"Packing my rucksack with Mary Ward's values": Materials for children and youth.

“Packing my rucksack with Mary Ward’s values”. It’s an invitation to explore Mary Ward’s four core values—Freedom, Justice, Sincerity and Felicity that have shaped our congregation and the life of many members of the Mary Ward family for over 400 years.

A Journey Through Life

Drawing on Mary Ward’s remarkable travels across Europe, we use the rucksack as a powerful symbol. As a traveller thoughtfully packs provisions for a journey, young people are invited to reflect on the values they want to carry—resources that will sustain them through life’s challenges and open doors to new opportunities.

“Mary Ward never walked alone; she left us a set of core values we can tuck into the rucksack of our lives”, the CJ communications team points out. The material visualises those values to resonate with young people today. “Mary Ward’s example of standing up for justice, her love of freedom, her sincerity, and her joyful spirit still inspire us — values that stay powerful, relevant and transcend time.”

Fresh, contemporary approach

To reach out to young people, we have creatively interpreted Mary Ward’s values using carefully crafted materials—including AI-generated imagery, photographs and thought-provoking texts. The materials encourage reflection through powerful questions: What do justice, freedom, integrity and happiness mean in today’s world? How can they help us to lead a successful life?

The material invites everyone to use these resources in schools, youth groups, retreats and spiritual guidance settings. They are designed to be accessible, practical and inspiring – encouraging all to consider not just what they learn, but how they can live out these values in their own journeys.

Support for Educators and Group Leaders

Recognising the power of practical implementation, we have also developed five ready-to-use lesson plans to help teachers, youth animators and group leaders bring the campaign to life. The lesson plans cater to different age groups, settings and teaching styles—from children and younger teenagers to young adults—and offer a mix of plenary discussions, small group activities, individual reflection and creative tasks.

The five approaches include:

The Values Rucksack – a hands-on introduction for children and younger teenagers
Values Under Scrutiny – in-depth exploration for older teenagers
Mary Ward Meets Social Media – a media literacy approach
Values Walk – experiential learning outdoors
Values Workshop – a project-based format for extended sessions

All lesson plans and supporting materials are freely available online, enabling educators to adapt them to their specific group and context.

Background: About the Campaign

“Packing my rucksack with Mary Ward’s values” is part of our ongoing mission to make Mary Ward’s legacy relevant to contemporary audiences. Mary Ward (1585–1645), the foundress of our congregation, was an English Catholic woman who courageously fought for women’s education, apostolic life for women religious and mission for the poor and those at the margins—an extraordinary achievement in the 17th century and a role model for today.