De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

Just read this wonderfully wise passge and it has very much struck a chord with me: "If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces, but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in.” (Frederick Buechner)

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated the 50th jubilee of Bro. Jacques Jouvance, member of our community in Liverpool. Bro. Jacques came to Liverpool upon his retirement as a teaching Brother in France in 2009, the year I transferred to our Southampton community. We've been in community together in Liverpool now since 2013. Jacques is a wonderful cook, green-fingered gardener and lovely company in community. This summer we went to World Youth Day together, helping to accompany a group of 120 French and Spanish young people. Twenty years ago this month I took my final vows as a De La Mennais Brother during a Mass at SFX College (it's 26 years since I started my life as a Brother). It's been a wild and wonderful ride since then. So many amazing experiences in the service of young people. It's been a privilege sharing them with the Brothers and lay people God has put on my path. And I've been so blessed to have made many friendships that continue to sustain and enrich me...

As I’m sure most of you will know, World Youth Day, the international Catholic youth festival held twice every five years, took place in Poland this summer. Here’s a sample of the Facebook posts that I wrote during the event, to give you a flavour of what we got up to. July 20th Met up with the 120 French and Spanish young people, accompanied by our team of young adult group leaders and Brothers. I hadn't finished eating and I was already being interviewed by Polish tv!! And now, we are in a local stadium doing The Birdie Song in Polish!!! Happy days :-) ... followed by some crazy zumba and Uptown Funk!! 2 local Polish priests got in on the act!! A beautiful mass in Kluczbork with our Polish hosts, the music led by a talented group of local young musicians. July 21st It's a small world. One of the Polish priests I spoke with last night is a missionary in Togo. He's brought to World Youth Day in Poland two young Togolese men from his parish in... Kara!!! = just next to the p...