On Saturday 5 July young people and young adults from across the Archdiocese of Birmingham gathered at St Chad’s Cathedral joining the Kenelm Youth Trust for a day exploring what it means to be a “Pilgrim of Hope”.

Throughout the day we were led by our wonderful MCs Tommy and Jas and heard from guest speakers, Fr Frankie Mulgrew and Canon Gary Buckby on 'finding Hope'.

Our young people carried on their exploration of what it means to be a pilgrim of hope by taking part in workshops by the SVP as well as workshops focusing on Our Lady creating rosaries to assist them in prayer, Walking with Jesus amidst the distractions of the world and, how Carlo Acutis’ message can inspire us today, finding love in the Eucharist.

Our young adults took the opportunity to journey on a “Walk of Hope” around Birmingham city centre, created and led by Father Hudsons Caritas.

This walk of hope enabled our young adults to open their eyes and hearts to the world around them. Leaving them to consider how they can can offer
hope to others in this Jubilee year.

In a day filled with reflection and exploring what it means to be a Pilgrim of Hope, even the breaktimes were filled with the opportunity to receive
reconciliation.

To bring our day to a close we joined together in the celebration of Mass with Bishop Timothy where young people offered up their jubilee pledges
and prayers of hope. Joining with parishioners from the Cathedral we were able to celebrate a shared faith and celebration of the jubilee year.

Bishop Timothy's Homily

Dear young pilgrims of Hope!

Bloom where you are planted. I don’t know whether you have ever been told to do that. To bloom where you are planted is simply to say: 
You have been created by God to live at this time, in this place.
Do all that you can to live in the circumstances which the Lord has given you.

The disciples were sent out two by two.
So, you are never alone in your life of faith or even in your evangelisation.

It is true that gatherings like this can support you when week by week it can take resilience to keep going when you are, perhaps, one of a small number of young people at Mass in your own parish.
Thank you for your faithfulness and  - be in no doubt at all - that your witness is seen and known and inspires its others.

The disciples were sent out as lambs among wolves. So even Jesus himself prepared his followers for a rough ride.
He gave them the words to say in good times and in bad.
And they return, amazed by what they have achieved - in his name.

I have been reflecting on what it means to be a Pilgrim of Hope.

In the course of my life, I have lived through the following:

In the 1970s.
The Silver Jubilee (the 25th anniversary) of Queen Elizabeth II.
(I remember that day because I was 7 and I spoilt a good street party by falling off my bike and having to go to hospital)

Also in 1977, the death of the singer and actor Elvis Presley. My American cousin was visiting us at the time and she reacted as though a member of the family had died - and I didn’t realise at the time that it was such big news. 

In 1978, a Year of 3 different Popes:
The death of Pope Paul VI
The inauguration of Pope John Paul I and his death just 33 days later. 
And the election of Pope John Paul II - who was Pope for just over 26 years.

In 1980, John Lennon of the Beatles was shot dead. Again, it didn’t mean a lot to me at the time. But it was clearly a big moment.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot in St Peter’s Square which could have impacted on his visit to the UK and to Coventry in 1982.
He always believed that Our Lady of Fatima’s protection saved him because it happened on her Feast Day, 13th May.

In 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car accident in Paris, and a few days later Mother Teresa of Calcutta died.

These are mainly about deaths but they are matters of world significance in my lifetime.

In 1999, the introduction of the Euro currency.

In 2001, my brother and I visited America and we were at the top of the World Trade Centre in New York on 14th August. And on 11th September that year, the buildings had collapsed as a result of terrorist attacks.

In 2010, Pope Benedict visited Birmingham and beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman.

The Olympics were held in London in 2012 & the Commonwealth Games here in Birmingham in 2022.

And we lived through a pandemic from March of 2020. It affected our lives in ways we could not imagine.

In terms of Jubilee Years, I don’t remember much of the Jubilee of 1975; I was 5.
The Year 2000 was an amazing time, a new Millennium and a Great Jubilee.
This Jubilee Year 2025 and Pilgrims of Hope.
And, if I live to see it, I shall be 80 in 25 years time for the next one.

Forgive me for talking about my own journey, but I have always considered that I have lived through some amazing times and experiences. I invite each person here to reflect on historic events  that are happening now, and even to keep a diary of what these things mean to you now. They will make for interesting reading one day.

It always strikes me that to have known a person in life - even to have lived at the same time as them,…when they have died they become a name or a photo that you can never really describe to somebody who did not know them.

Similarly, to imagine what a grandparent or great grandparent of years ago would have made of mobile phones, contactless giving or how they would have experienced Covid times is always open to speculation.

I didn’t live through World War II or the music of the Swinging 1960s and I might not live long enough to see my team, Wolverhampton Wanderers, ever win another trophy.

Today, each person here, whatever your age, comes with the story of your life so far: experiences, joys and sorrows, but it is in God’s plan for all eternity that you are the age you are and that you live through experiences that others might not have know.

Our new Pope Leo is a follower of St Augustine of Hippo, an African Bishop of the 5th century, and the son of St Monica.
St Augustine wrote this about having lived a wayward life in his youth and finding his true self a little later on:

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and are hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.

Do not doubt that this very day is a moment in history. In 25 years time, when I’m putting my false teeth in before Mass, and people ask: what were young people doing during the Jubilee Year 2025.

And you will remember: we were Pilgrims of Hope, Pope Leo was our new Pope.
We gathered in this Cathedral and we gave thanks for our life, our faith and the blessings we have known.

May the young people among us today be Pilgrims of Hope long after this Jubilee Year, and may your hope be a sign to our cities and our country and to the world in which we live that, like the first disciples of Jesus, you are ready to be sent out, filled with zeal for the Good News of Jesus Christ, inspired with the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and only restless… to make Christ known to hearts that are open to receiving him!

Find out more about the Kenelm Youth Trust (KYT)

Kenelm Youth Trust