I had what I thought was everything. Money, power, girls, drugs the lot. But yet there was something missing...
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I was born in the east end of London. At the age of 10, my parents got divorced and I made an unconscious decision not to love any more.
At the age of 13 I had started stealing. By 15 I was put in a detention centre (youth prison). When I left home after having been released, my only qualification was stealing, so that's what I did. At 19 I was in prison again and because the way I dealt with my pain was with anger, I was always fighting. They put me on 23 hour solitary confinement and I came out of there even more angry and bitter. |
I started bouncing round the east end and west end of London. I liked fighting so I thought I might as well get paid for it! I met some guys who seemed to have everything and I started to work for them. Before long I wasn't working for them, I was working with them. These were the guys who ran most of the organised crime in London.
I had what I thought was everything. Money, power, girls, drugs the lot. But yet there was something missing... This struck me more than ever, when I thought I had killed someone outside of a nightclub I was working at. After nearly taking that man's life, something incredible happened and my life began to change.
I began working with at risk youth showing them there is another path than the violent one I took. Within a few years I was full time speaking in parishes, schools and prisons around the U.K. and Ireland to tens of thousands of people each year.
I spoke at World Youth Day in Sydney to over 400,000 young people and ever since my ministry has become more and more international.
At the beginning of June 2009 I went to Liberia so I could speak to former children soldiers who were forced to take up arms and fight in the Liberian Civil war about the grace of forgiveness.
The countries and cities in which I have led retreats, conferences and given talks are listed below.
To book me for a future event please fill in the form on the Get in Contact page, or you can email me directly on [email protected]
John has led retreats, conferences and seminars throughout the U.K., Ireland, U.S.A. (New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles,) Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Cayman Islands, France, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Mexico, Liberia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia.
I had what I thought was everything. Money, power, girls, drugs the lot. But yet there was something missing... This struck me more than ever, when I thought I had killed someone outside of a nightclub I was working at. After nearly taking that man's life, something incredible happened and my life began to change.
I began working with at risk youth showing them there is another path than the violent one I took. Within a few years I was full time speaking in parishes, schools and prisons around the U.K. and Ireland to tens of thousands of people each year.
I spoke at World Youth Day in Sydney to over 400,000 young people and ever since my ministry has become more and more international.
At the beginning of June 2009 I went to Liberia so I could speak to former children soldiers who were forced to take up arms and fight in the Liberian Civil war about the grace of forgiveness.
The countries and cities in which I have led retreats, conferences and given talks are listed below.
To book me for a future event please fill in the form on the Get in Contact page, or you can email me directly on [email protected]
John has led retreats, conferences and seminars throughout the U.K., Ireland, U.S.A. (New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles,) Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Cayman Islands, France, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Mexico, Liberia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia.
Want John to Come Speak to Your Church or Group?
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SEEING OURSELVES THOUGH GODS EYESMY LATEST UPDATE
Seeing ourselves though Gods Eyes
I hope you are well and having a Blessed Easter tide.
Since my last update I have given parish missions in LA
Alabama, (USA) Livingston (Scotland) Down Patrick, Dunshaughlin
and Kerry (Ireland)
At this time in our world, I feel we are in so much need of Gods Mercy.
There is great pain and hurt in peoples lives and it is hard to be the Light
Christ wants us to be at times.
I remember a school retreat I gave some years ago,we asked the young people
how many of them went to Mass, one girl said she stoped going after her confirmation.
because both her brothers had stoped, she went on to say, every Sunday it was like something was missing from her life.She was thinking of going back to Mass and on Sunday her Grandmother rang her asking if she wanted to go back to Mass with her, she said she did, but wondered why her Nan had asked her at that time, her Nan said she felt God telling her to ask.
When they got to the Church and they were kneeling down to say there prayers, she noticed her Nan was crying.
She said are you OK Nan,
I am just so happy you are back at Mass with me. Her Nan replied.
As the girl told me this she burst into tears.
Her Grandmothers love for her was so real in that young girls life and because of that, so was Gods love real.
As we journey towards Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, we should take some time out and spend about 5 mins each day dwelling on Gods love for us and how he sees us, without judgment or Anger, but with love, Mercy and understanding.
When I was in USA I heard of a priest who told a very angry, unhappy nun this who was giving out about all the terrible nuns she lived with.
About 10 years later, the priest got a letter from the nuns mother superior, she said that everyone found that nun so hard to live with but since she had started dwelling on Gods love for her every day for 5 minutes,
she had changed into one of the most loving ,gentle giving saints, the mother superior had ever came across.
She went on to say that one week earlier, that nun had died and every one was devastated at her loss.
Sometimes when I am praying over people I get a picture of them looking into a refection of them selfs, throwing rocks at the refection.Jesus always comes and takes the rocks out of there hands and points to there refection, saying behold my beautiful son, behold my beautiful daughter.
May the coming of the Holy Spirit give us the freedom to love our selfs as God asks, so we can bring that love to everyone we meet.
Please pray for me over the next few months as I will be giving talks and parish missions in Ireland, France,UK,Spain,USA Canada and Brazil.
You are all very much in my heart and prayer.
God bless you in his deep love.
John Pridmore
During Holy week I was on my friends show Broken Catholic with Joseph Warren, this is the link https://bit.ly/2qqOtxK
www.johnpridmore.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEEING OURSELVES THOUGH GODS EYESMY LATEST UPDATE
Seeing ourselves though Gods Eyes
I hope you are well and having a Blessed Easter tide.
Since my last update I have given parish missions in LA
Alabama, (USA) Livingston (Scotland) Down Patrick, Dunshaughlin
and Kerry (Ireland)
At this time in our world, I feel we are in so much need of Gods Mercy.
There is great pain and hurt in peoples lives and it is hard to be the Light
Christ wants us to be at times.
I remember a school retreat I gave some years ago,we asked the young people
how many of them went to Mass, one girl said she stoped going after her confirmation.
because both her brothers had stoped, she went on to say, every Sunday it was like something was missing from her life.She was thinking of going back to Mass and on Sunday her Grandmother rang her asking if she wanted to go back to Mass with her, she said she did, but wondered why her Nan had asked her at that time, her Nan said she felt God telling her to ask.
When they got to the Church and they were kneeling down to say there prayers, she noticed her Nan was crying.
She said are you OK Nan,
I am just so happy you are back at Mass with me. Her Nan replied.
As the girl told me this she burst into tears.
Her Grandmothers love for her was so real in that young girls life and because of that, so was Gods love real.
As we journey towards Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, we should take some time out and spend about 5 mins each day dwelling on Gods love for us and how he sees us, without judgment or Anger, but with love, Mercy and understanding.
When I was in USA I heard of a priest who told a very angry, unhappy nun this who was giving out about all the terrible nuns she lived with.
About 10 years later, the priest got a letter from the nuns mother superior, she said that everyone found that nun so hard to live with but since she had started dwelling on Gods love for her every day for 5 minutes,
she had changed into one of the most loving ,gentle giving saints, the mother superior had ever came across.
She went on to say that one week earlier, that nun had died and every one was devastated at her loss.
Sometimes when I am praying over people I get a picture of them looking into a refection of them selfs, throwing rocks at the refection.Jesus always comes and takes the rocks out of there hands and points to there refection, saying behold my beautiful son, behold my beautiful daughter.
May the coming of the Holy Spirit give us the freedom to love our selfs as God asks, so we can bring that love to everyone we meet.
Please pray for me over the next few months as I will be giving talks and parish missions in Ireland, France,UK,Spain,USA Canada and Brazil.
You are all very much in my heart and prayer.
God bless you in his deep love.
John Pridmore
During Holy week I was on my friends show Broken Catholic with Joseph Warren, this is the link https://bit.ly/2qqOtxK
www.johnpridmore.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------