In a relatively short amount of time Molly Christie has become a key member of her local Rainham parish community. In 2017 she started helping out at her local youth club aged sixteen and since then she has helped in all the youth programmes the church has including the youth band, Confirmation and youth formation. She even helps to put on social events for the whole parish, like the New Year Dawn Breakfast. Molly does a lot of behind the scenes preparation for various church services, learning from others and always available to help.
She took part in a trip to Ghana in the summer to help run a summer camp for local children and improve the communication and relationship between the parish and the project we are supporting there. Her commitment and the gift of her time has been important to the parish. She is an example to younger children who attend who don’t often see themselves reflected in the people working in the parish, and she is an important link with the older generations with whom she has fostered good relationships which have helped to dispel some opinions that older people had of young people.
Her nominator said, “Molly’s faith is an important aspect of who she is and what she gives to the church. She is not afraid to challenge the status quo, whilst also being able to support younger people that may have questions or doubts. I feel she embodies Pope Francis’ exhortation to ‘journey together, young and old’.”
Molly Christie, 18
St Thomas of Canterbury RC Church, Rainham (Diocese of Brentwood)