What is SiLENT?

In a nutshell, the Catholic youth social action charity Million Minutes runs SiLENT each year, as a sponsored silence to raise money for its work with young people.

Lent is an essential part of our Christian faith, allowing our relationship with God to grow deeper, as we prepare our hearts for Good Friday and the celebrations of Easter. SiLENT allows us to experience the gifts of Lent intentionally, whether through prayerful reflection, taking a break from social media, or investing time in our mental health all while getting sponsored for a good cause!

Why do we run SiLENT every year?

Two reasons: because we feel Lent and silence is an essential part of the Christian tradition, and because we know that the model of sponsorship allows for even extra good to be done!

The money raised goes straight back to the good work of Million Minutes, which exists to create a Church with a heart for all young people and open doors, aims which we can all benefit from.

Why should we raise money for Million Minutes?

We've been around for a little while now (11 years to be precise), and we are a Catholic charity that wants to see young people valued and celebrated. We fight for this in a number of different ways: through training for priests and youth ministers in the principles of what we believe to be good and inclusive youth ministry; through accompaniment of parishes to help them develop more meaningful engagement with young people on the ground; through high level external events that explore the margins young people might identify with such as LGBT+ (and why these are so important); through high-level advocacy within Church hierarchies; through national award (this year being held in the Houses of Parliament!); through young adult formation (most recently with a group of young adult experts coming together to contribute to the global synod) and so much more.

Taking part in SiLENT not only raises money for a good cause, but it also allows you as a participant to explore silence this Lent and deepen your own relationship with God.