Slí Eile has been rebranded as Magis Ireland, linking the Irish Jesuit youth ministry to similar projects all over the world.
“Jesuit provinces at an international level are trying to associate different works with different brands,” Padraig Swan, Director, Magis Ireland, explained to ciNews. Hence the name was changed to the known Jesuit name. “In essence the programmes we ran as Slí Eile are very much the same as we run in Magis.”
The programmes are Jesuit in that they focus on the spirituality of St Ignatius in their delivery and are in three main areas, viz. spirituality, justice and community.
Spirituality involves prayers, retreats and events such as World Youth Day; Justice involves international and local volunteering.
Community includes a group of six staying in Ballymun and there is an advertisement on the Magis website for new members for such a community.
Speaking at the launch of the new name, young adults associated with Slí Eile over the years spoke movingly about how the organisation, with its committed staff, had helped them through struggles with their faith. It also gave them the courage and the opportunity to get involved personally in issues of social justice, resulting in their volunteering work in Zambia, Jamaica and Colombia.
Padraig Swan explaining how Magis means more explained,” We are about community, providing a safe place for young people to explore personal issues around faith and justice andhence our motto, ‘more for your life, more for our world’.”
Padraig was also recently involved in a valuable new resource for youth ministries throughout Ireland, which is available from Veritas and titled Called Together Making the Difference.
With it, youth groups will not have to reinvent the wheel. “A parish or youth group can implement this,” Padraig told ciNews. “It gives them a framework and a structure.”
It is published on behalf of the National Committee of Diocesan Youth Directors (NCDYD) and the Commission for Pastoral Renewal and Adult Faith Development of the Irish Bishops’ Conference.
The process that led to the report was facilitated by the Redemptorist Provincial, Michael Kelleher who set up the Youth Ministry Studies Programme (YMSP).
Called together Making a Difference suggests ways in which the Catholic Church in Ireland can help young people to grow both personally and spiritually.
It states from the outset that it is important to understand what it is to be a young person in contemporary Ireland.
For example while some may have a strong yearning for meaningful experiences others have moved away from traditional definitions of spirituality and religion to no longer view the Church as an authority.
It offers guidance on goals for youth ministry and elements and themes for success including advocacy, catechesis, pastoral care, and leadership.
It emphasises the fact that the entire church community should be concerned with youth and there should be intergenerational activities.
Youth safeguarding procedures are highlighted in the report, which also states that that each Irish diocese should have a well-trained diocesan youth ministry team that can support parish teams, youth groups and those in second and third level education.
Above all, it recommends that the lines of communication between generations remain open –both ways.
www.magisireland.com
www.youthminstryireland.com
SIC: CIN/IE