Bishop Manning at SWORD

Fifty young people, A live band, food and drink, and a great Friday night atmosphere… no, it wasn’t a party, it was SWORD.

The Penrith-based Charismatic young people’s group had a special reason to celebrate on this occasion; they were honoured to listen to their Bishop Kevin Manning, address them on the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

The night began with a session of praise and worship, lead by the talented SWORD music ministry, a group who offers contemporary and prayerful Christian music to the young people of Penrith on a weekly basis. Their efforts were also supported by a presentation of a ten-minute live drama, entitled “Unseen Journey”, a powerful re-telling of the gospel message.

After warming up vocal chords and lifting hearts and minds to the Lord, the young people present were blessed by the opportunity to hear Bishop Manning address them for forty minutes. He spoke on a topic not only valuable and relevant to the Church today, but one which was obviously close to his own heart: the True, Real, and Substantial presence Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

            Using The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of the Council of Trent, his Lordship “unpacked” the Church’s teaching on the Sacrament in a clear and interesting manner. Unafraid to bluntly reject false ideas and what he termed as “minimizing” teachings, he left all his listeners with a newfound sense of awe towards God’s gift of himself to his Church.

As one young listener summed up the experience, “it was great to hear such clear and Christ-focussed teaching – it just reinforced how absolutely incredible the Blessed Sacrament really is.”

            Putting the bishop’s words into action, the young people ended the night with half an hour’s adoration in the nearby St Nicholas of Myra church.

(Photos by Photo Professdional Mobile Studio- 0411 187 130 - or 4722 3346)