Following a second training day held at the Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation last Friday, 9 July, sixteen more young people will be helping to spread the word online during the Papal Visit to the United Kingdom from 16-19 September 2010. The day followed the successful event held in London on 24 June aimed at involving young people in the world of communication, particularly through social media.
The project is a collaboration between the CCN: the media arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and social media marketeers ‘Make Happy’.
Young Catholics from across the country came to Liverpool including from Salford, Wrexham, Menevia, Portsmouth and the ‘home’ Archdiocese of Liverpool. There were also representatives from the deaf community who will be sending pilgrims to Papal Visit events; including the first deaf young person to act as a Communication Officer for the visit.
Participants on the course were welcomed by the Most Reverend Patrick Kelly, Archbishop of Liverpool, who began the day by celebrating Mass with them. In his homily the Archbishop urged the pilgrims to place their work under the Word of God and to reflect on the ministry of the successor of St Peter saying: ‘Let all you do be under the word of God and let every means you use emerge not from some strange place but emerge from the deed to which you will bear witness’.
Following Mass, award winning broadcaster, Rob McLoughlin, gave the young people a tour of the media and reflected on a career in journalism. ‘Make Happy’ then continued to inspire them with theory and practical work in the field of social media.
