Young people’s antennae are tuned to what is fake and dull. That is exactly why parishes must listen to them. Successful youth groups have certain characteristics in common. They begin with a meal and end with a time of prayer. They create temporary communities in which young people feel safe talking about their faith and the issues that are important to them. Almost anyone still practising their faith into their mid-teens is badly in need of this kind of support and encouragement. At a recent meeting of a new group in Slough, teenagers expressed their deep need to be understood by their peers. In this group, they said, there were things they could talk about that they could not discuss with any of their friends at school.

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