This week in our school community: 21 March 2025

10,000 young people celebrate their ‘unstoppable hope and faith’

 

 

Last Saturday a group of our older students, along with friends from our sister Lasallian school, St Augustine’s in Trowbridge, journeyed together for the most uplifting and incredible celebration of faith in the UK today. Flame 2025 saw more than 10,400 young people from every part of England and Wales, as well as a group from Gibraltar and the Ukrainian national Chaplaincy, join chaplains, teachers, priests, bishops and youth leaders in selling out the OVO Arena Wembley in a huge explosion of faith and hope. This was the largest-ever Flame gathering.

Inspirational speakers included adventurer and television presenter, Bear Grylls, who spoke about his book, The Greatest Story Ever Told, based on the Gospel - every attendee received a free copy.  In conversation with David Wells, the popular adventurer shed light on his Christian faith: "Faith is in your heart, faith is in relationships, faith is a constant connection to the Almighty. I have many struggles, many doubts, I really don't have it all together, but I know that I am loved and held, and the light shines. Faith is part of the adventure, faith is the adventure. It's a journey… It's a backbone, a streak of steel, the presence of Jesus besides us in the highs and the lows. It's fire and life and water, all in one. It's a journey."

Flame's theme of "Unstoppable: Fan the flame of hope" echoed what Pope Francis calls us to be in this year of Jubilee: "Pilgrims of Hope.".  Rt Rev David Oakley, Bishop of Northampton, read a message on behalf of Pope Francis, who encouraged the young people saying: "Fan a flame of hope that is truly 'unstoppable' for Christ itself is its living source."

The young people also heard from Bryan Enriquez, a founding team member of the Hallow prayer app, Isaac Harvey MBE, an inspiring disability advocate, and one of our own De La Salle brothers, Br Chris Patino, amongst a packed guest list.  Br Chris told us to “Acknowledge that it is a time of polarisation, poverty, war, mental health epidemics, mistrust of institutions and confusing societal messages that mislead young people. However, these are all part of the journey, we must fan the flame of hope and have an unstoppable mission, as St Paul said ‘justified through the faith and peace of Christ’.  Affliction produces endurance, and endurance proves character.  From proven character comes hope, which ‘does not disappoint’.”    

Rapper, Guvna B, singer songwriter, Adenine Adewale, One Hope Project, the World Youth Dance Crew & Lily Jo brought the arena alive with a mixture of reflective and energetic worship music, with a sprinkle of primary school nostalgia and traditional hymns. 

Flame 2025 concluded with a moving moment of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, led by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, capping a day of spiritual renewal, encouraging young people to return to their parishes and schools as ambassadors of hope.

Mr Robinson

Lay Chaplain