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People across our community of faith joined Bishop Richard and members of our Lourdes Pilgrimage family to celebrate 20 years of Redshirts at Arundel Cathedral on Saturday 6 April.

Redshirts (pilgrims in school years 10 and 11) offer a much-valued service of spiritual support and welcome during the annual diocesan Lourdes pilgrimage, providing a "Red Carpet of Welcome" to greet pilgrims, contributing to music ministry and leading groups in prayer.

In their smaller formation groups Redshirts participate in ministry sessions to discover more about their faith and share their experiences. They also deliver a presentation - which includes music, scripture and testimony - to over 400 pilgrims.

In his homily, Bishop Richard encouraged Redshirts to "be brave and speak about the gift of faith Christ has given you" encouraging them not to "miss an opportunity to gently tell people what Jesus has done for us."

The Redshirts experience exists to nurture spiritual development of young people, within a framework that develops their skills and talents but recognises they are not yet adults, to allow young people to experience a sense of community within the group and with the wider community of the diocesan pilgrimage, to give them an opportunity to be of service to each other and to other pilgrims and to have opportunities to experience prayer in various forms. It also provides opportunities to foster leadership skills and a pathway to being a helper in Lourdes, when they have left school and are embarking on the next chapter of their lives.

‍With thanks to Adam Simon for sharing photographs of the event