On Monday 6, February 2023 the diocese of Derry held their 16th Annual Pope John Paul II Award ceremony in Saint Eugene’s Cathedral, Derry.
The guest speaker, Melany Francisco-Lawless alongside Bishop Donal McKeown, patron of the award, presented the Award to 328 young people from all over the diocese of Derry and beyond. This year 3 people received the Papal Cross Award. These young people came from 21 second level schools across the Diocese. They represented 44 parishes within the diocese and 13 parishes outside of the Diocese.
The guest speaker at the ceremony was Melany Francisco-Lawless from Youth Ministry Trust in the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle. Melany was incredibly inspiring giving her own testimony and speaking of her call to work in youth ministry that stemmed from her being present at World Youth Day in Rome in the year 2000. Melany encouraged the young people of Derry to continue their work and to see God’s grace, through the good news of the Gospel.
The Award was founded and created by Fr Paul Farren of the Diocese of Derry. It was launched in Derry in 2006 by the then Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Lazzarotto. In the last 16 years the award has been introduced in 23 dioceses in Ireland. Supported by an International Coordinator, Mr Tony Brennan, the Award has also been introduced in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and the Diocese of Portsmouth.
The Pope John Paul II Award continues to be the largest youth movement in the church in Ireland.
For more information on the Award in the Diocese of Derry contact Lizzie Rea on lizzie.rea@derrydiocese.org or phone the Diocesan Catechetical Centre on +44 28 71264087.
