Holy Rood Youth Ministry
Welcome to the Youth Ministry page at Holy RoodConfirmation Programme
For all information including dates for the current confirmation programme, please visit the Confirmation Information Page.
We want everyone involved in Youth Ministry activities and sessions, groups and events to feel welcome, at home and safe. Holy Rood Youth Ministry Team members and helpers will be following diocesan safeguarding guidelines and we expect young people, supported by their parents/ carers to look at and follow our code of conduct. Parents / carers will also need to have completed a YM consent form which can be downloaded here. To find out who the Safeguarding Representatives are at Holy Rood, click here, or to find out more about the Clifton Diocese Safeguarding Policy, follow the links at the Diocesan Website here.
Events
The Holy Rood Youth Ministry Team is keen to provide a varied programme of events, some regular and others one-off. If you have a suggestion for an event, please speak to a member of the team or contact us and we will be happy to discuss it.
Upcoming events
There are no events to tell you about for now!
Your Chance to Tell Us!
We love to hear from you – what you think about our activities, feedback on the webpages, ideas for events, basically about anything relevant to you and / or our journey together!
Clifton Youth Ministry
Holy Rood Youth Ministry is part of the wider Clifton Diocese Youth Ministry – click here for the Clifton Diocese Youth Ministry website pages to keep informed of what is going on throughout our area. You will find here other opportunities for attending summer camps too!
If you are interested in finding out about Youth Ministry across the country, try checking out the following websites:
Chosen Youth
Are you aged 16 years+ and interested in linking up with other young people who are eager to use their talents and ideas to spread the word of God? Chosen Youth is a group of vibrant and creative young people, part of Holy Rood Youth Ministry and supported by it. They can be contacted through the following link Chosen Youth
The Bible Hub
What do you do when life seems unfair?
How do you feel when your results are not what you were hoping for?
Do you believe in the promises God makes to you in the Bible?
We would love you to be creative with your favourite Bible verses – the ones that speak to you in the good times and the bad – the ones that have helped you through tough times. We would also love it if you felt able to share your creations with us so we can share them with others; your creation might speak to and help someone else who is going through their own tough time.
For more information, check in with Chosen Youth Bible Hub
Love Christmas
This advent Holy Rood Youth Ministry is supporting the National Initiative, Love Christmas from Love Your Neighbour. From Sunday 28th November there will be a Jesse tree in the church; you will see gift bags on the tree and everyone is invited to take one, fill it with the suggested contents, then return it when full. The bags will then be distributed among the local community, to help make Christmas a happier time for those who are struggling, for whatever reason.
To find out more, visit the website here.
Volunteering
We are always looking to recruit and train suitable new helpers. Could you be a helper? We are looking for more people for Children’s Liturgy of the Word, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. As a volunteer you will receive support from your team and via regular, monthly team building and training days. Do get in touch with us via the parish office or by email if you’d like to know more: hrym.swindon@cliftondiocese.com and / or download an application form below: You will be asked to complete a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check if you join our Youth Ministry Team.
Visit the Volunteers Page here
Carlo Acutis
On October 10th 2020 Carlo Acutis was beatified in Assisi. Although Italian, Carlo was born in London on 3 May 1991, baptised in the church of Our Lady of Dolours – just down the road from Chelsea football ground! He died of leukemia in Milan at the age of just 15. Carlo was a thoroughly normal teenager, but with a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. He was a computer wizard and he used his technical skills to spread the good news of Jesus. He developed a website which catalogued Eucharistic miracles, which became the genesis of The Eucharistic Miracles of the World, an international exhibition.
Acutis said, “to always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan. I’m happy to die because I’ve lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn’t have pleased God.”
What an inspiration to us all! Find out more about Carlo by watching this short video by CymFed:
Holy Hour
The next Youth Holy Hour is Wednesday 9th March 2022
Saint of the Month
Our saint for January is Saint Fabian.
Fabian was a Roman layman who came into the city from his farm one day as clergy and people were preparing to elect a new pope. Eusebius, a Church historian, says a dove flew in and settled on the head of Fabian. This sign united the votes of clergy and laity, and he was chosen unanimously. He led the Church for 14 years and died a martyr’s death during the persecution of Decius in 250 A.D. Saint Cyprian wrote to his successor that Fabian was an “incomparable” man whose glory in death matched the holiness and purity of his life.
Find out a bit more about him here……
Catholic Saints online – catholic.org/saints -is a great website for finding out about our Catholic Saints. For a mini bio on some of the more well know saints, follow this link.
Catholic Saints online – catholic.org/saints -is a great website for finding out about our Catholic Saints. For a mini bio on some of the more well know saints, follow this link.
Catholic Saints online – catholic.org/saints -is a great website for finding out about our Catholic Saints. For a mini bio on some of the more well know saints, follow this link.
Synod for a Synodal Church
The origin of the word synodal comes from two Greek words meaning being on the same road, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus. In practical terms, Pope Francis and Bishop Declan are asking us to gather as the Catholic Church right here and right now in this place in Swindon to listen to each other’s joys and hopes, and sadness’s and worries. We are being invited to listen to each other and speak together about how we can accompany each other as we seek to grow in holiness. Listening and speaking within the Church always involves prayer so that we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Resources Catalogue
Are you looking for a new prayer app or resource to help you with your faith journey? check out our online resource catalogue here.
Holy Rood Youth Ministry Officer
Hi, my name is Ruth Barrett and I have been in post as Youth Ministry Officer in Holy Rood since January 2018. I have been a parishioner at Holy Rood since 1997, and have done a variety of different jobs since moving to Swindon in 1985. Before taking on this role, I had been working as a Primary School Teacher having qualified in 2007. My vision for Youth Ministry in Holy Rood is to empower all our young people to live out an active Christian faith as part of the wider Catholic community in Swindon; to never be ashamed to own Christ as their Lord and Saviour and to become the unique people that God has intended them to be.
Born for This
Born for This is a wonderfully moving adaptation of Christ’s Passion in music and drama. HRYM is looking forward to when we are able to bring this production to Holy Rood once again.
Confirmation Programme
Confirmation at Holy Rood is constantly evolving – we aim to make the programme fun and relevant to Young People, so we use modern material and a small group format. Each session consists of games, group activities, DVD input and discussions in small groups. Enrolment on the programme is over a period of a few weeks once a year, online using the church registration system.
The current 2021/2022 confirmation programme is now underway for confirmation in July 2022. Registration for the next programme will be available from July 2022 onwards, for confirmation in the summer of 2023.
Candidates – click on Confirmation Programme above to go to the Confirmation Information Page!
World Youth Day – July / August 2023
World Youth Day is the largest gathering of Catholic Youth in the world and the next one originally planned for the summer of 2022, will now be held in the summer of 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. Interested Young People should notify us as soon as possible, since fundraising events pay for the costs involved in the trip. HRYM will support any Young Person wishing to attend WYD 2023, by assisting with fundraising activities and possibly a small bursary. Please speak to Ruth Barrett, HRYM Officer, for more details and to register your interest.