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Well, it's back to school for the last time for me as I'm entering Upper sixth…but what a summer it was! I decided back in May to apply to join the Down and Connor Youth Team for the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, helping to care for the sick and invalid. I had read about this venture last summer but had neglected to apply. However, as I sat on Saturday evening at mass, distractedly reading the bulletin, I noted the pilgrimage was running again, and felt a curious sense that it was time to join. Having received word that my application had been successful, I busied myself with the usual June hubbub of exams, the prospect of a long, relaxing summer and of course, the Special Olympic games at the end of June. Being quite busily occupied, the thought of Lourdes drifted to the side of my mind, only to resurface occasionally when I would think-"but why did I apply this year?" I reasoned that after the school year I was ready to get out there and meet many new people, especially young Catholics like myself. Mentioning my plans at a Search meeting one Wednesday in school, a girl in the year above me squealed-"Lourdes-but I'm on the Youth Team too!" Denise, now one of my closest friends, began to recount her experiences with the Youth Team each summer. Her excitement was infectious, and hearing about the many characters she described, I wondered what exactly I had let myself in for. A weekend retreat at the Catholic Chaplaincy at Queens University saw me join around 120 other young people aged 16-25 as we prepared for our weeklong pilgrimage. Knowing only three or four others, I was naturally nervy, but as Denise introduced me to her friends-the "third year hallions" amongst others (!), I was struck by their openness, quirky little personalities and great humour. Various team-building activities- priests included! - reassured me that I was in the right place. I could never have truly anticipated the week to come. Endless wheelchair drills, the "ankle rule" (whereby your guard your ankles stringently from approaching wheelchairs!) and a plethora of other disconcerting tips saw me expecting the worst, yet when I saw the genuine excitement of previous Youth Team members I was determined to stick it out. I was ready for the heat, the hills-even the huge, bright yellow fleeces embellished with the diocesan crest, earning us the nickname "the canaries"! Upon reflection, going to Lourdes this summer as a helper was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Of course, it was tough at times- especially navigating a wheelchair round a crowded grotto in sheltering temperatures, but I believe the experience has changed my life in small aspects. The people I was with, for example, have shown me that there are many other young people in my situation, keen to be involved in living our faith, but at times suppressed by a lack of opportunities. However, Denise explained to me that as the Youth Team grows, we might provide that support, and that climate of change for each other. If my time in Lourdes and the subsequent friendships I have formed are anything to go by, this generation of young Catholics in Ireland certainly have the willpower and energy to carry on our faith with a refreshing look on life. And, of course, the oversized yellow fleeces. Amy Mulvenna September 2006 |
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