Dilexi Te Young Adults Reading Group
Reflection written by Chris Knowles, Programme Manager, Bon Secours Young Adults GB
Over six weeks a group of young adults came together to explore Dilexi Te, Pope Leo’s first teaching document which focused on our love for the poor. The opportunity to explore the document together and share our own reflections on the text, enabled by Bon Secours Young Adult Ministry and Million Minutes, helped us engage with the document at a much deeper level.
Dilexi Te, an Apostolic Exhortation published by Pope Leo in October 2025 but started by Pope Francis before his death, focuses on how central the poor are to the Church, both its mission and its identity. “I often wonder”, Pope Leo laments, “even though the teaching of Sacred Scripture is so clear about the poor, why many people continue to think that they can safely disregard the poor.” This document challenges both the wider Church to take Christ’s call to serve the poor seriously, but also each and every individual, that each, according to their own ability need to take this commitment seriously and not leave it to others.
Twenty people came, whenever they were able, each Thursday night for 75 minutes over a six week period having engaged with the chapter being explored that week. As rich and deep as the conversations were, there was plenty of opportunity to keep things light and build relationships with others who also cared about the Church’s mission in this area.
Joe Wells, Co-Founder of One Hope Project, a project of young adults encouraging creativity in music and other areas of ministry said “Joining the Dilexi Te reading group was a real blessing. As I read through the book, I found myself both inspired and challenged. Having the opportunity to unpack the content together online and hear the insights of others helped me to reflect even more deeply on Pope Leo’s writing. I’m involved in music ministry in the Church and undertake projects that help people to lead music and engage with it as a way of praying and encountering God. Following this reading group, I feel inspired to think more deeply about how our work can be a blessing to those on the margins and a place of encounter with the poor.”
The relationships built through the course of the six weeks have led the group to want to meet again, to both take on Magnifica Humanitas with a wider group of young adults, and come together in person to deepen relationships and explore how we God is calling us to bring to life the calls Pope Leo is giving us.
If there are those in their 20’s and 30’s interested in going deeper into where Pope Leo is calling the Church, reach out, stay in touch and keep eye out for upcoming opportunities!
CSAN Leadership Conference - Rome
Reflection written by Kate Wilkinson, CEO of Million Minutes
In the final week of May, I had the privilege of joining colleagues from across the Catholic social action network in Rome for the CSAN Leadership Conference. Bringing together leaders from charities, diocesan Caritas agencies and Catholic organisations from across England and Wales, it was a chance to step away from the day-to-day of our work and discern together about how we, as a collective, can build more compassionate communities.
For me, one of the greatest strengths of Million Minutes has always been our willingness to work collaboratively. Spending time with others who share a commitment to Catholic Social Teaching, justice and human dignity was both encouraging and energising. And in many of our discussions and times of discernment it was great to be able to bring in the voices and experiences of young people.
The conference invited us into four working groups: one on young people, one on the dignity of work, flourishing communities and the challenges facing our organisations.
Unsurprisingly, I found myself in the conversations around young people. We discussed the importance of l listening to young people but also and importantly moving beyond listening towards genuinely sharing power and responsibility with them. It reinforces something we strive to do every day at Million Minutes, to ensure young people are not just beneficiaries of our work but active partners in shaping it. This workstream greatly affirmed the work that we do and I was delighted to be able to share our work to help develop youth engagement across the network.
Alongside the workshops, we heard from inspiring speakers from across the global Caritas family and the wider Church. Each talk left me inspired with new ideas and dreams for the future of Million Minutes and many reinforced the need for our work and the way in which we work. It was great to hear, for example, from Rebecca Rathbone who is responsible for youth at Caritas International. To hear that internationally they are championing youth participation at trustee board level and beyond was great to hear and their call encouragement to each organisation to include young people and their experience was really encouraging.
A highlight was also attending the Papal audience and being able to visit the dicastery for integral human development as well as Caritas International. To hear from Pope Leo, and to meet with leaders in the dicastery and caritas international was a wonderful reminder of our connection with an international community who are also committed to the work we do.
I headed home after a truly wonderful conference feeling extremely grateful to be part of such a vibrant network of people committed to the common good. The conversations has during the week have already sparked new ideas and partnerships that I hope will benefit Million Minutes and, most importantly, the young people we exist to serve.
A huge thank you to the CSAN team for all their work in organising such an important and life-giving conference. I would also like to thank my colleagues who attended for their generosity in sharing and commitment to collaboration working for the good of all our communities.
The Archdiocese of Liverpool Social Action Conference
Reflection written by William Reay, Agents of Change young leader and participant in the Social Action Conference
The Liverpool Social Action conference is an annual event in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, bringing together people in faith-based charities, volunteers, and anyone with a particular interest in social justice advocacy and Catholic social teaching. The theme for this year was ‘Humanitas: Flourishing in Action’.
A small group of us met at the cathedral at 8:30 am in the morning, about 1 hour before the conference started we set up our workshop so we were prepared and could focus on the talks. It then got to 9:30 am, we all sat down in our seats and were welcomed by Lucy Raurer, part of the Social Action Team and Archbishop of Liverpool John Sherrington.
The first talk was on ‘The Church of Living Stones’ by Fr Maximillian Martin, who is a Franciscan friar serving as the provincial custos for the Order of Friars Minor Conventual and resides with the Greyfriars in Liverpool. I found the talk really interesting as I was able to learn much more about Saint Francis of Assisi and his life of poverty. The next talk was about ‘From Service to Communion: Exploring Humanitas for Our Time’ by Jenny Sinclair, the founder and director of Together for the Common Good (T4CG) The audience responded well to this, when speaking to people around me about what we heard somebody commented on how they are going to use those messages in their everyday life, everyone engaged well.
After the talks, there were 3 workshops and the first one was called ‘Everyday Human Kindness – Simple Actions for Racial Justice and Community Success’ by Justin Malewezi The founder of The Racial Justice House and a member of the Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ). The next workshop was ‘Why Laudato Si Still Matters – Integral Ecology and Human’ by John Paul de Quay who is the co-founder of the Ecological Conversion Group Charity and The Journey to 2030 Project. The final workshop, which I helped lead was by the Agents of Change Young Leaders, with Million Minutes.
Our workshop was called ‘In Our Words’ During the workshop, wepened with a prayer, by Sotaar and short speeches Firstly by Dylan on ‘Where I see my Faith Misunderstood’ and secondly by Emily on ‘How my Faith Leads me to Love, Serve and Act’ bWe then split into three breakout groups, to discuss what had been heard and then shared our thoughts with the rest of the room. Finally, we finished the workshop with a prayer, lead by myself, thanking all those who had attended the workshops, the Million Minutes team and blessing all the young people who want to have their voices heard.
Following the workshops , we then returned to our chairs where Dcn. John Sargent led a 20-minutes of conversations in the spirit I really enjoyed this as it was a very peaceful way to reflect and consider everything that we had heard. We then had some lunch before heading into the final talk which was called ‘Manifesto for Hope & Our Communities: A Renewed Vision of Human Society’ by Revd. James Green who is the CEO of Together Liverpool, a charity supporting churches and communities to develop practical responses to poverty, exclusion and social need. I really enjoyed reading parts of the manifesto and discussing our own communities and the problems they face.
Next, we had a panel discussion with five panel members, chairing the session was Cllr Jane Corbett, who is the counselor for Everton West Ward. The five panel members were, Professor Iain Buchan who is a professor at The University of Liverpool, Tiffany St James who is the Chief AI officer at the Liverpool City Region, Francis Stewart who is part of the Centre for Catholic Social Thought & Practice (CCSTP), Cllr Portia Fahey who is also a counselor for Everton North Ward, and Jenny Sinclair, Founder and Director of T4CG and the co-host of the Leaving Egypt podcastand Revd. Phil Jump Regional Minister and Team Leader of the North Western Baptist Association and chair of Churches Together in the Merseyside Region (CTMR) Overall, I found the panel very inspiring and noticed that everyone involved interacted with interesting and thoughtful questions.
Finally, Dcn. John Sargent ended the event with a final reflection on the day as a whole and Lucy Raurer thanked us for coming, initiating a round of applause for those who contributed and attended the event.
Refugee Week Prayer Vigil
Reflection written by Ioli Charalampopolou, Agents of Change young leader and participant in the Refugee Week event
On the 15th of June we spent a day in London participating in a meaningful programme centred on faith, social justice, and human dignity. Alongside the Columban Missionaries Britain, we joined a peaceful prayer protest advocating for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on our shared values, exploring how the teachings of scripture, the words of prophets, and the examples set by significant religious figures all emphasise compassion, inclusion, and the inherent dignity of every person.
A particularly powerful reflection focused on the fact that Jesus himself experienced life as a refugee. This highlighted the Christian responsibility to welcome and support those forced to flee conflict, persecution, or hardship, while also demonstrating how similar principles of hospitality and justice remain alive today. Listening to different perspectives reinforced the importance of promoting acceptance, understanding, and solidarity in an increasingly divided world.
The experience strengthened my appreciation of the role faith communities can play in advocating for human rights and supporting vulnerable people. It demonstrated that religious belief is not only expressed through worship but also through action, service, and standing alongside those in need. As a memorable reminder of the day, I was also given a spider plant, symbolising growth, care, and new beginnings.
Experience of SiLENT 2026
Reflection written by Michael Chambers, a participant in the SiLENT 2026 Campaign
Last week, I took part in a sponsored silence to raise money for Million Minutes, challenging myself to stay silent for a whole 24 hours. Each Lent, Million Minutes holds a campaign called SiLENT where they encourage people to raise money through sponsored silence.
I knew my SiLENT day was going to be difficult, but I hadn’t realised how difficult. For anyone that knows me, it can often be quite hard to get me to stop talking. The trouble with trying to stay completely silent, is you begin to notice all those ways in which you typically aren’t: humming, muttering to yourself (in my case, sometimes whole conversations are had), or even reading emails out loud. You suddenly become acutely aware of all those little ways that your brain keeps itself occupied throughout the day.
I believe that these ways your brain keeps things ticking over when you’re bored are natural – indeed, they are far better than “doomscrolling” on your phone endlessly. However, as Christians, we are called to be supernatural. Silence in the Christian tradition has existed since the very beginning: even the prophet Elijah heard the voice of God not in the storm, the earthquake, or the fire – but in the silence.
Silence, ironically, becomes a way to have a conversation as well – either with myself or with God – I am quiet in order to ensure that I am better disposed to listen. Indeed I found myself paying more attention to what people were saying to me, because I had to be aware of how I responded (not by words, but often my hand gestures and pointing). This is the heart of why Million Minutes runs this campaign each year; if we are to raise up and encourage youth voice we also must make sure that we are ready to listen to what they say. We can’t simply make token gestures, but we must be ready truly listen and have our minds and hearts truly changed.
Moreover, having to stay silent also opens the door to help us sympathise with those who are often unheard. In many cases this is young people – who often have so much they want to say – but, for example, in other cases, it might be those we see experiencing homelessness, with little-to-no agency of their own.
I even found the time to take a “prayer walk” at lunchtime, instead of staying in on my phone
I’ll admit that I wasn’t silent for the whole day, there were couple of slip-ups here and there: a “bless you” when I heard a sneeze, or calling out to my cat who was trying to enter through my bedroom window. But I think that speaking merely a handful of times (having never spent that long in silence in my entire life) is pretty good going!
Agents of Change: Rediscovering Hope in a Community of Young Leaders
Reflection written by Ioli Charalampopolou, a participant in the Million Minutes Agents of Change: Youth Leadership for Peace and Justice programme.
The Million Minutes Agents of Change leadership residential retreat from the 6th to the 8th of March 2026 was an unforgettable experience, not only because of the progress we made on our final project (more information to come about this soon), but also because of the remarkable people I encountered. Over those few days, I met an array of thoughtful and like-minded young people whose ideas, conversations, and perspectives taught me far more than I could have expected.
Our discussions were guided by several inspiring speakers, including Lucy and Clare from Durham University, Aisling from Pax Christi, and Tom from Million Minutes. Each of them generously shared their knowledge and encouraged us to explore new perspectives on passion, hope, justice, and peace. One particularly fascinating discussion focused on the subtle historical symbolism found in the Bible and how actions can be interpreted in different ways depending on cultural context. For instance, the well-known verse, “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, offer them the left also,” is often interpreted purely as a message of humility. However, when understood within its historical setting, the way a person struck another carried social meaning: a strike with the right palm implied equality, while one with the left suggested disrespect. This deeper understanding challenged me to reflect on how people’s actions are often shaped by their own interpretations of justice.
This conversation led us to consider how individual passions, formed by memories and imagined ideals of the world, can influence how people act on what they believe is right. For example, some individuals may believe that going to war in defence of their religion is justified, while others view even peaceful protest as an extreme measure. Exploring these contrasts encouraged us to question how passion, belief, and memory shape the ways people pursue justice.
During Lucy’s philosophical and theological seminar, we explored the roots of fear and reflected on whether relief can truly be experienced without first knowing fear. This idea draws on the philosophy of St Thomas Aquinas, who argued that good cannot be fully understood in the absence of evil. Building on this, we discussed how hope can be understaff as a powerful human passion or as a theological virtue and considered how meaningful change requires us to “agitate without irritating.” This phrase stayed with many of us and became a guiding idea as we began planning how to structure our event in the summer term.
A passage that resonated deeply throughout the retreat was Matthew 20:25–28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Guided by Bernie and Kate from Million Minutes, we explored how our event could represent, educate, and serve people. Through ‘conversations in the spirit’, I was able to hear incredibly thoughtful, honest, and real ideas from my peers. Their openness and sincerity filled me with hope that together we could create something truly meaningful. By sharing our experiences as Christians, discussing the importance of inclusion, recognising that if you exclude someone, you also exclude all of their ideas and encouraging one another’s contributions, we gradually shaped what began to feel like a genuinely empowering and liberating event.
If I had to choose a single moment that stood out above the rest, it would undoubtedly be the walk to and from Mass, as well as the Mass itself. Before attending the retreat, I hoped that it would help me rediscover a sense of hope in God’s world around me and it truly did. Seeing so many young people deeply committed to their faith yet also open to discussion and reflection was really moving. The peaceful walk through the village that evening sparked beautiful conversations that allowed me to connect more deeply with these inspiring young leaders. It was a moment of genuine connection that I will always remember.
I am immensely grateful to have been given the opportunity to take part in this retreat. It not only strengthened my faith but also reminded me of the power of thoughtful conversation and hopeful passion.
Rocketing into CYPR 25/26 following this year’s Launch
Reflection written by Bernie Goddard, Engagement Officer for Million Minutes
This year we have been overwhelmed by the response and sign-ups for Celebrating Young People: Revival 25/26 so far. Since we launched this year's fully resourced program at our launch event back in June, everything has fallen into place, bringing a varied and exciting mix of almost 40 schools, parishes, and youth groups from 16 dioceses nationally.
We are excited to be working with over 4000 young people and amplifying their voices not only in our work but with many other organisations who have contributed to this year's program. This is also an opportunity for young people to learn about how organisations such as Pax Christi, Young Christian Workers, CARJ (Catholic Association for Racial Justice), Caritas Salford, Common Good School, FCJ Centre for Spirituality and Eco Justice and many more live out Catholic Social Teaching in their work.
The opportunity to work with so many young people this year means that we will be able to have a broad outlook on what young people around the UK are thinking and feeling about the communities where they live and go to school and the parish communities they are part of, as well as the wider world and Church. This information is important not only for Million Minutes and our work but also for the organisations we work with and for young people themselves. These voices inspire change; they are a call to action and give us the knowledge and understanding needed to stand in solidarity with young people nationally. Celebrating Young People: Revival is about creating a culture of listening, giving reason to why and how we can live out Catholic Social teaching, praying and discerning how we are called to respond, being inspired to act, acting through faith and through dialogue with others, and finally celebrating the amazing things young people offer our world and Church.
We look forward sharing updates from our 25/26 cohort and invite you to join us in supporting and celebrating these inspiring young people.
From St Peter’s Square: A Final Tribute to Pope Francis
Reflection written by Kate Wilkinson, CEO of Million Minutes
Today, as I sit in St Peter’s Square, surrounded by people from every corner of the world and to my delight a huge amount of young people, I find myself reflecting on the extraordinary life and pontificate of Pope Francis. The weight of this moment is hard to put into words.
We have lost a pastor, a teacher and for us at Million Minutes: a guiding light. The atmosphere here is quite solemn, but there is a huge feeling of gratitude. That gratitude was shown so beautifully to me in the many rounds of applause that echoed around St Peter’s square as the Pope’s mortal remains were processed into the square at the beginning of the funeral mass and at the end as he made his final journey to his resting place. The crowds of young people, originally here for the Jubilee of Teenagers sum up for me the incredible legacy of Pope Francis. 200,000 of them are here, with flags and banners thanking Pope Francis for all he has done for them and the Church. Speaking to some of them, they see Pope Francis as someone who created space for them in the Church, a place where they could belong and be themselves. Many speak of how he has inspired them to strive to make the world a better place and stand up for the rights of others and against injustice. Many speak of his witness and the love that he showed to others, particularly the poor and the marginalized. I can’t help but feel that it is absolute providence that the Pope’s death and funeral coincided with this Jubilee of Teenagers, it showed the true reach of his pontificate and example. The crowd gathered for this funeral Mass shows the diversity of the Church and the diversity of all those deeply affected by his life and example. The presence of the young people in St Peter’s square this morning brought a hopeful atmosphere; although a sad and solemn occasion, the young people wanted to celebrate the life of this wonderful man, and their witness to the resurrection hope and joy was felt by everyone gathered.
From the moment Pope Francis stepped onto the balcony in 2013, he made it clear that his mission would be one of simplicity, humility and radical closeness to people, especially the young, the poor and the excluded. He didn’t just talk about young people; he listened to them. He made space for them. He believed in them. For all of us who work with young people, that belief is something more than comforting, it was a challenge to do better, a call to action. His words in Christus Vivit still echo in my mind today. He reminded the Church, and the world, that young people are not ‘the future’, they are the present. They have dreams, voices and ideas that are needed here and now, and our job is to walk beside them. That belief has shaped the work of Million Minutes in many ways. It gave us permission to think bigger about what young people could do, and it reminded us that the Church should always be a place where they are seen, heard and celebrated.
Pope Francis spoke often of accompaniment, about walking with people on the adventure of their life. That’s what we strive to do in every conversation, every project and every partnership. His example of leadership, a leadership rooted in mercy, compassion and deep listening, set a standard we will continue to aspire to.
Today, as I sit here after his funeral, I know we haven’t just lost a pope. We’ve lost a friend to the young, a voice of the voiceless, and a leader who truly believed the Church could be better, braver and more loving if we let young people help to shape its future. Pope Francis’s final gift to us is the ongoing challenge to build that kind of world. His legacy lives on every time a young person is given space to lead, every time their voices are heard and every time the Church opens its doors wider than before.
On behalf of everyone at Million Minutes and the many young people whose lives have been touched by his words and witness, thank you Pope Francis. You walked with us. You believed in us, and we will carry your vision forward.
May you rest in peace, good and faithful servant.
From Silence to Action: Young People Act Loud for Change this Lent
This year Million Minutes ran SiLENT 2025, our Lent fundraising campaign. However, we wanted to introduce something new. We wanted to really empower participants to turn those moments of silent reflection and prayer into action: so we introduced ActLoud.
The enthusiastic response to this new element of the campaign has been amazing to see, so we wanted to use this post to highlight some of the impressive stories we have heard about what young people have been up to and how they have gotten involved in their communities - embracing silence and acting loud.
Action Impact Youth Group of St Bede's Catholic High School, Lytham St Annes
St Bede’s Catholic High School committed themselves to ActLoud, where they worked with the Salvation Army in Blackpool, providing them with a donation of £300 for the Bridge Project, which feeds vulnerable people at lunchtime; they also donated a further £100 towards providing Easter eggs for disadvantaged children.
This fundraising was carried out by a group of Year 8 students, as part of an youth-led inter-faith project from St Bede's working with support from the Sisters of St Joseph of the Peace based in Nottingham.
Romero Impact Youth Group of Our Lady's Catholic High School, Preston
Year 8 students of the Romero Impact Youth Group, with the help of School Chaplain Sarah Lee, were inspired to organise a cake sale in school to raise funds for the Salvation Army Foodbank in Preston to support vulnerable families, and provide Easter eggs for disadvantaged children.
The youth group alongside Year 9 students also visit a Community Care Home project every two weeks, talking and playing games with the care home's residents.
Students of McAuley Catholic High School, Doncaster
Students in the upper school have taken part in SiLENT in various ways, including: having silent form prayer on Friday mornings, handing their phones to the Chaplain for the day, and some have even pledged their own personal silence.
Meanwhile, for Act Loud, both the lower and upper school have: gotten involved in litter-picking on the school's grounds, building a "kindness wall" with messages of hope, as well as raising awareness of social justice issues during assembly time.
The SiLENT 2025 campaign has truly been a beacon of inspiration, showcasing the power of silence and action in creating meaningful change. The creativity and dedication of young people from across these schools have been nothing short of remarkable.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all who have donated, participated, and supported SiLENT 2025. Your contributions have not only helped amplify the voices of young people but have also created ripples of hope and justice in communities far and wide. Together, you've made this campaign extraordinary.
Here's to continuing the journey of silence, reflection, and action in the years to come!
Volunteering with Milllion Minutes - Katerina's Story
Volunteering with Million Minutes has been an incredibly inspiring journey and I feel truly privileged to have experienced it. From the very first day, I was welcomed into a passionate and dedicated team, where I felt safe and valued despite stepping into an environment I knew little about, especially as am not a Catholic. The warmth, kindness, and support I received made it easy for me to grow both personally and professionally.
Joining Million Minutes came at a perfect time for me. After raising my family and completing my studies, I was eager to gain new skills and “fill the gap” in my CV. I was offered the opportunity – along with the freedom to explore creative ideas without fear of failure. Rather than feeling pressure to get everything right, I was empowered to experiment, innovate, and learn from experience. This trust allowed me to develop confidence, resilience, and a deeper understanding of effective communication.
I found myself immersed in a completely new world – one that combined the Catholic community's values with powerful social action. To understand this environment, I engaged deeply with the charity's mission, learning about its work, partnering organisations, and its various audiences. I delved into critical social issues such as racial justice, child poverty; I summarised important reports such as ‘The Cross of the Moment’ from the Boundary Breaking Project, and the final report of the Synod on Synodality, so we could accurately align our communication efforts with the charity's mission. Although the content was complex, each insight gained brought me closer to understanding the meaningful impact we could create and that by listening to diverse experiences and learning from them we could nurture healthier, more inclusive communities.
One of the most enriching aspects of my journey has been meeting inspiring women who are committed to driving positive change in society by creating safe spaces for young people, ensuring their voices are heard, valued and included. Working with Million Minutes has also reminded me that we all have unique gifts to share and important roles to play. Each step we take - no matter how small - can create ripples of meaningful change. By fostering trust, support, and respect, we can build stronger communities for the common good.
A particularly memorable experience was the work on our SiLent campaign, which invited people to spend time in silence, reflecting on the community's needs and how they could help addressing those needs. This year, we introduced an additional element- "Act Loud" - an inspiring call to turn those reflections into purposeful action. Inspired by this powerful message, I reached out to my local Catholic school and offered to help organise a litter-picking campaign in the area around the school. The event is scheduled for May, after Lent, once the school confirms the date with a partnering organisation. This act felt like a meaningful way to support the school community but also to set an example for my child, demonstrating the power of collective effort and the importance of caring for our environment.
Looking ahead, I intend to continue my involvement with the school community to ensure this positive change endures, keeping the area clean and safe for children.
If you're looking for an opportunity to make a difference, I encourage you to volunteer with Million Minutes. Whether you're seeking new experiences, hoping to give back to your community, or simply want to connect with inspiring people, you'll find a warm and welcoming environment where your contributions are valued. By stepping forward, you can play a vital role in creating lasting change - one small act at a time.
If you want to get involved with volunteering at Million Minutes, contact us here.
Welcome to Kate - Our Incoming CEO
Kate joins us as CEO with over a decade of experience in Catholic education and Catholic youth ministry; she has worked to inspire action, nurture spirituality and create opportunities for meaningful change. Kate is a former National President of the Young Christian Workers, has been involved in work nationally linked with the Universal Synod on Synodality as well as the Archdiocese of Liverpool’s 2020 synod and has worked as a school and college chaplain. She holds a BA in Theology from Heythrop College, University of London, and is currently completing an MA in Catholic Theology at the Centre for Catholic Studies, Durham University. Kate is also the current Provincial Coordinator for the Salesian Cooperators in Great Britain.
Originally from Manchester, Kate now lives in Blackburn and is excited to bring her passion for empowering young people and promoting Catholic Social Teaching to Million Minutes.
Welcome to Katerina - Our Communications Volunteer
We sat down with Katerina, our communications volunteer, to talk about what inspires her and her favourite Christmas traditions.
Q. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Thirteen years ago, I came to this country driven by curiosity and a desire to explore. Now, I’m a proud mum to a young daughter who attends a Catholic school, where she’s learning the values of compassion, community, and dignity—values that resonate deeply with me.
After spending six years raising my family and pursuing further education, I felt it was time to focus on my own personal and professional growth. That’s why I took the chance to volunteer with Million Minutes, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Q. Why did you decide to volunteer with Million Minutes?
I decided to volunteer with Million Minutes, because I wanted to be part of something meaningful. I believe we are raising a generation of smart, alert, and inquisitive children who have a voice and a vision for the world they live in. These young people are deeply aware of the importance of fellowship, justice and mutual respect, and we must ensure that their voices are heard. By providing them with the necessary resources and support, we empower them to make positive, lasting changes in the world. While I am not a Catholic myself, I’ve seen the positive impact faith and community support can have on young people which is why I was driven to get involved with its mission and help engage more parents and families in supporting the cause.
Q. What have you enjoyed about volunteering with Million Minutes
What I’ve enjoyed most about volunteering with Million Minutes is the variety of exciting and meaningful projects. Whether it’s writing a press release for the launch of Adventurous Accompaniment, summarizing impactful reports like the Synod on Synodality document or the Boundary Breaking project, or drafting content for social media and newsletters, each task has felt purposeful.
One of my favourite moments has been our team brainstorming meetings. There’s something so energizing about working together to find solutions or spark new ideas. Everyone contributes, building on each other’s thoughts—it feels like solving a puzzle as a team (and I love puzzles). Those moments of collaboration remind me of the power of shared creativity and how much we can achieve when we work together.
Q. What’s the most frequently used app on your phone?
Hmmm, apart from Yahoo mailbox and What’s App, I think it’s Ebay as I am always buying something for my daughter.
Q. If you could meet anyone (famous or not) from the past/present, who would it be and why?
If I could meet anyone, it would be Mother Teresa. She is an incredible inspiration for compassion and humanity, embodying selflessness and a deep commitment to serving others. Her dedication to helping the most vulnerable in society is a powerful reminder of what it means to live a life of purpose and love. I would love to hear about her experiences firsthand and learn from her wisdom about finding strength in faith and kindness in even the smallest acts.
Q. With the festive season being upon us, do you have any traditions that you look forward to at this time of year?
I absolutely do. My mum is visiting us from Bulgaria for Christmas, and I am really looking forward to spending some quality time with her. My favourite moment of the festive season is Christmas Eve when the whole family gathers to share a traditional vegan meal. It’s a special tradition where we prepare a specific number of dishes- 7 for the days of the week, 9 for the months of pregnancy or 12 for the months in the year. We also bake a special soda bread with a coin hidden inside. Whoever finds the coin is believed to be blessed with health and prosperity for the coming year. It’s such a meaningful tradition filled with love and gratitude, and I cherish these moments of togetherness.
Q. What would you say to anyone who might be thinking about volunteering?
This experience has been both inspiring and transformative, showing me, how you can contribute to something bigger, while growing personally and professionally. It’s a sharing of knowledge, skills and perspectives that creates a feeling of unity and mutual support. I’ve also seen how effective communication can inspire action and make a real impact.
If you’re interested in volunteering with Million Minutes, get in touch by completing the ‘Contact Us’ form on our website and be part of something meaningful! Let’s build a community that strives to put the voices of young people at the heart of positive change.
Press Release: Million Minutes launches Adventurous Accompaniment
Million Minutes are excited to announce the launch of Adventurous Accompaniment, an opportunity to explore the art of accompaniment through research-based, high-quality resources and bespoke facilitation. Work with us to explore how this may deepen understanding of Catholic communities and enhance pastoral areas of work.
We need only to accompany and encourage them, trusting a little more in the Holy Spirit.
Pope Francis, Christus Vivit (2019)
In 2019, Pope Francis released the post-synodal exhortation Christus Vivit, where he emphasised the call for the Church to walk at people’s side - “a church which accompanies” (World Youth Day, 2013). Then, following personal experiences of the need for accompaniment during lockdown, Million Minutes and friends (Aseel Gilbert, Amy Cameron, David Wells, Danny Curtin, Phil Callaghan and Abbot Christopher Jamison OSB), together with the generous support of Jesuits in Britain and The English Benedictine Congregation, came together and commissioned research to better understand how accompaniment was practiced within Catholic spaces.
This research highlighted a need for a renewed vision of accompaniment, one which allowed each person (the accompanier and the accompanied) to be led by the Holy Spirit on an “adventure” – walking along, side by side.
Over the last few years, we have worked with parishes, dioceses and organisations to pilot and develop a set of resources and facilitated workshops to understand and explore the uses of Adventurous Accompaniment.
Synodality seems to sit really well with Adventurous Accompaniment...[it] also involves a change in mindset...to one which involves us all being open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Adventurous Accompaniment, Pilot Feedback
We are excited to work with Catholic communities across the country, to explore how Adventurous Accompaniment can lead to community-building, participation and mission in your diocese, school, parish or organisation. If you want to find out more, please visit www.accompanier.co.uk.
The synodal process has renewed the awareness that listening is an essential component of every aspect of the Church’s life: administering sacraments, in particular that of Reconciliation, catechesis, formation and pastoral accompaniment.
XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Final Document (2024)
Young Caritas Europa Forum 2024
Million Minutes and CSAN staff recently participated in the Young Caritas Europa Forum, hosted by Caritas Europa in Athens. This was a weekend gathering of young adults from organisations across the Caritas Europa network to share experiences, learn more about the work of Caritas in Europe, and to discuss how to encourage young people to be involved in volunteering throughout the Caritas Network.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Rathbone, Caritas Youth
Bernie Goddard reflects: “We spent a morning learning about the work which Caritas Hellas does throughout Greece, and in particular the work that the Adama Project does with refugees and migrants. This includes supporting people through the asylum process, especially in looking for work. We then had an opportunity to learn about ways that young adults are working with refugees and migrants in countries such as Italy, Slovenia and Lithuania.
Many of these volunteers are involved in creating activities for children and families and delivering educational resources in schools, informing young people about the journeys refugees take and the difficulties they often face.
Our second day started by looking at what motivates us and how we can build charity in our communities. This involved a group activity that addressed how we can engage young people and young adults to actively participate within our organisations. This was a great opportunity to share ideas and look at how Caritas organisations work in each country and enabled us to reflect on our own methods of youth and young adult outreach in England and Wales.
We ended the afternoon with a scavenger hunt using scenarios which people often face when they are fleeing their countries, where my group looked at fleeing from climate-related impacts on livelihoods.
The weekend was a fantastic opportunity to learn, network and share the work which we all do within the Caritas social justice networks.
We wish to thank CSAN, Caritas Europa and all its affiliated organisations, for their hospitality and for providing us with an inspiring and thought-provoking weekend.
Celebrating Young People: Revival 2024
Celebrating Young People: Revival 2024 - Dialogue
This year we launched Celebrating Young People: Revival (CYPR), a project that seeks to put youth voice at the heart of change in communities. We worked with seven schools over the year, seeking to better understand young people's perspectives on issues that affect them within their communities. We have taken them on a learning journey to consider how young people can effect change through social action, prayer, and dialogue.
The 6 steps of CYPR have allowed an open platform for students to speak up and be heard. These steps have included asking questions directly, rather than presuming answers. The responses we received have been insightful, honest and challenging.
Importantly, at each stage, the young people's responses have been fed back to each school to give an understanding and perspective on the issues their students are concerned about. The young people have followed, not only by praying for some of theses issues, but also looking at what Catholic Social Teaching says on some of these topics. We also recorded a webinar with young leaders, to ask them about the importance of leadership, and how it feels for them to be inspiring others to be a change in the communities around them.
We celebrated the sixth step of our programme 'Dialogue', with an event at St Vincent's MissionHub in Sheffield. This was an opportunity to thank, encourage and celebrate the young people who were a part of this year's CYPR programme. We spent some time reflecting on the issues that had been raised over the previous steps, affecting both their local communities and the rest of the world. We delved deeper by looking at how young people can - and already are - making positive changes within schools, communities and the world. By calling the group to action in this way, it gave them the opportunity to look at and start planning what could be done to make change within the communities around them.
We hope to continue building relationships with Catholic schools, colleges and students over the next year, journeying with them and continuing to accompany them, guided by their voices on what young people want, need and feel is important to them.
We wish to thank our 7 schools that we have journeyed with this year, as well as Pax Christi and the Diocese of Hallam Youth Ministry for their collaboration and partnership.
We will be running our CYPR programme again over the next academic year. We are currently looking for schools and partners to work with us on this project. For more information contact bernie@millionminutes.org.
Accompaniment in Catechesis and Children's Liturgy
Anita delivered a day of reflection entitled Accompaniment within Catechesis and Children's Liturgy, for catechists and children's liturgists across the South Buckinghamshire Pastoral Area. The group reflected on sections of Pope Francis' letter on the Institution of the Ministry of Catechist and how accompaniment is cultivated through the wide range of formation and sacramental preparation activities being delivered throughout the pastoral area. The group were invited to recall and share their motivations behind wanting to be a catechist, and consider 'who' is being accompanied within and beyond moments of formation and sacramental preparation.
By reflecting together on both highlights and challenges of formation and sacramental preparation, the group were offered words of encouragement taken from Pope Francis to catechists: to live lives centred in Christ, the source of love, and with that be 'happy and full of joy always and despite everything' (Pope Francis, To Participants in the Third International Congress of Catechists, September 2022).
To find and focus on joy within any catechetical programme, whatever the attendance, number of volunteers or retention rate may be, is a key part of this important ministry.
We look forward to hearing more about their journey and the joy they find in accompanying young people in their parishes and we wish them every success along the way.
Towards Impactful Youth Ministry and Outreach - UCM Study Days 2024
In June, Million Minutes and Diocese of Hallam Youth Ministry were invited by the Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM) to facilitate their annual study days. The theme this year was ‘Towards Impactful Youth Ministry and Outreach’.
We discussed our hopes for the outcome of these study days, which included (but was not limited to): knowing more about the issues young people face, how to engage specifically with young people in parish settings and how to attract young people to be active members of church communities.
We reflected on the life span of young people aged 11-18 today, looking at the years 2006-2024. We discussed the many significant political, economic, religious and cultural events that have taken place in that time. Thinking of the UCM members’ own experiences around similar events that have happened in their lifetime, we were able to highlight how significant events and times shape the trajectories of the lives of all young people.
At the start of the second day, we opened by talking about the existing youth ministry work across England and Wales. We used this as a starting point to talk about opportunities that we can pass on to young people in our own settings; taking those existing opportunities for young people, we then considered the systemic changes that we could make in order to enhance existing opportunities or create more of them.
At the end of the final day, we invited small groups to reflect on what they had heard so far. They were encouraged to think again about their motivations for working with young people, where it became clear that they were now better equipped to articulate these motivations. They spoke about how they value young people as individuals, how they must meet young people where they are (and not where they think young people should be), and how they celebrate young people for their joy and enthusiasm.
“We need to recognise that for young people life is not a continuous party. We shall hold them in our prayers to give strength and courage as they encounter difficulties in life”
We are grateful to the UCM for the invitation to facilitate over these study days. It has been a real joy to work with the youthful energy of UCM members. We would welcome any future opportunities to work collaboratively with members of the UCM to accompany young people.
Schools Workshop Facilitation - Holy Cross, Kingston & De La Salle, Saint Helens
At the end of June, Bernie went to Holy Cross Girls Schools and De La Salle School to take part in their respective Faith in Action and Culture days.
After delivering the keynote speech at Holy Cross on the importance of using our voices as a tool for change and putting our faith into action, the students joined Bernie for workshop sessions where they could look deeper into what this means to them. In these workshops, the students looked at how they, as young people, can make a difference by putting their faith into action on issues they care about. In particular, they looked at how they could use their social media platforms to promote inclusivity as well as advocate on issues that they deal with day-to-day.
At the De La Salle school, Bernie looked Pope Francis' encyclical Fratelli Tutti. As part of this workshop, they looked at what culture means to everyone, including our misconceptions of other cultures, and how we can express and celebrate all culture. Whilst there, they discussed the importance of understanding other cultures and the issues faced by young people - both nationally, and as members of Catholic communities. The day ended with a marketplace of stalls, various activities and music - with dancing and food from around the world.
Both days were fantastic, and they provided an excellent opportunity for us to engage with young people, working with them to talk about the issues they hold close as well as celebrating other cultures.
Placing (Young) People at the Heart of Communities – Million Minutes at Called to Action: A Citizens UK Event
“We are never at the end of what we do, nor are we at the beginning, we are in the middle”
-Gabriel, young person, St Bonaventure’s
On Tuesday 2nd July, Million Minutes attended Called to Action, a day of celebration, reflection and inspiration run by Citizens UK. One hundred and fifty young people, accompanied by school leadership attended to share the amazing work they have been doing as community organisers, and through this living out principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
Citizens UK’s approach to community involves deep listening and hearing the stories and lived realities of people. Groups encourage others to get involved in campaigns and hold meetings with people in power to hear these stories. This methodology places people at the heart of community and at Million Minutes we advocate for the voices of young people to be at the heart of communities.
We heard many stories of successful community campaigns including getting mental health counsellors across all schools in Brighton and Hove council, advocating for living wage accreditation among employers like London City Airport, Tate and Lyle and the London Excel, securing £1 bus fares for 16-21 year olds across Tyne and Wear, creating resources and promoting dialogue for inclusion and breaking down barriers that cause racism in a community in Birmingham.
We have been inspired listening to these first-hand stories of young people, experiencing their tangible passion for change, and learning about their fun and creative ways of campaigning. These young people are leading their communities, they inspire hope.
Guest speakers including Cardinal Nichols, Raymond Friel and Anita Motha from Million Minutes helped to frame the day in Catholic Social Teaching and the Common Good. The Cardinal reminded us that the Common Good does not and should never exclude people, he told us: “if anyone is left out, then it has failed” – it is no longer the common good. Working for the common good requires us to listen to and serve everyone. Raymond shared the rich history of Catholic social teaching across different cultural contexts, and Anita thanked the group for sharing their profound wisdom with us and called Catholic communities and young people to work together to continue to advocate for the voices of young leaders and changemakers.
We took the opportunity to ask the youth panel for advice on how CEOs of Catholic charities could help to support this shared goal of working towards the Common Good. They said:
“Be transparent. Don’t make us empty promises or tell us you’re going to do something and don’t. We would rather have leaders be honest and upfront.”
“You should consider being open and taking the ideas of people who think outside the box.”
We have taken this on board and have come away even more energised to work with our Catholic schools and organisations like Citizens UK to place youth voice at the centre of driving change our Catholic communities.
If you think outside the box and would like to get involved with our work, consider joining our board of trustees (over 18), or one of our advisory groups: schools or youth. To find out more contact us at info@millionminutes.org
Towards Hope: Strategy 2023-28
On this feast of St John Bosco, patron saint of young people, and the twelfth anniversary of Million Minutes, we are excited to share our new three year strategy entitled ‘Towards Hope: A Journey of Inclusion, Accompaniment and Renewal’. Looking forward to the next three years we have placed the theme of ‘accompaniment’ at the heart of our work and our mission is to equip the church to more effectively accompany all young people.
To engage in an authentic process of accompaniment we have to walk alongside young people and start listening out for the voices and needs that are highlighted. By working in this way with young people and their communities, we hope to respond to and empower young people and deliver projects that are both youth-centred and transform communities.
‘I am delighted to share some of our hopes and plans for the next three years on such a special feast day. I take inspiration from the life of St John Bosco who gives us a great example of reaching out to young people, meeting them in their environments and communities with a gentle presence and loving kindness. He was renowned for literally walking alongside young people in whatever situations they faced and for advocating for change on behalf of their needs in the height of the industrial revolution, in 19th century Italy. He was considered progressive, innovative, an ‘interrupter’, even counter-cultural; he challenged the status quo by putting the needs of young people at the heart of societal change.
Young people today live in a very different physical world to 19th century Italy. They are living in the midst of a digital and technological revolution in an vastly different geopolitical space. Though their needs may differ but we may take inspiration and hope from St John Bosco who reminds us to ‘read the signs of our times’ and meet the needs of young people where they are at. We know that this process of accompaniment works and can unlock meaningful encounters and the potential for working together for change. We a thrilled to invite others to work together with us to truly understand and serve the needs of young people in our communities.’ - Anita Motha, CEO Million Minutes.
To read more about our plans and dreams for 2023-25 download the strategy paper and contact us to find out how you can support our work.