This Thursday and Friday we welcome to our 3 Churches Archbishop George Stack, the bishop of our diocese here in Cardiff. He comes to confirm young people from our families, and they have been preparing for this great day over some time. This included a Retreat Day at St David’s College a few Saturdays ago, a day I was glad to share with them.

I have to say I was very impressed with them. Although it ended up a large group, as we were joined by Confirmation candidates from St Joseph’s parish, I don’t think we had any behaviour problems. In fact, speaking as one of those asked this year to give input during the day, I found them very receptive, very attentive. They maintained a very deep silence as part of an initial session on the Calling of St Peter. During the Mass, where we incorporated other moments of St Peter’s life into the liturgy, they were all “tuned in”. During a 40 minute experience of the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus in the afternoon, some were so into it that they wanted to stay in the chapel afterwards.

God the Father now wants to fill them with His Spirit so that they can be ever more like Jesus, his Son. The Sacraments are events that God “does” through his people, the Church. They are literally “acts of God” – amazing! And that is the kind of Catholic young people that God wants – amazing ones. Amazing in faith, amazing in their way of life, amazing in their loving and caring, amazing builders of a better world…

So we welcome Archbishop Stack. As a bishop he is the successor of the Apostles, the very people who first received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we commemorated last week at Pentecost. We invite all parishioners to gather around our young people on Thursday and Friday, to support them and show them that real – and amazing – faith, hope and love that are God’s dream for them.

Fr Matthew