St Cassian's Centre begins 50th anniversary celebrations

St Cassian's, Kintbury,

St Cassian's, Kintbury, the Lasallian youth centre in Berkshire, will begin celebrating 50 years of transformative youth ministry with a special retreat starting next Thursday, 17th October.

Young people from all the Lasallian school in Britain as well as those in Ireland and Malta have been invited to the event. They are joined by Brother Armin Luistro FSC, the Superior General of the De La Salle Brothers, as well as pupils from associate schools from across England and past staff and team members who have lived and worked in community since 1975.

Brothers Dominic Green, Joe Hendon and Damian Lundy (composer of 'The Spirit lives to set us free (Walk in the Light)' and 'Laudato Sii') began the Centre which has now welcomed several generations of teenagers, their chaplains and their teachers.

"The charism of the founding leaders lives on in the work that we do every week. The Centre's programme of welcome, awareness, reconciliation and witnessing, has resonated with young people since the first retreats, and it's no different in the present day" said Emma Biggins the Centre Director. "We believe that for the retreatants we meet each day here is special and each retreat is a celebration. For that reason we begin the 50th celebrations by presenting the same opportunities for young people to find faith, fun and friendship".

While the Centre is starting the festivities with a schools retreat there are many other activities planned including a set of international prayers linking the global Lasallian communities, releasing a number of new songs set to the lyrics of Damian Lundy and trying to bring together many of the volunteers who have given their time to bear witness of Christ's love and help.

Many have taken a year out of study or work to spend time at St Cassian's and it is an incredibly formative experience for those privileged to share their lives in this way. The Centre are appealing for past team members.

"The network of past team members is thriving but we only have contact details for about a third of past team members. Most connections are through social media and we aren't in touch with as many people as we'd like from a pre-internet age.

"We would love to hear stories and reconnect with anyone who lived and worked at St Cassian's, especially those we have lost touch with" urged Nick Smith, a member of the Centre's advisory committee.

More information is available from office@cassians.co.uk or via the Centre's social media pages:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kintburyexperience

and Instagram: www.instagram.com/kintburyexperience/