Thousands of young people kneel in adoration at Wembley Arena

Complete silence filled Wembley Arena on Saturday afternoon as approximately 8,000 young Catholics adored the Blessed Sacrament.

The famous sports arena was host to the Flame Youth Congress which was a day of prayer and praise for young Catholic across Britain.

The day culminated in exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament led by Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster who said: “Consider the love of God which brought you into existence. Consider how total that love is, for it brought Jesus to give himself entirely for you and to you, on the Cross and here in the Blessed Sacrament. In this light you are truly extraordinary. Maybe you have never thought of that before.”

Drawing on the theme of the Olympic Games which London will host this year, he continued: “We won’t all be Olympic or Paralympic athletes, but we definitely all have our races to run, our finishing lines to cross.

“Consider the people you have heard today – the athletes, the Mizen family, Fr Timothy, Fr Christopher and Sr Catherine. Are there things in their words that have encouraged you? What are the gifts that the Lord has given you that he might fan into a flame, to share with the world? Name these gifts and ask God to help you to use them well, always for the glory of his name.”

The day also included a keynote speech from Father Timothy Radcliffe on the theme of respect, followed by dance and drama.

Testimonies were heard from the Mizen family, whose son Jimmy was murdered in a South London bakery and there was a short talk on silence from Father Christopher Jamison, made famous through the BBC documentary ‘The Monastery’ and ‘The Big Silence.’