Tuesday 18 November 2008

Let's do some research ...

... into the blindingly obvious? Or, perhaps, to ignore the blindingly obvious?

Independent Catholic News are carrying the following news item.

Bishops to research youth ministry provision in England and Wales
In a brief statement on Friday, the Bishops' Conference announced plans to carry out research into the provision of youth ministry in England and Wales. Monsignor Andrew J Faley, Assistant General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales wrote:

Following the closure of the Catholic Youth Services earlier this year, the Bishops of England and Wales have instructed that research is to be carried out to determine the current provision for youth ministry within the Dioceses, and directions for further development. This work will be carried out by an Interim Youth Ministry Co-ordinator under the supervision of Bishop Kieran Conry, within the Bishops' Department of Evangelisation and Catechesis.


One shouldn't really generalise, and there are some aspects of the ministry of diocesan youth services that have value (and some that probably don't have value), but .....

..... some of the best youth ministry in the UK is to be found in the work of the new movements, or among clergy and young people who have received a formation from one or other of those movements.

It's not rocket science, and it doesn't take a research project to realise that.

So will the new movements be ignored in this research? Or, if not ignored, will it effectively marginalise them? Or, more positively, will it be used as an opportunity to grow the collaboration/ecclesial communion between dioceses and movements, between hierarchical structure and charismatic gifts?

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