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St Elizabeth of Portugal in Richmond upon Thames has put Eucharistic adoration at the heart of its youth ministry and the results are inspiring

By putting Eucharistic adoration at the heart of their youth ministry, St Elizabeth of Portugal in Richmond upon Thames has built a thriving youth group.

Previously, only a handful of teenagers attended the sessions. But now, they have around 100 teenagers and young adults actively involved in their youth ministry.

Fr Stephen Langridge, the Parish Priest of St Elizabeth of Portugal, said Eucharistic adoration is “effective as a means of evangelising young people” because they are “drawn out of themselves into a journey, a journey of communion with the Lord”.

In an interview with the Archdiocese for hope in adoration, Fr Stephen said Eucharistic adoration inspires young people because “it gives an opportunity to step back from technology, from the pressures of social media”, but crucially “it gives them a chance to be drawn out of themselves into a relationship with God”.

Klara, a young woman who attends the youth group, said Eucharistic adoration has “really helped me get closer to Jesus because I’ve been able to communicate with him more freely and openly, and it just encourages my prayer more with him right there in front of me. And yeah, I just love it”.

Georgia Clarke, the Director of Youth Ministry at St Elizabeth of Portugal, said the reason Eucharistic adoration appeals so much to young people is because “ultimately, adoration is not entertainment. It is encounter and it is encounter with Jesus, and therefore, it is the best thing we can ever give to them”.

This moment of encounter is crucial, as Fr Stephen explains:

“In the Gospels, there are some Greeks and they go to Philip and say: we want to meet Jesus, and that meeting of the Lord is the beginning of a change in one’s life. Because when you meet Christ, you re-evaluate everything. You recognise that you are loved”.

A key part of the ministry is supporting families to be families of faith. Georgia explains that since coming to adoration, one of the girls now has morning prayer with her family. Fr Stephen added that what children and young people “really need to hear is that they are loved. I often think of parents who work so hard to provide things for their children, and I find myself saying to parents: they do not need things, what they need is you. They need you to be at home, they need to be assured that they are loved for who they are… and that’s when they learn to love in return”.

The Youth Group at St Elizabeth of Portugal meets every Monday at 6pm-7.15pm and you can sign up on their website. The parish also has a discipleship process, to help teenagers to grow as a disciple of Christ. Find out more about their various initiatives to support young people here.

Parish Eucharistic adoration is the last Friday of every month from 7:30pm and Mass times are available here.