Greenbelt Weekend for Many Catholics
Many Catholics spent the bank holiday weekend at Cheltenham Racecourse enjoying Greenbelt 2006.
Maria Nabatanzi and Clare Michalkiewicz, both students at the University of York, took part in the festival as CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) student event volunteers. The experience was positive for both of them.
Maria said, “We have nothing like the Greenbelt festival in Uganda, where I was born. I have enjoyed working with an organisation involved in overseas development and experiencing the situation from a different perspective.”
Clare said, “This is my first time at the Greenbelt festival and I’ve really enjoyed it. There is a great mix of people and the music has been really good. I enjoyed Muyiwa’s performance.”
The students also represented CAFOD in a special panel debate.
An extra Mass was added to the bill due to an increasing number of Catholics attending Greenbelt.
CAFOD campaigner, Doug Lowe from Taunton, organises the Masses. He said, “This is the first year we’ve celebrated Mass on the Sunday during Greenbelt. It is to supply the needs of a growing number of Catholics who are coming to enjoy the festival.”
The traditional Saturday evening celebration was conducted by Clifton Diocese priest, Father David Ryan, Parish Priest and Dean of Stroud. Father Bill Wilton the Director of Soli House, a Catholic youth retreat centre in Stratford-on-Avon, concelebrated the Mass. Music was by provided young people from the Soli House community, under the guidance of Assistant Director Rachel Saum.
Included among the speakers at Greenbelt was Norman Kember, remembered by the nation as a hostage in Iraq for 118 days. Talking of his experiences with Christian Peacemakers, Mr. Kimber said that despite the trauma of captivity, he would be willing to return there at the age of 75. However, this ambition was conditional upon his wife consenting to his return and he didn't think that would be forthcoming!
BBC Radio Gloucestershire interviewed a number of young people who were attending and found that many returned to the event year after year. "The music's lovely, the people are great and it makes you stop and think" was a typical comment of one teenager.
Around 20,000 people passed through the gates over the weekend, many from distant parts camped out for the three night period and the racecourse was transformed into a massive tented village with a huge deep red marquee hosting major events.
Greenbelt is an independent Christian charity working to express love, creativity and justice in the arts and contemporary culture in the light of the Christian gospel.
Useful URL : http://www.greenbelt.org.uk
Maria Nabatanzi and Clare Michalkiewicz, both students at the University of York, took part in the festival as CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) student event volunteers. The experience was positive for both of them.
Maria said, “We have nothing like the Greenbelt festival in Uganda, where I was born. I have enjoyed working with an organisation involved in overseas development and experiencing the situation from a different perspective.”
Clare said, “This is my first time at the Greenbelt festival and I’ve really enjoyed it. There is a great mix of people and the music has been really good. I enjoyed Muyiwa’s performance.”
The students also represented CAFOD in a special panel debate.
An extra Mass was added to the bill due to an increasing number of Catholics attending Greenbelt.
CAFOD campaigner, Doug Lowe from Taunton, organises the Masses. He said, “This is the first year we’ve celebrated Mass on the Sunday during Greenbelt. It is to supply the needs of a growing number of Catholics who are coming to enjoy the festival.”
The traditional Saturday evening celebration was conducted by Clifton Diocese priest, Father David Ryan, Parish Priest and Dean of Stroud. Father Bill Wilton the Director of Soli House, a Catholic youth retreat centre in Stratford-on-Avon, concelebrated the Mass. Music was by provided young people from the Soli House community, under the guidance of Assistant Director Rachel Saum.
Included among the speakers at Greenbelt was Norman Kember, remembered by the nation as a hostage in Iraq for 118 days. Talking of his experiences with Christian Peacemakers, Mr. Kimber said that despite the trauma of captivity, he would be willing to return there at the age of 75. However, this ambition was conditional upon his wife consenting to his return and he didn't think that would be forthcoming!
BBC Radio Gloucestershire interviewed a number of young people who were attending and found that many returned to the event year after year. "The music's lovely, the people are great and it makes you stop and think" was a typical comment of one teenager.
Around 20,000 people passed through the gates over the weekend, many from distant parts camped out for the three night period and the racecourse was transformed into a massive tented village with a huge deep red marquee hosting major events.
Greenbelt is an independent Christian charity working to express love, creativity and justice in the arts and contemporary culture in the light of the Christian gospel.
Useful URL : http://www.greenbelt.org.uk
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