Animate Youth Ministry

Father Simon Gore reflects on the 2020/21 academic year with the Animate Youth Ministries team.

The end of the year here at Animate is upon us. The team have all left for home and, as in much of these past 18 months, I am back on my own in the house. As I sit back and think about the year, it is a difficult one to review: where has the time gone and what did we actually do?

My first recollections are not entirely positive – as I am sure they wouldn’t be for many others when looking back at 2020 and the first six months of 2021. They are probably not going to be months of our lives that we remember fondly. And yet, as I think about what I can put down on paper, there are some silver linings that seep through the dark clouds of my memories. I remember going for a morning run in early September as the team had just started back here and parents were taking their children to school, and you could hear laughter and noise on the street once again. It seemed as though a corner had been turned in how we lived life; as if we were back on the road to something approaching normality.

We planned our year here accordingly and took the usual bookings for retreats through 2020/21. We made a few changes to how we were going to work and brought in what seemed like all the available sanitiser in the world. We erected a marquee in the garden to allow for some small group work outside. But by the time we got to October half-term, you could see the way things were heading with another lockdown on the cards. And so it came to be.

That pretty much brought an end to any normal retreat programme we could offer until Easter. Although we might have odd days scattered across a year when we don’t have a group to work with, we are used to working on retreats or missions every day. To have such a big gap is unsettling. And amid all that, as lockdowns continued, so too did talk of ‘key workers’ and ‘essential work’. Such a change in lifestyle and how we work and what we can do –while being told we are not ‘essential’ –is interesting. While a retreat day is not as important as making sure we can buy food from the supermarket, it does leave some questions echoing around your head: ‘What am I?’ and ‘Is there any value to what I am doing?’.

And yet from that, I was reacquainted with the sometimes lost concept of ‘living as a community’. I have written enough times in these pages that ‘community’ is important to me at Animate. I wonder, though, if I had been paying more lip service to the concept than I had realised. Unlike with the first lockdown, this time the team stayed in the house with me and with no face-to-face work with young people, we had to think about what our lives would be like. The answer lay in the community aspect of life. There is the obvious side of prayer with each other. But also allowing more time to cook for each other rather than a rapid chucking together of Chicken Kiev and chips after a day’s work. And some more social time together. I even made abortive attempts to get the group interested in joining me for a run –which did not end well! We also continued to try to offer some meaningful work in the virtual realm with the videos we produced on YouTube. But above all, there was the reminder than when things are removed from you, what you have left can be the thing that ends up defining you: without our work, it was community life which came to define the year. It is not always sunshine and birdsong living with a handful of other people with no opportunities for escape. Yet I suppose it is these occasions that can help the individual develop as well. And as 12 April hit and we could start to plan for retreat days once more, the time we had spent together meant that we could look at those days ahead in a different light – a community offering a glimpse of a relationship with God rather than co-workers doing some work together.

The Academy of St Francis of Assisi (ASFA) recently held a week of activities and events in honour of Refugee Week. Refugee Week has become a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Founded in 1998 and held every year, Refugee Week is becoming a growing global movement. ASFA is home to many students who are refugees or asylum seekers. The awareness week encourages the understanding of why people are displaced, and the challenges they face when seeking safety, amongst students and staff. This year, the academy was privileged to have students share their experience and culture with their ASFA family. Two years ago, three Eritrean students came to the school and spoke very little English and struggled to communicate. During Refugee Week, students and staff watched in awe as they commanded the stage with confidence and spoke eloquently in front of the whole of Year 7 about their journeys and the political situation in Eritrea. Student Alfonso also spoke about his experience of moving from the Congo. In addition, a dedicated menu for the canteen was created which allowed students and staff to taste food from places such as Syria, Eritrea and Iran. Staff donated money as part of their lunch to the Asylum Link in Liverpool. A conceptual art exhibition also took place in the school’s foyer. Students painted and decorated shoes to represent a refugee’s journey to safety. Later in the week, students got to hear about Arthur Britney Joestar’s refugee experience. Arthur Joestar, from El Salvador, is the first non-binary refugee in the UK. They talked about being the first nonbinary person to receive refugee status after a judge concluded that they would face persecution for their identity if they returned to their home country. They have since settled in Liverpool. Kate Allen, head of history, led the week’s events alongside 25 Year 10 students from the refugee organisation group. Kate said: “Listening to talks from both our students and Arthur Joestar reminded us that being a refugee is only one part of a person’s identity and doesn’t define who they are. “The week was a chance to celebrate diversity and share our cultural experiences. The theme this year was ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’, a fitting reminder that we all have a responsibility to support refugees and asylum seekers in our community.”

A much-loved and respected deputy headteacher who has been described as the “Queen” of her school received a surprise send-off as she retired after 32 years teaching in Halewood.

Children and staff at Holy Family Catholic Primary School lined Arncliffe Road to wave goodbye to Angela Rigby as she paraded down the street in a horse and cart.

Mrs Rigby, wearing a tiara and cape, was overjoyed with her send-off from the school where she has taught several generations of the same family.

Holy Family headteacher, Mr Quigley, said: “Every school needs a Mrs Rigby. She has made a huge impact on the children and families at Holy Family school over her 32 years in post.

“She is a passionate, fun and energetic teacher who seeks only the best in all that she does. She has been a great leader in the school too and has maintained our high expectations and standards by setting an excellent example for others to follow.

“She deserves this well earned retirement.”

The day was a total surprise for Mrs Rigby who said: “Holy Family School is such a special school, I have loved every one of my 32 years teaching there.

“It is the children, parents and staff that make Holy Family a pleasure to be a part of.

“Making the decision to retire was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make as being part of such a wonderful community has been a huge part of mine and my families lives. It was such an amazing send off and one I will never forget.”

Pupils and families from St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Huyton have raised an outstanding £4,262 for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice.

Pupils were inspired to raise funds for the West Derby based Hospice following a visit to Year 6 pupils from the hospices head of care Mrs Bergquist, who talked to the children about the amazing role Zoe’s Place plays in caring for babies and their families.

In response to the visit the whole school took part in a sponsored run (cheered on by Zoe’s Bear).

Throughout the day all the children from nursery to Year 6 went for a run with their classes. The children had lots of fun, and thanks to their generous families raised a staggering amount of money.

Tess McGrath, community and events fundraiser for Zoe’s Place, said: “St Anne’s Catholic Primary School Year 6 class recently had a talk from our head of care, Flo, who made such an impression, the wonderful Year 6’s wanted to do something to help us.

Soon enough, the entire school got involved, and I was delighted to hear what fantastic efforts they were going to, to support our babies.

“Myself and our mascot Zoë Bear went along to cheer the young ones on, and see what a fantastic job the pupils were doing, especially thinking of others.

“£4262 is a fantastic amount and we’re so grateful for what the entire school have achieved.”

Staff at the school were said to be totally amazed at the generosity of their wonderful children and families when they presented the massive cheque to the hospice.

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School in Seaforth has hosted a ‘Week of Wonder’ in solidarity with Cafod’s ‘Eyes of the World’ campaign, aiming to help fight the climate crisis. The campaign calls on young people to lobby the government to ensure that the world’s poorest communities are at the heart of discussions amongst world leaders at the upcoming COP26 climate conference. Beginning with a mass commitment to fulfil individual eco pledges, the Week of Wonder went on to educate pupils about composting and recycling, prompting a commendable litter-picking effort in the surrounding community as well as giving students the chance to swap and regift preloved toys. Cafod volunteers gave a virtual Eyes of the World workshop by, encouraging pupils to draw pairs of eyes to show the government that the world is watching them. Inspired by Cafod’s message of support to the world’s most vulnerable communities affected by the climate crisis, Sophia a student from Our Lady’s said, ‘I enjoyed the Eyes of the World workshop because it taught me so much about what is happening in the world. It also made me realise that we can do more than we think to try and stop climate change’. Eager to raise funds as well as awareness, the Seaforth school organised a ‘Wear it Green’ fundraising event, which saw the whole school dress in green for a day raising £124 for the work of Cafod. Teacher, Debbie Crockwell, praised the success of the campaign, ‘the children were so enthusiastic about Cafod’s campaign for Eyes of the World. A huge thank you to Cafod for coming in and to our Eco Council for helping to organise our Week of Wonder’. Siobhan Farnell from Cafod said, ‘We were thrilled to hear about Our Lady Star of the Sea’s Week of Wonder and delighted the Cafod training was a catalyst for inspiring the school to undertake such positive actions. We also congratulate the school as they have recently been awarded the Cafod Laudato Si Award recognising their “live wisely, think deeply and love generously” approach’.

Gardening Angels from St Bede’s Catholic High School, Ormskirk, with support from Ormskirk School Pastors and Morrisons, have created some flower planters and pots. Families donated pots and planters and the plants were grown from seed or bulb in school during the third lockdown and then nurtured by the Gardening Angels in Year 7, 8, and 9. The planters and pots have been given to people who have been suffering or isolated by the pandemic in the West Lancashire community. This is part of the school’s ‘Laudato Si’ outreach programme with the sunflowers bringing smiles to people’s faces. Thank you Sister Eileen

Father Mike Thompson, Parish Priest of St Luke the Evangelist, Whiston, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for Sr Eileen Moore, former Parish Sister who had served the parish for ten years before leaving earlier this year.

Following the Mass parishioners held a ‘parish picnic’ in the grounds of the church where they presented Sister Eileen with gifts and a special cake to mark her years of faithful service. St Bede’s are presently developing outdoor space to include a ‘Laudato Si’ garden area. This will also offer the opportunity to support the spiritual and liturgical life of the school by creating a ‘Laudato Si’ outdoor prayer space.

As part of our commitment to promote and support the liturgy of the Catholic Church, the Society of Saint Gregory will be offering a new modular study course, aimed at developing liturgical understanding. The course, which will be run in partnership with the London Jesuit Centre, starts in September and will take place via Zoom. Held over 1 year, each module will comprise 3 sessions and provide a theological and historical overview, which will form the background for a deeper study of how we celebrate the liturgy today. Modules include The Paschal Mystery, Healing and Forgiveness, Initiation, Commitment and Ways of Prayer. Within each theme we will look at how we apply general principles of liturgy, how music and space affect the way we celebrate, and above all how we are enabling people to pray together. The course is aimed at all who wish to widen their understanding of the liturgy. Further information, including details of the course leaders, cost and online booking, is available at www.ssg.org.uk