What can a young person actually do to become more involved in parish life?
For seven young people taking part in the Pope John Paul II Award in Carndonagh, the answer has included some very ordinary things — looking after their church, helping to prepare for important celebrations, reading at Mass and even using their digital skills to help their parish.
Their experience, shared by Donal Farren in the May 2026 edition of The Net, the Diocese of Derry’s monthly publication sharing stories of faith and parish life, offers a simple example of how young people can find their own place within the life of a parish.
Finding ways to help
A dedicated initiative was introduced at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Carndonagh, Co Donegal, for young people undertaking the Pope John Paul II Award in the parish.
Over the year, the seven volunteers became involved in a wide variety of activities.
Some were everyday jobs that simply needed to be done: restocking votive candles and cleaning the church.
At other times they helped the parish prepare for the important seasons and celebrations of the Church year.
Before Christmas, they prepared five Advent wreaths and helped put up window displays and Christmas trees. Outside the church, they planted daffodils around the grounds and replanted planters in preparation for First Communions and Confirmations.
Then came Holy Week.
The young people returned several times to help prepare the church. They emptied and refilled holy water fonts, sorted vigil candles and missalettes, helped make flower displays and polished brass.
Their involvement wasn’t limited to preparing the building. Some also read at Mass.
And they found another way of contributing: the young volunteers started the church’s social media pages and continued to maintain them each week.
What are you good at?
There is something worth noticing in the Carndonagh story.
Parish involvement doesn’t have to mean that every young person does the same thing.
There are practical jobs to be done. There is the liturgy. There are church grounds to care for. There are important celebrations to prepare for. And there are new ways of serving too — including helping a parish communicate through social media.
The Pope John Paul II Award encourages young people to become actively involved in the life of their parish and faith community.
So perhaps the place to begin isn’t simply:
“What activity can I do for my Award?”
Try asking:
“What could I do to help in my parish?”
Or:
“What am I good at that I could offer?”
Talk to your Award Leader or someone in your parish. Look around. Ask what needs to be done.
You might discover that something quite ordinary is an opportunity to participate, to serve and to become a little more connected with the life of your faith community.
This story is based on “Much appreciation for Carndonagh’s busy JPII youth” by Donal Farren, first published in the May 2026 edition of The Net, the Diocese of Derry’s monthly publication sharing the fruits of faith in its parishes, schools and communities.
Read the original story: The Net, May 2026, page 5.
