XPLOSIV

‘Youth is not a time of life.  It is a state of mind.  It is not a matter of ripe cheeks, red lips and supple knees.  It is a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigour of the emotions.  It is a freshness of the deep things in life..’

2006 will be the year that marks the beginning of a huge new youth movement in the parish of Our Lady of Ransom. Meetings are already taking place, events being organised and there is a real sense of excitement and anticipation amongst the young people that have come forward to get involved.  It certainly has been some time since such youth activity has taken place in our parish.  In fact it was ten years ago under the direction of Father Julian when we last saw so much going on for the young people of Our Lady of Ransom.

It began with a core group of young people aged between 14 –18 yrs calling themselves ‘HYPAR’ (Happy Young People Around Rayleigh!).   Amongst other things, ‘HYPAR’ organised a very successful charity Rag Week that took place during the school holidays.  By day, there were treasure hunts around Rayleigh for the children, tea parties for the elderly, car washes outside the Hungry Horse etc.  By night Pope John Paul Hall hosted a variety of different events ranging from a Talent Show to a Bingo Night, Karaoke Night, a Country & Western Night, a Disco, a BBQ, a Youth Mass with the Gospel Choir and much more.  Every event was packed with people.  It was something that everyone talked about.  We even appeared in the local newspapers! Both Father Dorricott and Father Julian wholeheartedly supported the events that took place and for a good while there was a real buzz in the Parish.  The core group continued for a short time afterwards but as its members left for university and took on other pursuits, it gradually came to an end. 

Here we are now, ten years on, and in the meantime, a generation of young people have come and gone.  Things need to change rapidly and so in response to Father Martin’s plea for us all to become more active within our parish community and particularly with our youth, a new core group made up of our teenagers and young people has now been established called XPLOSIV.

The aim is for this committee of young people to literally lead the way forward. Just as with HYPAR, the young people involved in XPLOSIV come up with the ideas and we support them in whatever way we can.  Already the team have designed a logo for themselves, and together we have come up with a whole host of different ideas and events for 2006.  They include a Prom Night and a Battle of the Bands Night; day trips out and theatre trips to London and nearby performance venues; a web link from the parish website to a separate web page designed and managed by XPLOSIV; a Youth Mass once a month and more involvement with the Brentwood Diocese Youth Groups as a whole, a Charity Rag Week as we had in 1995, a craft exhibition, and eventually the aim to work towards creating a completely youth orientated space within a venue, with a snack bar; amusements, play stations’ dance mats, music room and so on.

We the supporters of XPLOSIV will be assisting the team by contacting youth coordinators from other churches to gain insight and ideas as to how they run their own youth groups. We will also be visiting the local catholic secondary schools to speak specifically to the young people of Our Lady of Ransom Parish to tell them of our plans and to appeal for their help in getting this youth movement up and running.  It is important to us that the young people from our Parish attending the local Catholic and Non Catholic schools are given the opportunity to have their say – whether they attend mass regularly or not.  Our aim is to engender enthusiasm amongst them and to encourage them to get involved in whatever way possible.  A monthly Youth Mass, for example, which would be wholly organised by the young people might be one way of helping them to take a more active role. Above all, our hope is to see them taking hold of this opportunity to work with us in founding a vibrant youth group within Our Lady of Ransom Parish.

To kick start 2006 off- we will be having a Launch Party on Friday 20th January 2006 for Yr 8 Upwards and A Talent Show on Saturday 28th January 2006 for Yr 5 Upwards.  Both events will be organised by XPLOSIV.  From then on, keep an eye on the newsletter as more events will be coming up.

Above all we want everyone to know that the core group XPLOSIV is not exclusive and anyone can join at anytime or simply come along and support the events taking place.  There will soon be a suggestion box at the back of the church for anyone to put forward their own ideas.  Anyone in the parish who would like to get more involved  in any of our forthcoming events, or would simply like further information, then please contact Clare Mason on 01268 784 278. 

The Parish Youth is just one part of the Church Community, and we really would like to liase with other groups so that we are all in effect moving forward together. If any representatives of other church organisations/groups would like to get in touch and have any ideas of how we might all link together then please do call on 01268 784278.

We would like to thank all of the young people involved in XPLOSIV and all those that have shown such an enthusiastic interest in this venture and we would like to encourage more to come forward.  This is an opportunity for you to mix with other like-minded people of your own age group, and to keep in touch with friends at different secondary schools.  

Our Parish Community is a rich tapestry of all sorts of different skills and talents, personalities and characters, ages and backgrounds.  If you have never volunteered to do anything before, but have always wanted to, or never taken part but always wished you had, well now is your chance.  ‘ It is never too late to be what you could have been’. 2006 is a New Year and a New Beginning for our Parish Youth and our Parish as a whole.  The future of the Parish is in our hands!

 ‘Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years.  People grow old only by deserting their ideals.  Years wrinkle their skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.  Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair – these are the long, long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust..’

Clare Mason