Join CAFOD’s national assembly online
On Thursday 18 June, 10.00-10.15am CAFOD will be hosting an online assembly for students in schools across the country.
Pentecost novena for younger children
Sr Susan Richert PBVM, a Presentation Sister and school chaplain, has produced a series of activities and prayer for families to use at home with primary age and nursery children in the nine days between Ascension Day and Pentecost. Read more
Online event: A Salesian Approach to working in schools
Salesian Youth Ministry is inviting everyone who works with young people in schools or similar settings to an online event on Wednesday 20 May, at 11:00 am (UK time!), via Zoom. The session will be led by Alison Burrowes, who is the Catholic Education Service’s North West Hub Development Officer for their ‘Formatio’ national strategy, which aims to develop Leadership programmes to form, nourish and sustain leaders of Catholic education. Until recently, Alison was Headteacher at Thornleigh Salesian College, Bolton.
The Kids’ Bulletin resource for Sunday Mass
If you haven’t come across it before, the Kids’ Bulletin is a blog created by a Catholic mum in Canada with weekly and seasonal downloadable resources to help children have some fun while getting more out of the readings at Sunday Mass. Now that families are following the Mass at home on Sundays, they are extra helpful in keeping young ones engaged and teaching them about the faith, and would be great for catechists to share with the families in their parishes. Read more
Easter animations & resources for children
The Bible Society’s range of Easter resources for children will be extra-valuable this year for parents to use at home.
Missio: ‘at home’ resources
As the coronavirus causes schools to close, Missio has produced free, downloadable resources to use with younger children in homeschooling, or for staff caring for younger children in school, and they plan to add to the range in the near future. Read more
‘Bringing church home’ prayer resource
Salesian educator, Fr David O’Malley SDB, has produced a resource for use at home in the coming weeks.
Lent in the Year of the Word
This Lent, Mission Together and Missio have two ranges of resources and activities for primary and for secondary age groups, geared to The Year of the Word, The God Who Speaks Read more
Resources for National Youth Sunday 2019
The new National Youth Sunday website is up and running with a range of resources for use in parishes, schools and families, and by individuals. The CYMFed team preparing the event has chosen the theme “Significance”, following on from this year’s Flame event, and inspired by Christus Vivit. Read more
Mission Together’s 2019-20 primary resources
To support the mission of Catholic primary schools, Mission Together have created lots of new resources for 2019-20 to help pupils engage with the Extraordinary Month of Mission, Little Way Week, and a new assembly to mark the canonisation of Blessed John Henry Newman – the first new English saint for over half a century.
Extraordinary Month of Mission – resources from Missio
I’m guessing you know that Pope Francis has declared October 2019 an Extraordinary Month of Mission (EMM). It’s a special month of prayer and action, calling all members of our Catholic community to renew their missionary commitment to share God’s love with everyone, everywhere. Read more
Resources to explore Synod and Christus Vivit
New resources created by young adults unpackage the Synod Final Document and Pope Francis’s exhortation, and offer reflections for youth workers.
Three Friends and the Miracle Man – Easter resources for younger children
The Bible Society’s new animated video takes Jairus’s daughter and the boy with the five loaves and two fishes on a journey where they discover who Jesus really is.
The video is on YouTube, and you can download it free from the Bible Society website, in English or Welsh. There is also a script and all-age service guide to enable you to explore the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and bring Three Friends and the Miracle Man to life at your church.
Journey through Lent with Missio – Secondary age
Missio’s resources for Lent 2019 include reflections that explore key words and concepts from the season, linking them with themes and actions that young people in the Secondary school age range can readily engage with and respond to. The three reflections have leaders’ notes and a set of PowerPoint slides, and feature the story of a young person supported by Missio. Each reflection can be delivered within 10 minutes – with or without the slides.
There is also a simple and accessible Stations of the Cross resource, which encourages young people to reflect on the lessons communicated through Jesus’ journey to the cross and apply them to contemporary issues. The resource is presented as a PowerPoint with leaders’ notes incorporated that suggest alternative ways to use the Stations.
Lent resources include Stations of the Cross for primary
This year’s Lent resources from Mission Together include a Stations of the Cross liturgical resource for the first time. Read more
Give it up – Lent resources from CAFOD
CAFOD has released a range of resources and guides for the ‘Give it up’ Lent campaign, including video, assemblies, prayer and liturgy, fundraising ideas; an ‘action a day’ calendar, and templates for publicising school events and fundraising.in newsletters and to local media.
Explore world changing principles with Million Minutes
Million Minutes develops new and innovative projects that help empower young people, inspired by the principles of Catholic social teaching, to reach out to those in need. Pictured above is Amy (from For Jimmy) a recipient of siLENT.
They’re offering assemblies and workshops to Catholic schools in England and Wales over the coming year to encourage young people to take an active role in social action and inspire them to change their world – arrange yours now!
Catechetical lessons for WYD prep & other uses
Panama2019 has produced a set of catechetical lessons to help prepare young people spiritually for January’s World Youth Day. The lessons can be downloaded as pdfs, and cover a range of topics and a variety of activities, following the ‘see, judge. act’ model.
Mission Together Advent 2018 resources
Mission Together has created new liturgies, assemblies and craft activities for 2018 to help primary age groups journey through Advent.
Refugee resources for young people
CAFOD has a range of resources for helping young people (secondary age) to engage with the issues around the global refugee crisis, including the short animation above.
It’s the CAFOD Advent Calendar 2018!
This year’s Advent calendar for secondary schools from CAFOD has a focus on refugees and includes daily class prayers.
National Youth Sunday 2018 Resources
Sunday 25th November, the feast of Christ the King, is National Youth Sunday. Resources for use in parish and school settings have been posted out, and can also be accessed through the Home Mission website (see below). Read more
Videos offer food for thought during #Synod2018
As the Synod unfolds, a series of videos featuring young people responding to the questions the Bishops are considering can provide useful talking points for schools, youth and chaplaincy groups,
The series is sponsored by the Synod of Bishops and produced by Catholic network Aleteia, in collaboration Catholic web TV TeleMATER. Videos in the series ask questions such as “What does family mean to you?” and “How can young people improve society?”
CAFOD Masterclasses for young adults
CAFOD is offering a series of free Masterclasses to young adults 18-30 who would like to develop their potential and skills in fundraising, communications or campaigning. The three short courses run alongside each other, so you can only do one at a time. Read more
Bible Society’s Resources – centenary of the end of WW1
This November marks the centenary of the Armistice that ended the First World War, and the Bible Society has a range of resources for primary and secondary ages groups to explore the issues around the ‘war to end all wars’. Read more
‘Complex Catholicism’ report can inform your youth work
The latest research into the lives and faith of young Catholic adults is essential reading for youth workers, and the report is accompanied by a valuable tool for applying the findings to your work with those you already reach, and in giving insights to reaching beyond this group.
The documents can be downloaded from Camino House and CYMFed, and hard copies can be ordered.
See our news article for more on the research and the launch event.
Caritas Volunteer Service makes volunteer matching easy
Looking for the right volunteer opportunities (for yourself or for the young people you work with), or finding suitable volunteers for your project, can be a time-consuming process. If you’re in London or Hertfordshire, Caritas Westminster’s Volunteer Service can match volunteers to projects, with a wide range of opportunities to suit different skills and interests, and the time people have available. AND – here’s the best bit – they want to extend this free service to cover the rest of the UK, which sounds like an excellent idea! (And if you’re in London on Tuesday 5th June 2018, visit their Volunteer Fair)
‘Trust the Road’: Preparing young people for life after school
The end of the summer term is on the horizon, bringing a time of change for many young people face as they leave or move school. ‘Trust the Road’, by Fr David O’Malley SDB, is a compact and highly useful book from Don Bosco Publications, that aims to guide them through the changes and choices they face, and offer a map for the road ahead. It’s composed of thought-provoking scenarios from contemporary life that can be read by individuals, or used as a basis for discussion and activities in schools and youth groups. Read more
‘God Calls’ – an app for 16-29s to deepen their spirituality
Have you seen the God Calls app from the National Office for Vocations? The app, aimed at 16-29 year olds, brings together daily scripture readings with reflection points, prayers, inspiring biographies of the saints and news and events from the Catholic world.
Easter resources for younger children from the Bible Society
The Bible Society has a range of resources to use with children around Easter. The Seriously Surprising Story is a video of the disciples’ meeting with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. You can download it from the website , or play it on youTube. There is a booklet to accompany the film – minimum donation of £2 for a single copy, or £1 if ordering in bulk. Read more