LONDON
Over 500 youth from all over London, Reading, Swindon and beyond gathered at the Crystal Palace in Slough, London on July 19 for the 8th Annual Convention 2025, a day dedicated to praise, worship and spiritual renewal.
The atmosphere was charged with faith, joy, and unity, as young hearts came together with one mindset: to worship the Lord and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
MUSIC AND WORSHIP
The convention began with an uplifting praise and worship session led by Goa’s leading band, ‘The 7 Notes’. Their energy and passion brought the crowd to life, creating an atmosphere of reverence and celebration. Lead singer Myron also took a moment to share his personal testimony—a heartfelt journey of how he encountered Jesus and experienced deep transformation in his faith.
TALKS, TESTIMONIES
The convention featured a line-up of inspiring speakers, each delivering messages that resonated deeply with the audience.
Fr Paschal Uche, a vibrant priest from the Brentwood Diocese, captivated the crowd with his passion for Jesus Christ. His powerful testimony encouraged young people to seek a real and personal relationship with Jesus, emphasising that God meets them wherever they are.
Steve Murray, an internationally acclaimed Christian mime artists, moved the audience with his unique and emotional performances.
Through silent expression, Steve portrayed the Gospel in ways that words often cannot, reminding everyone of God’s love, sacrifice, and redemption. His brief sharing about his own faith journey and the power of creative ministry touched many hearts.
Sisters from the Missionaries of Charity, often called the ‘Sisters of Mother Teresa’, spoke about their engagement with Christ as embodied in radical love and service to the poorest of the poor.
They emphasised that true service to those in need is direct service to Jesus. They spoke about how their life was before joining the ministry and how life is now grounded in prayer, simplicity, and humility, and oriented around a profound trust in divine providence. They follow Mother Teresa’s call to “do whatever He tells you” in ministering to the materially and spiritually destitute, regardless of creed or background.
The very popular session of the day was “straight from the heart” hosted by Fr Lucas Rodrigues, the Youth Director and head of the Convention. Five youth were invited to share their own struggles and give their testimonies of everything they face in practicing their faith.
There was also a Message of Hope given by Fr Lucas with a focus on the Jubilee Year.
HOLY EUCHARIST
The spiritual high point of the day was the celebration of Holy Mass presided over by Auxiliary Bishop of Goa Simão Purificação Fernandes, who travelled especially for the event. The other concelebrants were Fr Lucas Rodrigues, Fr Felix D’Silva, and Fr Francis Colaco.
The Mass was a joyful encounter with the Lord, uniting everyone present in prayer, worship, and the Eucharist. Bishop Simão’s homily was filled with encouragement, urging the youth to live out their faith boldly and with love.
The Annual Youth convection is the biggest platform for the youth to gather together to witness and share their faith.
“This moment is to help young people discover Jesus and live faith more profoundly and stronger. We need to fight the counter culture that’s destroy young people and the faith,” said Fr Lucas.
He also spoke about the mission of the Swindon Youth "to be rooted in Christ and fan the flame of faith".
“This basically describes in a nutshell that the core team members are called to be in a deeper relationship with Christ and to share this faith with others through events, retreats and various other activities,” explained Fr Lucas.
“Personal prayer is important for the team and there is an expectation set for all to make their own efforts to build a relationship with Our Lord and to complement this, there are regular prayer meetings, Holy Hours, Rosary, Holy Mass, etc.”
MOMENTS, MEMORIES
According to the Youth Coordinator Mark Silva, the 8th Annual Convention 2025 was a grace-filled experience and served as a reminder that God continues to stir the hearts of the young and call them to greatness through Him.
“A big congratulations to Fr Lucas and the Swindon Youth core team for organising this event. The day was made memorable. The seeds planted during this convention will surely bear fruits in the lives of all who came with open heart,” said Mark.
