Missio and Million Minutes!

The people who work at Missio are staying silent for a whole 24 hours. They already work for a charity; their work helps to raise funds and channel the support of thousands of Catholics in England and Wales who make the mission of the Church possible around the world.   They love their work - they know the difference their work makes to communities and vulnerable people around the world.

Here’s what they had to say

  • "We are inspired by Million Minutes to stand in solidarity with young people here and around the world so that they can be helped to live lives that respect their worth and help them fulfil their potential and make a contribution to a world that is better for everyone.
  • There are lots of reasons why we want to stay silent on 17 May. Here are some of them:
  • -We believe in young people and care about what happens to them
  • -We want to help young people take an active part in their communities
  • -We want to be quiet and listen to God speaking through young people
  • -We want to pray together for young people who are vulnerable and isolated and for all those who work with them offering fresh hope and opportunities
  • -We want to give thanks for having the opportunity to do something about it’
  • Young people, especially those at risk, have been at the heart of Missio’s work since 1842, particularly because it is they who are the apostles to other young people.  We are proud to share Million Minutes wonderful initiative and it will be a delight to have a haven of quiet – even for a few minutes."

Mgr John Dale, Missio National Director

You can sponsor the Missio team at www.bmycharity.com/frjohn

We Made It!

Thank you and well done to everybody who was silent over the weekend! Some people found it difficult at first, and others odd at times, but we're hearing that more than anything else people found it an incredibly rewarding experience and didn't want to stop!

Here's what a few people have said:

  • "Well, against all the odds I did manage to stay silent for 24 hours. The computer, phones, radio and television were all switched off and for the first few hours, I found it quite difficult. When my 24 hours were up, I was a little sad. I had gotten used to the silence and quite liked it. So I waited another hour or so before switching on my e-mail account and turning on the phone. Perhaps, I should try and have one quiet morning a week."
  • Louise, St Edmund’s, Millwall
  • "I had to flee from the parish for my day of silence – but I brought so much back to it as a result!  There is a great creative power of silence.  Silence is valuable – but it can so easily be an embarrassment; we feel the need to fill every lull in conversation by saying something – anything!  But the sign of a deep relationship with someone is to spend time in silence with them and not feel uncomfortable about it."
  • Fr Eddie Clare, Parish Priest, Redditch
  • "I have just completed my 24 hours of silence for Million Minutes. I started my silence finding things to do – dye my hair, paint my nails, update my blog, download some music, sleep, clean the house. And then I needed to find the peace and I feared this may be difficult. But I was looking forward to the silence because I needed time, time to sort my head out, to find my inner peace, to organise my thoughts and spend time in prayer."
  • Anna, from Cardiff

A group joined Margaret Mizen for a silent walk from St. Paul's Cathedral to Westminster Cathedral, peaking after her silent walk Margaret Mizen said:

  • “This has been amazing. We have acted in solidarity not just with the hundreds of people staying silent across the country but also with those young people whom Million Minutes hope to support. Young people today are wonderful and we must continue to promote how wonderful they are.”

Do email your experiences to info@millionminutes.org and good look to all of those who are still to stay silent!