Advent is always a special season of its own and doing our best to resist  the mad dash for Christmas, we tried our best to respect this special season and discover Advent as a time of expectant waiting, hopeful anticipation and cheerful preparation! As part of these preparations, a weekend open retreat was organised for those in Year 9 and above.

Throughout the year school groups come for residential retreats at Castlerigg  it is always heartening to see many of the young people return to Castlerigg, often on their own, for our open retreats. This is no mean feat as Hollie, aged 14, explained: “I was in the car on my way to Castlerigg and I was singing to music and I was very nervous as I was going to the Advent Retreat on my own because my friend couldn’t make it. We pulled up in the grounds and I started to shake; I was worried about being on my own the whole weekend and not fitting in with everyone. I was shown to my room and three girls from Barrow were already there. At first I didn’t think they would like me because they seemed completely different to me, so I went back downstairs, said goodbye to my mum and was playing on the guitar with one of the Castlerigg team. More people arrived and we had a buffet for tea. I sat with the girls that where in my room and they were really nice to me; I got along with them. I can’t believe that by the end of the weekend I was hugging all my new friends and said goodbye. The weekend was amazing and I had so much fun and there was nothing to worry about. I didn’t even want to leave. Amy, 15, from Barrow also said that the weekend made a deep impression upon her and changed her whole attitude towards Christmas. She writes, ‘I was looking forward to my weekend to Castlerigg Manor, for the Advent retreat. I had been earlier in the year and I enjoyed it so much, I jumped at the chance of going again. This amazing experience helped me sit back and relax, away from the Christmas chaos, and remember the real reason of Christmas. I met some inspiring people and made some lovely friends at the Manor, as well as taking part in prayer times, fun games, walking and many other brilliant experiences. I am now properly prepared for Christmas, after the Reconciliation Service and learning about the nativity. I now understand that prayer and candles are much more important than Christmas cards and flashing lights, and I feel fully prepared to welcome Jesus when the Day finally comes.’

We arrived at a hostel and were greeted by warm open fires and a beautiful meal prepared by Josie and Ann from Cleator and set off the next day out of Ennerdale towards Cleator where we joined Bishop Michael and hundreds of other pilgrims. For the young people it was an experience never to forget. One said that it was ‘great to experience my faith in the splendor of God’s creation and in the heart of nature and to know that I’m not alone in my faith. Saying the Rosary in the wind and rain on the side of a mountain was a great experience, as was the opportunity to discuss your relationship with God in a group’. Another added, ‘I’m glad God got us through that weather! He’s looking out for us – as always! It was a great way to round off the summer pilgrimages’.

For an uplifting account of the pilgrimage, read Lizzie’s write-up: BIG WALK 2011 

‘Lourdes is known to be one of the most Holy places in the Christian faith, not only because Our Lady appeared to Bernadette in the Grotto, but because people can have experiences there that they would never experience if they weren’t so focused on their faith in Lourdes. In my experience, Lourdes now feels like home. I think, in many ways, it is in Lourdes that I have come to terms with my life and accepted my circumstances. You see, I have Cerebral Palsy, which means that in my case, I am in a wheelchair. Prior to coming to Lourdes, I had my faith, definitely. In some way or another I always have, but I was confused about my life and where I stood in the world and because of this, I was shy around people at school because I thought that my wheelchair meant that it stopped me from doing things that an able-bodied person could easily do. Coming to Lourdes with the diocese has helped to settle my worries and fears about my circumstances. Lourdes showed me that God has a plan for everyone, and even though we may not like it at the time, we can leave it in the hands of God, and we have faith that things will turn out right, just as God intended it to be. I am no longer angry or upset about my circumstances, because I know that this was meant to be.  My Dad once told me that God deals you a hand, and He does that to see how you cope, to see what type of person you are, and as I believe that if it is to see how you cope and what type of person you are, then, for me, I think it was to show that I have faith, despite everything. I was born weighing 1lb 5oz and as any of my medical doctors would tell you, I wasn’t supposed to survive. They were close to losing me one a few occasions. So, really, it’s hard for me not to believe that my survival was put in the hands of God, and I was put on this Earth to cope with any situation, and I think God knows that I struggle sometimes. When I reflect upon the odds of my survival, I realise how lucky I am. Alright, it might not be the greatest circumstances, but compared to people who you see at Lourdes that are terminally ill, or have a serious condition, it dawns on you how grateful you should be, because rather than spending the rest of my life complaining about my own circumstances, I would rather channel my useless negative energy into something good to help others who are worse off than myself. Mahatma Ghandi once said “Be the change you want to see in the world.” So that’s what I’m going to set out to do, with every bit of faith that God will help me along the way. All of this was what I recieved from just talking to the V.I.P’s. They made me realize just how much there was to be grateful for, so, I couldn’t ask for much more than that. They made me realize that I would rather help people worse off than myself and “be the change you want to see in the world.”

And Maria from Preston writes: 

“This year’s annual Lourdes Pilgrimage yet again saw the youth service provide a great care and support for the V.I.Ps. Despite the constant downpour, our spirits were not dampened and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the week. The pilgrimage was started with an opening mass said by Bishop Michael Campbell for everyone part of the Lancaster group. This was a great way to start the week and gave a chance to be reunited with old faces! This was my fourth trip to Lourdes and I had wondered whether it would still hold the same appeal. But I was delighted to find that I need not have worried! The whole experience was wonderful. Any visit to Lourdes is a great spiritual experience but when you go as part of the youth section this feeling is greatly enhanced. The way in which the group work together enables us to help the V.I.Ps and this in turn leads us to strengthen our Catholic Faith. This year the Lancaster Diocese lead the torchlight procession, which is great considering we are one of the smallest dioceses that go to Lourdes. It was a lovely celebration despite the heavy rain and was enjoyed by all. Throughout the week the youth and the V.I.Ps alike took part in various masses, reconciliation services, Stations of the Cross and even a trip to the place St Bernadette lived in the town centre. The week was brought to a close with a party in one of the hotels which saw many talented singers, poets and dancers take to the stage to entertain us for the evening. To write about your time in Lourdes is difficult as the experience is one that is hard to put into words. If you haven’t been and are considering coming on the Lourdes Pilgrimage I would encourage you to come along as it’s a very valuable and rewarding experience.”

As part of her Media Studies, Sarah Taylor, 16, was asked to write an article on ‘young people’s interests’. Inspired by the impact that Lourdes had had upon some of her friends, she chose to interview three of her friends and wrote up this uplifting report:

Three teenagers in Barrow-in-Furness Cumbria decided to use this summer to make a difference. Kirby Moffett (16), Charlotte Ducie (16), and Beth Henderson (17), who attend Barrow Sixth Form College gave up their summer this year to fundraise for a very special cause.  Back in July the girls set off on the final part of their year long journey to accompany the Lancaster Diocese on an inspirational pilgrimage to Lourdes. Since Christmas last year all three worked exceptionally hard and gave up a lot of their free time to raise over £1500 to enable them to go on this trip. Beth Henderson, the oldest of the three, explains just how they raised this much money in a reasonably short amount of time. “It was extremely difficult to raise all of the money. It took almost a year for us to reach the total, but I feel that it was definitely worth the hard work. A great deal of the money raised came from the students at St.Bernard’s School and huge help from Miss Davey who worked with us there last year. In our last few weeks at the school we put on countless cake stalls, and sold lots of homemade confectionaries over the summer. We also spent a lot of time and effort in organising a charity concert for anyone interested in helping us, this helped us considerably. Castlerigg Manor has been amazing in ensuring our place on the trip, and although we were nervous being first-timers, we were welcomed and treated as equal as everyone else. Our local parish, St. Columba’s also gave us a lot of support in raising the remainder of the money”. The pilgrimage to Lourdes however was not in any way a holiday for these girls; at the point of getting to their destination they were to begin immediately helping the ‘VIP’s’ (elderly wheelchair users who go to Lourdes for individual reasons). These people are, as all of the girls described them, “so full of happiness and praise that it seems almost infectious despite the various conditions they may be suffering with.” Kirby Moffett explains why she decided to go on the pilgrimage despite the hard work and emotional activity that it entails. “Many people encouraged me to go to Lourdes. I had heard stories from a number of young pilgrims who had been before and what I heard was so inspiring. I didn’t understand how going away for a week could change your life so I had to experience it for myself. This was so important to me because I knew I was helping those who needed my support, whether the people I was caring for were really sick and this may be their final pilgrimage or whether it was an annual trip to experience with the diocese – it was something we could experience together. I feel that, yes, the fundraising took a lot of effort, but I came back from the pilgrimage with more faith than I have ever had in my life.”  Charlotte Ducie, the youngest of the girls, explains how religion is not an obstacle to this pilgrimage. “I was the last person to decide to go on the trip, because at first I thought that I was intruding in a way as I am not a strong believer in Catholicism. However after a long time thinking about it I decided that I wanted to encounter the experience first-hand and the main thing to me was to help the VIP’s. While I was there I learned about respect – not only for the people I was caring for but also for the things they believed in, because for some of the VIP’s Lourdes meant everything to them.”  Charlotte then went on to recall one of her most memorable moments on the trip. “I met a woman there; she is a wheelchair user and is partially blind. One day Beth and I took her out to purchase a pearl necklace and we had an enjoyable time shopping together. In some ways I felt that we were very alike. I then took her down to the grotto which is the site where Mary appeared to St. Bernadette. I watched as she splashed the holy water onto her eyes, and I led her with a lit candle to the place where her husband’s ashes are scattered. This moment had an extremely emotionally strong effect on me as I recognised in this instant how much Lourdes had meant to her and her husband.  All three girls explain how they matured greatly due to this experience over the summer and can now completely appreciate others needs. They encourage anyone thinking of taking part in the journey, and guarantee that it will be the best week of your life. Kirby, Charlotte and Beth are all planning to go to Lourdes again next year to re-visit the elderly and share again the uplifting experience with the Lancaster youth.

Please make all enquiries to: team@castleriggmanor.co.uk

Please click beneath for the booking form and the parental consent form.

Confirmation Weekend Booking Form

Consent Form for Confirmation Weekend

In this hectic world we now live in, let’s be thankful that there is a place where you can escape, at least for 48 hours, and contemplate on the real things in life. There are not many places where as a family you can meet new friends with a similar outlook, in an environment that is both safe and inspirational not only for the adults, but also for the younger members of the family.  From the moment we arrived at Castlerigg Manor, serenity and tranquillity seemed to descend.  The children were introduced to the other children in the group by the youth team. I can only speak on my own behalf, but the team at Castlerigg cannot be appreciated more. They were attentive, caring as well as an inspiration to the children.  The children were treated to activities that included cooking, den building and exploring.  Not only were the children having great fun, but they were being taught the underlying message of new life.  From morning prayers, through the activities of the day, to the composing atmosphere of the chapel at bedtime, the children learnt so much from these young people.  These brilliant people looked after the children so well that it allowed my wife and I to be able to listen fully to the different sessions and prayer times for the adults without interruption.  For me it was a time to listen, contemplate and possibly re-order the priorities in my life.  It was explained in a way that made me want to listen and re-affirm my faith. However, this was not the whole of the weekend.   With the wonderful weather and great company, we also had a time for a walk up Castle Head, take in the stunningly beautiful views of Derwent Water, Keswick and surrounding fells.  The families were treated to a bonfire where the children enjoyed eating roasted marshmallows and enjoying each other’s company. The weekend culminated on Sunday morning, with our family Mass.  This was a joyous celebration where each member of the families, from youngest to eldest, took an active role.  From art to drama, reading, music and offertory, the message of the Gospel was revealed. All in all I felt privileged to be a part of the experience.  It was not only a time that allowed me to recharge my batteries but also recharge my faith. In one of the liturgies, we looked at the Gospel for the weekend and asked to focus on one part that spoke to you.  For me it was when Jesus greeted his disciples with the words ‘Peace be with you’.  To me it is not a greeting, it is Jesus saying ‘forget what is going on around you and find peace in me’.  In a way, this weekend allowed me to concentrate on Jesus and found a peace that I had been looking for, for a long time. If there can be one criticism, then it has to be that the weekend is not long enough.  I know, God willing, that when Castlerigg announce the next family retreat we will be at the front of the queue to book. I can only encourage families who are in search of time to recharge themselves and their souls to follow.