Olivya helps host online World Youth Funday celebration
St Cassian’s Retreat volunteer, Olivya, was invited by CYMFed to help host their annual stream for World Youth Funday.
The stream, World Youth Funday, is an interactive stream including guests, music, dancing, activities for schools and parishes all across England and Wales. It was held on Friday 21st November 2025 and you can watch the whole stream here.
Spawned from a need to share the Gospel with young people during COVID, this year the stream had over 65,000 registered attendees.
During the stream, Olivya was able to share what’s going on at The Kintbury Experience this year. Read her quotes below or watch on our Youtube channel.
Yeah, it's a really exciting time for us at St. Cassian’s in Kintbury. Obviously, it's a jubilee year, so we've been celebrating along with the rest of the Church really taking all of that in - what it means to be a Pilgrim of hope. For us at St Cassian's, it is also our 50th year as a retreat centre and so from our 2024-25 teams to the 25-26 teams we have been celebrating what it means to come together to be on retreat.
I think all of us have been in youth ministry in some way and know how powerful it is to step out of your daily life and step out of the hustle and bustle of whatever it is that you're doing - to really be in the presence of God and be in the presence of one another.
We start every single prayer, as Lasallians, with "Let us remember that we were in the holy presence of God”, and I think it is such a beautiful moment.
And we tell our young people always that whatever you do with intention, is a prayer, and so whether you are playing football or doing art or literally sitting in the Chapel in prayer - you are in the holy presence of God when you are together and when you are with intention in your heart.
And so, I'm excited that we have gotten to spend this year really celebrating.
And we have a video that we made celebrating our 50th year and really showcasing what it means to be on retreat and to be in the presence of God with one another so I'm excited that i get to share that with you guys.
Everyone at St. Cassian’s is very proud to have an ambassador in the form of Olivya.
