24 October 2013 After five years working at the Pontifical Council for the Laity as head of the Youth Section, Rev. Eric Jacquinet has concluded his mission here and has returned to his native France to take up the post of parish priest in Bordeaux.

He wrote a letter to those who are in charge of youth ministry for their bishops’ conferences, associations, movements and new communities to inform them that he was passing on to another this service to the universal Church. He gave thanks to God for all that has been done, while acknowledging the fact that working with the younger generations entails challenges and difficulties. He wrote: “In this generation there are wonderful young people who are standing up to be counted. Many of them have taken part in WYD and have experienced joy and faith. They follow Christ, help each other and witness to the Gospel with zeal and perseverance. They are a source of hope for the Church and the world”.

He has passed the baton on to Rev. João Chagas who is taking up this post for the next five years. The letter tells us that “young people and the Church are very close to the heart of this young priest”. With regard to his new mission as parish priest, he says “it is a great joy for me to come back to pastoral work in the trenches”. It includes work with seminarians as well as with young people with problems related to internet addiction.