Ignite Team Welcomes Two New Members

The Ignite Team is the Youth Mission Team for the Diocese of East Anglia. Established in 2014, it serves Jesus in the Church by sharing the Gospel with children and young people across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Two new members have now joined the team.

The team works with parishes and schools to offer opportunities for authentic encounters with Christ through retreats, interactive sessions, youth Masses, school missions and other events. Full-time members join for a year at a time and are supported by Ignite Lite volunteers who help when available.

In addition to parish and school work, the team helps organise diocesan youth events such as the Ignite Festival and Candlelight Christmas Mass, and produces online content for young people on social media and YouTube.

Last summer, we said farewell to Alex Thanickal and Alex Curley-Warren, who completed their ‘gap years’ with the Ignite Team. Remaining with the team for another year is Luc Wallace, who is now joined by Nicholas Villaroman and Luke Hardy.

Luke Hardy

I am originally from Nottingham, but through my time at UEA I came to call the Diocese of East Anglia home. I found a home in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and the UEA chaplaincy, where I first encountered the Ignite team.

I am a recent convert to the faith. I was raised in a secular, none-religious household. Throughout my teenage years I considered myself an atheist, and was militant in my anti-religious views. I started to consider the reality of the Christian faith around the age of 16, and after a long process, started to consider myself a Christian. Experiences with the rosary and a deep love of history brought me to the Catholic Church. After five years, and many ups and downs, I was finally baptised, confirmed and received into the church during my third year of university. After completing a Masters in history, I realised my heart was crying out to serve God and to bring people the same deep joy and love I had experienced, and so decided to come back to East Anglia and join the Ignite team.

Nicholas Villaroman

Hi, I’m Nicholas Villaroman. I was born and raised in the Philippines where I used to be an antisocial school bully and attention-seeker. My father brought us to the UK when I was 15 and we lived in Ipswich. I stopped being a school bully because the kids were bigger! I used to blame God for the bad things that happened in my life.

But over time, I slowly turned to God, and I became more social and understanding. I would go help out in St. Mary’s Catholic Parish, Woodbridge Road and go to mass there regularly. I became interested in joining the Ignite Team when I went on one of the retreats they were running last year in Ipswich. I really liked helping out and after chatting to the two Alex’s and Luc, I realised I could join the Ignite Team after my A-levels. I got good results (A*BC) and part of me wanted to go to a university, but God had other plans. I applied to join the team and here I am!

Photograph: The Ignite Team – Nicholas Villaroman, Luke Hardy & Luc Wallace (left to right)

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