Families & Youth

We are delighted to welcome a large number of families to Mass every weekend and to have our young people and families get involved in the life of the parish.  Do join us!

Family Mass

Families and children are welcome and encouraged to attend any of our Masses and services, but there is a dedicated Family Mass at 9.45am every Sunday particularly aimed at families with very young and primary-school-aged children. This Mass features music speciality selected to appeal to a younger audience, and the opportunity for those in Reception class upwards to attend their own celebration of the Liturgy during Mass.  The children begin the Mass with their parents and are then invited to make their way to the undercroft with our team of Children’s Liturgy Catechists to hear the Word of God and take part in some activities, before re-joining their parents during the Presentation of the Gifts. We are always keen to have new volunteers join the Children’s Liturgy team .  If you are interested please take a look at our Ministries & Groups page for more information.

Youth Mass

Once a month, the 6pm Mass on a Saturday evening is designated as a Youth Mass. Young people from Year 7 to Year 13, and beyond, are all very welcome to join and take an active role in this as Readers, Welcomers, Musicians and Altar Servers. Contact the Parish Office if you’d like to take part. This is followed by the OLOL Youth Group in the Undercroft, which is open to Year 9 Confirmation Candidates and young people in Year 10 and above for some food, some fun and some faith sharing time together.

Cry Chapel

If you are at any of our Masses with younger children and they become unsettled you can make use of the Cry Chapel.  YOu can find it in the entrance area of the church on the right hand side, next to the lift (the same room is used for the Sacrament of Reconciliation).

Preparation for the Sacraments

Receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation are important stages in the Christian journey for our children, young people and their families. You can find out more information about all the Sacraments in the Catholic Church and the how preparation to receive them is carried out in our parish in the Sacraments section of the website.

Opportunities for Young People

There are lots of opportunities for our young people to play an active part in the life of the parish and you can find more information and contact details of all our groups and ministries mentioned below in the Ministries & Groups section of the website.

• Altar Servers, make an important contribution to the celebration of the liturgy. Any boys or girls, who have made their First Communion, once trained, can serve at Mass. Anyone who would like to become an Altar Servers should contact the Parish Office, or have a word with Canon Dwyer.
• We very much welcome teenagers and young adults to become readers (Ministers of the Word) or to join our Welcoming Team.
• Any musicians (young or old!) who are Grade 3 or higher are welcome to join one of our music groups who play at 6pm and 9.45am Mass each weekend.
• Any child who has made their First Holy Communion can join the Choristers who sing at the 11.30am Mass, as well as performing at other services and concerts throughout the year.  All training will be given.
• At Christmas and Easter children in Years 3 to 6 are invited to take an active part in our parish Nativity Service on Christmas Eve and Children’s Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. Look out for announcements in the newsletter, on our News page or on social media nearer the time.  Anyone is welcome to attend these services.
• If you have a young person taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme you may like to contact some of our fundraising and voluntary groups to find out what opportunities they might have for volunteering.

Youth and Families Working Group

Conscious of the need to provide more support and opportunities for families and young people in our parish we are in the process of establishing a Youth & Families Working Group to research and investigate best practise and make recommendations to the Parish Pastoral Council.