“Tell stories of hope” Pope Francis urges Limerick storytellers

POPE Francis addressed communicators and global storytellers at the Jubilee of the World of Communication Conference at the Vatican, urging them to share narratives that inspire hope, bridge divides, and foster unity.

The event brought together communicators, journalists, and storytellers from across the globe, emphasising the power of storytelling in countering division and spreading hope. 

As part of the inaugural Jubilee event, the Vatican invited Limerick based storytelling organisation Narrative 4 to lead a special storytelling workshop with 130 young journalists from 62 countries. 

Narrative 4 is a  youth organisation located on O' Connell street, that delivers programmes in schools to promote positive relationships between young people and address isolation and poor mental health. Narrative 4 is a registered charity based in Limerick where it runs both a primary and secondary school storytelling programme. It is funded by Creative Ireland, Rethink Ireland, JP McManus Charitable Foundation Limerick Council and others.

James Lawlor, Director of Narrative 4 Ireland said: "Most of our work is in secondary schools so it was a little bit different to be working in the Vatican. The conference had 10,000 people in attendance, everyone from CEOs to students. Narrative 4 got to work with 130 young journalists training them to tell stories in new ways. Storytelling is one of the oldest human endeavors. For millennia, it has helped us share practical knowledge and life lessons, while also fostering deeper compassion and empathy.”

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He continued, “Even though we tell and hear stories every day, the storytelling approach developed by Narrative 4 is perhaps unlike anything you've ever encountered.” 

James Lawlor said "We also got to attend an event where Pope Francis spoke. He urged the audience of 10,000 journalists  to tell stories of hope: 'let your storytelling be hope telling'. I didn't expect to meet Pope Francis but on the final morning my Narrative 4 colleagues and I were invited to the audience with him. We had to be in St Peter's Square for 7am, dawn was breaking, as we were led up to a room with 60 other people and we got to meet him. It was a once in a lifetime experience." 

Author Colum McCann, co-founder of Narrative 4, delivered a keynote speech at the conference, where he described storytelling as a “pilgrimage of repair”—a way to build understanding, mend broken relationships, and promote peace. Storytelling is a call to action. Story listening is a form of prayer," said Colum.