A weekend visitor to Knock Shrine this summer will not fail to notice a number of teenagers around the shrine grounds wearing luminous t-shirts and hoodies offering their assistance to any pilgrim who looks in need of help.
These young ‘Volunteers at Knock Shrine’ or VAKS are participating in a new programme developed by Knock Youth Ministry this year, which combines a faith experience with voluntary work.
“The young people are not coming here to do the shrine a service really, they are here as part of a faith programme,” explains Helen Toner, Co-ordinator at Knock Youth Ministry. “The idea was born from Fr Mike Murphy, a diocesan priest that brings young people to Lourdes. He said some of them said in passing it is a pity that Knock couldn’t be like this. So he came to us and we sat down and talked it over and came up with this programme. A couple of us went out to the schools promoting it and we got 160 applications forms. We nearly fell off our chairs!”
Programme
VAKS is open to young people between the ages of 16-18 and is currently open to teens in the Archdiocese of Tuam, although with the success of the programme so far the organisers are hoping to open it out on a national level.
“We now have a core group of 70 young people who signed up for weeks throughout the summer and we are so happy with the result,” Helen says. “Every single one of them is so nice. Their hearts are so open. If you ask them why did you want to do this programme, they say ‘I just want to help’. That seems to be the reoccurring theme. I want to give something back. Which is just so touching.”
The VAKS programme offers a training period over three Sundays which varies from manual handling and communication skills to prayer and liturgy. The young people are then allocated a weekend and they stay at the shrine from the Thursday night to Sunday evening.
“When they get here on the Thursday night, it is very much about getting to know each other. There could be one person on their own or a gang of three or four friends. They are going to be spending a lot of time together over the weekend and in a sense they are living in community for those three days,” Helen says.
“Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning they start with a prayer and then go out in the grounds and they are basically giving service. Even though they will point people to the bathrooms or tell them where the basilica is, it is more about their presence on the grounds and meeting the pilgrims, talking to them, listening to their stories. Why people come to Knock Shrine.
“Last week, one of the volunteers was shocked because an American couple said it was on their bucket list to come here. They were just blown away by this! They are so many different things that can happen out on the grounds that would touch you or stay with you.
“It’s about them trying to soak that up and realise what a place of peace this is and what a pilgrimage means to so many thousands of people that are coming here.”
Chloe Durban (16) from Balla says she loves to talk to people at Knock, especially pilgrims from different countries. “Loads of people come up to us congratulating us as if we have done something amazing. They say well done, you’re great girls. It’s mostly the elderly people. They like the fact that we are interested in the Church and the future of the Church.
“I didn’t actually realise so many people from Ireland come here. I met a woman yesterday from Wexford, who came down especially for the anointing of the sick. It’s also interesting to see how in to the Mass some pilgrims are. It’s also interesting to see the different ways people behave at Mass, like kneeling to receive Communion – I never saw that before.”
Ellen Steering (16) from Claremorris says everyone she meets seems “so happy and pleased to be there”. “I met one elderly man walking with a cane and I thought he might need some help so I approached him. One of his friends said this man has done incredible things. He said he went bungee jumping two years ago and he has been to the Antarctic. When I asked him why he came to Knock, he said because I haven’t been before!”
The VAKS share a house with their leaders and have all their meals together. In the evening they have time for reflection and to share their experience of the day before night prayer.
“It’s all about what happened to you that day. Did you meet anyone interesting? How did that make you feel?” Helen explains. “Yesterday for example one volunteer said I couldn’t believe how reverent people are at Mass or how into the prayers they were.
“They felt it was different to Mass they have experienced anywhere else. Another week one of the volunteers said they were amazed how much it means to people to see young people here. They said I can’t believe my presence would have that effect on another person. That is what the VAKS programme is about.”
Up close and personal
Brooke Whiteley
“We have been helping people finding places, watching movies, bonding and learning different things. I was in the carpark helping people off busses. It is amazing how many people have been here before and know their way around. But there are also loads of new people coming from all over the world. Today I met people from Australia.”
Chloe Durban
“VAKS seemed like something different to do for the summer. I never did volunteer work before. I love talking to people, especially from different countries and hearing their stories. I had never set foot in the basilica before and it is actually amazing, it is so different. It doesn’t even seem like you are in Ireland when you are inside it. I feel like Mass is really enjoyable here.”
Leanne Jennings
“We have morning prayer and then we are assigned to different places like the carpark, basilica or the church. We help people if we see them in difficulty. We break for lunch and then go out again until it is time for Mass and we help stewarding and with the collection baskets.
“Then we hand out leaflets after Mass. We have dinner and evening prayer and talk about our day.”
Ellen Steering
“I absolutely love it. This is my second week and I came back because I just fell in love with it. The people you meet are so nice. I think before this I was just in Knock once before and I was so surprised at how spiritual of an experience it is. I want to come back again for a third time.”