularly powerful speakers, he tells me about their recent visit from Sister Lucy Cahill, who recently made her solemn profession, and visited Lincoln last month. “She talked about how we can live out everyday holiness and there were just some lovely bits. She encouraged us to live out our lives, focused on Christ, in whatever we are doing. I think that gentle encouragement was really lovely.”

We also discussed when Charles feels most fulfilment in his role. “It really hits me when I think, ‘this talk is amazing’ or I think, ‘this community is really flourishing.’ Particularly, in Derby when the nuns bring out the samosas- that’s a highlight for me,” he jokes.

“There are just moments when the event is just running well and I think ‘gosh, the Holy Spirit is really working through the group or through the speaker- I think that’s really when I feel it’s worth it. It’s all worth it of course- it’s all part of the build-up to the Kingdom.”