National Youth Sunday launch of Synod Fruits project

Bl Chiara Badano in 1987

On the Feast of Christ the King, National Youth Sunday, the Synod Fruits project launches its first fundraiser to help bring Pope Francis's message from Christus Vivit to life in exhibitions offered to Cathedrals around the country.

The team at Synod Fruits hope funds raised will enable them to exhibit portraits of twelve young saints, paired with extracts from Christus Vivit, in Cathedrals and city centre churches around the country in a bid to bring the richness of Pope Francis's message to more people. The portraits were created by young Catholic artist John Paul de Quay.

Pope Francis talks about 12 young Saints in Christus Vivit, as well as sharing reflections on Our Lady, 'Mary, the young woman of Nazareth'. He says that these thirteen have "devoted their lives to Christ" and in their short lives been "real prophets of change".

Pope Francis called for the whole Church to see how Christ works through the young each and every day and how young adults and young people can help us to remember the newness of the Gospel and better live it out in our modern world. For him it's young people and young adults, too often on the peripheries, who are key to the renewal of the Church.

He shared this message in Christus Vivit, his exhortation following the 2018 Synod on Youth, yet most in the Church haven't heard of it, never mind thought about how they can respond. Christus Vivit runs the risk of falling by the wayside because so many people just don't know about it.

The Synod Fruits project is trying to rectify this.

Synod Fruits is a grassroots project run by a small group of passionate young adults.

Project Coordinator, Chris Knowles, said: "Cathedrals and other city centre Churches are the best way to get the widest possible exposure to help engage individuals and groups in the wider Church with the message of Christus Vivit. It's important to share how young people have contributed so much to our Church over the last 2000 years, and have so much to offer it today.

"We have launched this fundraiser to help us cover the costs of our exhibition.

"To be able to fulfil our wish of bringing the message of Christus Vivit to more people - and with this sharing the incredible contributions of young people on our Church today - we need to cover our costs. We would be grateful of any contributions to the project!"

Father Michael Jones, Dean of Salford Cathedral, spoke of his excitement at welcoming the exhibition. "I am thoroughly impressed by this creative way of sharing the inspiring stories of these young saints. I look forward to the exhibition being present in Salford Cathedral and I encourage as many people as possible to take the opportunity to come and view it."

To donate to Synod Fruits and to help bring the exhibitions to Cathedrals and churches near you, visit the Synod Fruits fundraising page here: www.gofundme.com/f/tt33dv-young-saints-exhibit-sharing-christus-vivit

Synod Fruits is a project run by young adults that's trying to help the whole Church engage with the Christus Vivit and the whole 2018 Synod on Youth process. Chris Knowles is the project coordinator and is supported by Adam O'Boyle, Phil Callaghan and Megan Knowles.
You can contact the project coordinator Chris by emailing chris@cknowles.org.