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.