Crowds of 900+ gathered in Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare for the Youth 2000 Summer Festival this past weekend. Young people from all over the country gathered for 4 days of faith, fellowship and fun with a packed programme of great talks, Adoration, Daily Mass, Reconciliation and Healing Services, testimonies, a Worship Concert, Workshops, Small Groups and plenty of time for games and chill out time, to catch up with old friends and make new friends too! A huge number of Under 18s were present, a real testament to the joyful witness of Youth 2000. Seeing hundreds of young people queuing for confession, for a Eucharistic Healing Blessing, for a candlelit Eucharistic Procession was inspiring, as was the fact that Adoration runs continually throughout the weekend, with young people volunteering to cover Adoration slots right throughout each night too.
Main speaker Fr John Harris OP reminded the young people on Sunday that even though people claim the faith is dying in the country, the ship is not sinking because Jesus lives, because they, the young people, are here and the Church is alive!
Religious from all over the country joined the young people and shared their witness to faith, and up to 40 priests or more were present throughout the weekend, including Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop Fintan Gavin and our own Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan.
It was great to have so many from our own diocese there for the weekend and to have a Waterford & Lismore input into proceedings too with workshops from Fr Patrick Cahill (Music Ministry) and Patrick Reynolds (Holy Family Mission), Sr Kathryn Press ASCJ (Vocations) and Nodlaig Lillis, Youth & Young Adult Ministry Officer (Eucharistic Miracles, Mystics and Martyrs), Emma Sisk (women’s ministry) along with music ministry from Holy Family Mission Alumni too.
The motto of Youth 2000 is “Youth leading youth to the Heart of the Church” and their retreats and prayer groups are run by volunteers and are donation only, with 5 free buses running from around the country to this festival to eliminate as many obstacles as possible for those who wish to experience their faith and meet Jesus at these events. The festival costs up to €80,000 to run and anyone who wishes to help financially with their work of evangelisation for young people aged 16 – 35 can do so here https://gofund.me/ee3355b9 or see other ways to donate at https://youth2000.ie/donate/
For more on the work of Youth 2000 throughout the country and details of upcoming retreats check out www.youth2000.ie
Some of the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore contingent who enjoyed the 2024 Youth 2000 Summer Festival
Some of the 900+ who were part of the festival at the weekend, pictured after the closing Mass on Sunday.