Just Youth in brief – Just Youth in brief – Just Youth in brief – Just Youth in brief
Manager’s corner
The academic year 2024/25 has been greatly successful. Just Youth team has been actively engaging and robust throughout the entire year. From liaising with schools, planning and preparations, gathering of activities, presentations and delivering of retreats, the team has drawn its collaborative strength this year from eight countries: Colombia to Vietnam, Nigeria to Congo, Cameroon to Uganda and Ghana to Great Britain. The team has successfully ministered to well over ten thousand (10,000) people throughout the academic year. Our Chaplaincy schools have been expanded from four to five, St. Peter’s RC High School, Our Lady’s RC High School, St. John Vianney, St. John Henry Newman College and St. Matthew’s RC High School with several other schools coming onboard through partnership. It is worth noting that Just Youth ministered to the following schools in the year under review:
Outreach program
The outreach program targeted at meeting young people outside school hours has been functioning steadily. Young people within Salford and around Greater Manchester Communities and different youth groups have been met in different ways. The last couple of months have witnessed Just Youth team involved in a wide range of activities aside from the direct school chaplaincies. These include training of Altar servers, mission to the ethnic minority: Portuguese Chaplaincy, outreach interactions of the Youth of St. Thomas of Canterbury Parish- Bolton, First Holy Communion Retreat, Acton- London, Confirmation training for the candidates of St. Anne’s RC Church, Fairfield and welcoming of young people within our local Salford community. These are obviously some of the interesting activities keeping Just Youth’s outreach program vibrant.
Currently, Just Youth has, through the support of our partnered funding organisation, secured various games such as table tennis, table football, badminton, basketball and other activities ready to be rolled out during Retreats and summertime engagements. Thanks to the Province for the continuous support and the team for the hard work.
St. John Vianney
We look forward to a restful Summer. It is an opportunity to recharge, explore new activities, and spend quality time with family and friends. As the vacation season begins, it’s always nice to have some inspiring and uplifting mood. I bring you this positive mantra to motivate your holidays. At SJV this season has been a busy and emotional moment. The visit of Bishop John to bless a stone for our new school. The last Mass celebrated in our old chapel which brought together retired and former staff. This was a great koinonia to catch up and to meet and know old staff members. Moving into a new school always comes with a unique anxiety. The transition was smoothly done with a wonderful Eucharistic Celebration led by Fr. Gerald the Chair of Board of Governors. This ushered us into the new space. We are still acclimatising before the Official opening is done by the Bishop in due course.
The usual class retreats this season has been centred on Hope. Each and every class has the opportunity to visit the Hidden Gem responding to the Pope’s call “Pilgrims of Hope”. Though in a new school with busy work, we still managed to organise ‘Come Dine with Me’ which called in British Traditional Afternoon Tea. There was a successful Staff Training which brought in brilliant input about involvement into the Catholicity of the Community. To the administration and staff, especially Mrs. Garfin and the staff and students chaplains, I say God bless you. I wish you all a grand break. God bless all you.
-Fr. Nicholas
Our Lady’s
It is quiete emphatic to say that, to grow ever young, continue to live among, with and like children. The brain having to deal with them remains ever child-like. It has been a great privilege honoured me to work in Our Lady’s RC High School-Higher Blackley. Journeying with this noble community for the past three academic years have been enriching and experiential to me. The well-established systems in the school have nurtured my ministry. From the well-organized staff and faithful student chaplains, I built a loving enthusiasm for school ministry on a higher level. I will dearly miss them. To the RE department headed by Miss Hampson and White, who organize diverse religious events making it smooth for me to anchor, God bless you. To the Pastoral Team (The trinity, I call them), for the trust and confidence they saw in me, giving me the office of Mentoring and Guidance, I say God bless you. To the SLT who journeyed along with me in ensuring a befitting Catholicity, I say God bless you. To the canteen department-the feeders (Andrea-angel on earth) for always ensuring I am well fed, I will miss the meals. To the entire teaching and non-teaching staff, for your support and care, thank you. As I move on, and another comes in. It is my humble plea that the same and even a more support is given to my brother who is coming in. God bless each and every one.
-Fr. Nicholas
The power of the tongue
“The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.” James 3:5-6
The tongue has an incredible power; it can bring blessing and life or curses and death. It can be a difficult thing to control and leave us with regret if we use our words to hurt. Working in Just Youth has helped me to notice the impact and the importance of words on people especially on young people. Words can build their self-confidence or create a lack of confidence which can affect their whole life. Young people see adults as their role models; therefore we must be particularly cautious about what and how we use words.
The retreats we facilitate help me to really pay attention to each words used and gives me the opportunity to always encourage young people. Because they are the future, we need to motivate and encourage them so they can become better people full of self-confidence and good values.
-Claudia
I arrived at Just Youth
During the festive season, just in time for Christmas. We welcomed students for our Christmas celebration and family and friends for our Carol night. A joyful and heart-warming introduction for the community.
This part of the year has been incredibly enriching for me. I’ve learned so much, and every visit to a school was a new adventure. It was eye-opening to observe different teaching styles and the friendly relationships between teachers and students – something that truly inspired me for my plans.
One of my favourite moments was when we welcomed children into our centre. There’s something special about seeing joy in a child’s eyes. Sunny days, laughter, flowers, children playing, sitting in the garden… it was simply lovely.
As we now look ahead to a new year, I am filled with mixed emotions- a little nostalgic because I’ll miss these moments, but also excited to return with fresh energy, ready to share more love, joy and new activities.
See you next year xoxo.
-Louange
Love and Forgiveness: The Art of Grace in a Broken World
In moments when wounds run deep and hearts grow distant, when hate and discrimination have overshadowed, When silence lingers where laughter once bloomed, and pain speaks louder than truth, love and Forgiveness rise as radical acts of defiance against bitterness and division.
Forgiveness can feel impossible when the hurt is raw. Yet, every time we choose love over resentment, we bear witness to something bigger than ourselves. It’s not about forgetting. it is about transforming the pain. Forgiveness does not say “you were right”, it says, “I choose peace.”
Jesus in his teachings went further to calls us not merely to forgive friends, but enemies, breaking open the very notion of love. In the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8), His words “neither do I condemn you” exemplify mercy that does not ignore brokenness but lifts people beyond it. Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, emphasized the qualities of love.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
1 Corinthians 13:4–8
To forgive is to free ourselves; to love is to refuse to let brokenness define our story. In choosing both, we do not erase the past rather, we write a future rooted in grace. To forgive is not just to forget, but to see the wound, and still choose not to bleed anew. As we strive to love and renew our forgiving spirit, may God be with us in our journey through Christ our Lord Amen.
-Ani Chimaobi Johnmary
Hello! My name is Caitlin, or Cait for short. I am training to become a mental health counsellor for children, with plans to further my education to become a psychiatrist for bereaved children. I joined the fabulous Just Youth team to do my placement and have loved every second and plan to continue in September. The work done by the full team inspires me, the work that they do in the community and wider is something I am proud to be a part of.
My interests include improving children’s mental health and promoting talking between children and their peers, family and teachers to share their feelings. I am grateful to the Just Youth team who have made me feel so comfortable and welcome, I have made very good friends here.
-Cait
I am so happy to share the amazing experiences I have this year, which is now coming to an end.
Just Youth organization has been a memorable this year, sharing wonderful activities through programs prepared by the whole team—who dedicate their time, passion, and love to imprint a lasting message with everyone who had the opportunity to join our events across the UK.
I would also like to personally acknowledge our team, which has been growing with the help of young people bringing fresh, and new ideas that have made our squad even stronger. Finally, I want to thank everyone—Just Youth team members, schools, teachers, and students—for giving me the opportunity to improve my English through all the activities I’ve been involved in.
-David
…we do this to keep our motive alive…
Hi our esteemed schools, Parishes and Youth organizations; welcome to our Just Youth summer newsletter. It has been yet another wonderful and thrilling academic year considering the intensity and number of retreats, missions, youth trainings and outreach programmes we’ve had with you. We thank God for His continuous strength (Philippians 4:13) He has granted us, not forgetting the school administrators, parish priests and all organizations who trusted Just Youth in this regard. We are so grateful for our working relationship which has been exceptional and we hope for the same in future.
My heartfelt gratitude goes to the Just Youth team; manager, technical team and the wonderful team of volunteers who work behind curtains for the great work we see. Muito obrigado!
As a retreat leader, serving in this position for the very first time, it looked tedious but along the way, I was massively reinforced by the team thus keeping my head up. While undertaking on our mission as Just Youth, we hold on to what Francis Libermann calls ‘practical union’ that is to say; emphasizing a deep and active connection with the divine in everyday life. And we do this to keep our motive alive by facilitating the spiritual, psychological, physical and emotional development of the young people for a just tomorrow.
While thanking God for His continuous guidance, we want to wish our young people wonderful summer holidays; relax, take a little rest and enjoy summer trips if you happen to travel. However, remain positive and focused. May God keep you strong, safe and healthy.
-Fr. Fabias
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email: justyouth21@gmail.com
Office Time
Monday to Friday
9AM – 4PM
Saturday and Sunday Closed The Spiritan Centre, Northallerton Rd, Salford M7 3TP
