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20p from each sale goes to your parish Issue 111 DECEMBER 2013

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ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL

Advent Prayer and Reflection INSIDE THIS ISSUE Aid after Typhoon Haiyan

James Nugent Court opens

Sean Hardeley Teacher of the Year

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contents Welcome Today we begin the Season of Advent, a beautiful time of preparation for the great Feast of the Incarnation, yet a time which all too often can be lost in ‘other’ preparations for Christmas. In contrast to what is happening in the world around us Advent is a time for quiet reflection. A time to contemplate the three comings of Jesus: in history, in mystery and in majesty. In history at Bethlehem in the feast we will celebrate in a little over three weeks. In mystery, daily Jesus comes into our lives through the celebration of the Eucharist, and in majesty when Jesus will come at the end of time. To help our preparation Advent moves us, but in reverse order, from the future to the past. Today in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus tells his followers to ‘Stay awake’, and then gradually as we pray our way to Christmas the mood changes culminating in the Gospel reading of the Fourth Sunday: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son...’ Our main feature this month looks at the work of Cafod in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan, we remember them in prayer as we prepare for Christmas.

Contents 4

Main Feature Typhoon victims need your help Lives still to be saved in the Philippines

News From around the Archdiocese

From the Bishop’s desk ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom friend of the maturing sun’; so did the poet describe this time of the year. Winter approaches, cold, ice, wind and rain, but it also bodes for the coming of a New Year, and new Church’s year. Advent: it not only prepares us for the coming of our Messiah, for the birth of our Saviour, but it brings with it Hope, the dawn of a new year, or a new beginning. I love the notion that the colour of Advent is purple, or lilac. The reason it is that colour is because it represents the colour of the sky before the sun comes up on the horizon. It lasts but a short time, but it brings the earth to life. The dawn chorus heralds a new day. All things come back to life. Welcome to our New Year, our new dawn. This coming year we will welcome a new Archbishop, just as we bid farewell to Archbishop Patrick, we look back with gratitude and love, and we look forward with Hope: but most of all, with Faith. As we celebrate Advent, the New Year, may we always appreciate our past.

14 Spotlight Help the homeless this Christmas A Nugent Care appeal 15 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese 18 Profile Sean Hardeley Teacher of the Year 19 Animate Youth Ministry Work, work, work…and a Harry Ramsden’s supper 20 Justice and Peace A time for giving? Three ways to help others this Christmas 25 Cathedral Record New Nativity Set for the Cathedral

Happy New Advent.

26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC Editor Peter Heneghan Editorial Catholic Pictorial Magazine Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool L17 1AA Tel: 0151 522 1007 Email: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk Pictures: Cover: Tom Murphy Main feature: Cafod Advertising Andrew Rogers 0151 709 7567 Publisher 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS

Copy deadline January issue 4 December 2013 CPMM Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced copied or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publishers written permission. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Catholic Pictorial Ltd. can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by advertisers.

28 Pic Life Walking with a guardian angel 29 Join In Family Fun More Mullarkey

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Typhoon victims need your help Lives still to be saved in the Philippines JUST days after Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines, with sustained winds of 235 kph, forcing millions of terrified people from their homes, the people of Liverpool Archdiocese began looking for ways to help the survivors.

hampering aid efforts. Thousands of people on Bohol Island – where Cafod was responding to the earthquake – are now reeling from another painful disaster, living in tents, makeshift shelters and evacuation centres.

Catholics across the Liverpool region and all over England and Wales have already shown their incredible compassion and kindness, according to Catherine Dowling from aid agency Cafod, who describes below the devastation that took place and reports on how the Church is responding. She also underlines what more we can do to help when, in the words of Cafod director Chris Bain, ‘there are still lives to be saved’.

A catastrophic impact Many people have been left with nothing; they have lost their homes, their possessions and their means of making a living. They are in desperate need of emergency shelter, support in rebuilding their homes and essential household goods – like blankets, clothes, pots, pans and other cooking equipment – to replace those that have been lost.

The so-called ‘super-typhoon’ was the strongest storm to hit the Pacific this year, and has been described as the most powerful storm ever to make landfall. It has left the lives of 9.8 million people torn apart. Typhoon Haiyan– known locally as Yolanda – has killed thousands of people and caused the widespread destruction of homes, schools and roads. It is difficult to know the full impact yet as power lines, phone lines and mobile towers have all been damaged, making communication with remote areas very difficult. The storm hit some of the same areas that were affected by an earthquake in October, further damaging houses and 4

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People in isolated areas, and in places made inaccessible by storm damage, are facing severe food shortages. With the power down in many areas, water supplies have also been cut off, leaving many communities in need of clean water and sanitation to prevent the spread of disease. Rey Barnido is a volunteer aid worker with Cafod partner Caritas Philippines, who lives in the parish of Maribojoc in Bohol. Following the disaster, he made his way to some of the hardest-hit areas to assess the damage and assist with aid delivery. As he waited at Mactan airport in Cebu for a military plane that would take his team to the city of Tacloban, he surveyed the chaotic scene around him: desperate people trying to reach relatives and help

them in their time of need. Upon arriving in Tacloban, a place devastated by the typhoon, the reality was shocking. ‘Patients are overflowing from the regional hospital here,’ he said. ‘There are dead people everywhere. There is no water or power. Volunteers are trying to manage the disaster, but it looks as if nuclear bombs were dropped.’ The role of the Church Aid workers and volunteers are facing many challenges – roads are blocked, communication is down, airports have been damaged, and some areas are still flooded – but Cafod partners are doing all they can to reach the worst-hit areas. The Philippines is a staunchly Catholic country and Church partners are uniquely placed to react quickly and help deliver aid to those most in need. In some instances they are also able to overcome some of the security challenges that other aid convoys are sadly facing. Father Anton Pascual is leading a Caritas Philippines team of aid workers. ‘We are reaching families across Samar, Leyte, Iloilo and Palawan with food, water, tents and household items such as pots and pans,’ he said. ‘Transport and communications are our worst problems, but we are working to overcome these issues day by day. There have been reports of looting of aid on some roads making it difficult to reach the most remote villages, but we wear our priest collars and we are able to go through. People deeply respect the Church.’ In Manila, the capital city, 250 volunteers from local church groups have been working in shifts since

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feature ‘Upon arriving in Tacloban, a place devastated by the typhoon, the reality was shockinge’

10 November to fill food packs, each holding five kilos of rice, nine cans of goods, six packets of noodles and five packets of protein-rich manna rice. The packs are designed to last a family of five people three days and 2,000 packs have already reached Leyte Island, with the team aiming to send 18,000 more as soon as possible. Relief packs with clothes and medicines were delivered to a local hospital in Cebu Island, while a truck with relief supplies was sent to Bogo City in that island’s devastated north. Ten trucks with 18,000 food packs were sent to Ormoc in Leyte and Cafod partners have delivered 6,500 shelter kits with 30,000 more on their way. What can you do to help? According to Cafod director Chris Bain, support is urgently needed. ‘However distressing the images of devastation and stories of suffering caused by Typhoon Haiyan, we cannot waste time on despair or shock – not when there are still lives to be saved, and communities in such desperate need of help,’ he said. ‘We are launching our emergency appeal

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feature

in response to the hundreds of schools, parishes and individuals up and down the country who have contacted us to ask ‘what can we do?’, showing the generosity and compassion that is always the hallmark of the Catholic community in times of crisis. ‘The best way we can all help is by supporting the charities and church groups who are already operating in the worst-hit areas, responding to their immediate needs for food, water and shelter, beginning the hard work of rebuilding the communities that have lost everything, and keeping them constantly in our prayers. Together, we can bring new hope to those who today face utter desolation.’

‘We wear our priest collars and we are able to go through. People deeply respect the Church 6

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Cafod is part of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), working together with 13 major British aid agencies to ensure that its efforts are not duplicated. These are the costs of some of the emergency items it is delivering: £5 for a clean water kit for one family £9 provides emergency shelter for a family £13.50 covers essential household supplies, such as blankets and cooking pots for one family £18 gets one family a hygiene kit

You can donate to Cafod’s Typhoon Haiyan appeal online at cafod.org.uk/typhoon; by calling 0500 85 88 85; or by post addressed to: FREEPOST RSHJ-KJBY-YXLT, Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Appeal, CAFOD, Romero House, 55 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JB. Prayer for the people of the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan God of compassion and mercy, we turn to you, we seek your help in our distress. May we always seek to be a light for others bringing hope in place of despair. Pour out, we pray, your consoling love upon our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. Bring comfort to those who mourn, shelter and sustenance to all those in need. Heavenly Father, you are always with us, may we never forget your enduring love which lights our path even in the darkest times.

St Rose of Lima, pray for us. St Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us. St Pedro Calungsod, pray for us.

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News diary If you’ve got any news from your parish that you’d like featured e-mail us with the details at: post@merseymirror.com

Silver for St Mary’s St Mary’s church, Leyland, won the silver award in a competition organised by the National Churches Trust in association with the Ecclesiastical

Architects and Surveyors Association and the 20th Century Society. The criteria to enter the competition were that the Church was built since

1953, and it is still in use and contributes to the local community. There were 200 entries for the award which was won by St Paul’s church in Bow Common, East London. Parish Priest of St Mary’s, Father Jonathan Cotton OSB attended the ceremony at Lambeth Palace and writes: ‘It was astonishing being there: Edward Almond, born and bred in Leyland was present; as was Peter Bullen, the son of the Architect at the time (late 1950’s and 1960’s). Peter told me he had three uncles as Priests in the Archdiocese, two Bullens and one on his mothers’ side. Fr Edmund FitzSimons chose the Liverpool Architects, Weightman and Bullen to design our Church in the late 1950’s. It is a great honour for St Mary’s Leyland to win the silver award; and we will hopefully find this a boost for us as we prepare for our Golden Jubilee Celebrations in 2014. ‘The Archbishop of Canterbury, former Dean of Liverpool, Justin Welby, was meant to present the awards, but had been caught up in an important meeting. But he came for ten minutes and spoke well and hopefully of the future of the Church. ‘The friendly welcome for all, its ecumenical nature, the setting and the presence of a remarkable group of people was a very good mix for a very good occasion. The Lambeth Palace authorities also laid on a wonderful lunch and a brief tour of Lambeth Palace.’

Jospice Pool of Remembrance The Lord Lieutenant of Liverpool Dame Lorna Muirhead and the Mayor of Sefton Councillor Maureen Fearns visited Jospice for the official launch of a Pool of Remembrance on the anniversary of the death of founder, Father Francis O’Leary, 4 October. The pool of remembrance is a structure that has been built in the grounds so that supporters and friends of the hospice are able to buy one of the glass bricks and have the name of a loved one inscribed on it. Pat Murphy, director of fundraising said ‘Very often we are asked by

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supporters if they can buy something for the hospice in remembrance of a loved one. Very often a bench is suggested as a name plaque can be placed. This structure is more prominent, and has proved very popular so far. Needless to say we dedicated the first brick in the pool to the Father O’Leary. The pool is made up of 156 glass bricks that will eventually have a name inscribed on each one in memory of a loved one. The pool has a small fountain in the middle and is floodlit at night. A donation of £500 for each brick is asked, and this

can be donated over a period of 10 months. Jospice is peaceful and tranquil woodland and it’s a perfect setting to visit and remember a loved one on a

special day maybe an anniversary or birthday. For more information about the pool of remembrance, contact Pat Murphy on 0151 932 6024.

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50 years on the ecumenical journey Liverpool Hope University was the venue for a 400-strong gathering to mark the 50th anniversary of the Focolare Movement’s arrival in Britain in November 1963. Liverpool was the Focolare’s first centre and from there spread to other parts of the country. It was a very different ecumenical context that welcomed the first group to a city which had known its share of sectarian differences. Three local Anglican clergy were instrumental in the Focolare’s arrival alongside Canon Bernard Pawley, the Anglican Observer at the Second Vatican Council. It was Canon Pawley who suggested to the Dean of the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool that he invite Focolare founder, Chiara Lubich, to speak in the Cathedral to a group of Anglican Clergy. At the same time he also mentioned the idea to Pope Paul VI in a private audience and gained papal approval for this event which took place in November 1965. In her diary for that day, 17 November, Chiara Lubich remarked on the poignancy of the name, Hope Street, which connects the Anglican Cathedral to the Catholic Cathedral (still under construction at that time) and expressed a heartfelt prayer that, with faith, the ‘mountains’ of lack of understanding between the churches might be moved. In his address to the meeting,

Professor Gerard Pillay, ViceChancellor of Liverpool Hope University, reminded those present that the last honorary doctorate Chiara Lubich received, just two months before she died in March 2008, was from Liverpool Hope in recognition for her work of dialogue in ecumenism, in interfaith and with contemporary culture. He paid tribute to her work describing Focolare as ‘not institutionally focused, not empire building but part of the spreading out of goodness all over the world ... Chiara Lubich, from the very beginning was outward looking.’

The Vincentian Volunteers are a small organisation working with young people on a gap year encouraging their spiritual growth and enabling them to work with people who are experiencing various forms of poverty They are currently looking for a Financial Officer to help them in their work, the salary is to be negotiated They are looking for a qualified accountant to assist the their

trustees in all areas of financial management, systems and control. As a very small charity, the work involved will not be more than one day per calendar month. Anyone wishing to apply may be selfemployed and must be able to demonstrate appropriate training and experience. Interviews will take place on Friday 3 January 2014. Anyone interested should apply in writing including a full CV by Wednesday 4 December to Sister Susan Molloy DC, Vincentian Volunteers, St Matthew’s Presbytery, Worsley Road, Winton, Eccles, Manchester M30 8BL or email susan.molloy@hotmail.co.uk

Obituary of Canon Brian Mullan

Canon Brian Mullan Parish Priest of St Bernadette’s, Liverpool, for 32 years died on the morning of Sunday 3 November at the age of 92. James Brian Mullan was born on 24 November 1920, the son of John and Elizabeth Mullan. His early education took place at St Edmund's School, Waterloo, and St Mary's College, Crosby, before Studies for the priesthood at St Joseph’s College, Upholland. He was ordained priest in St Joseph’s Chapel, Upholland, by Archbishop Downey on 26 May 1945. Following ordination he was sent immediately to do further studies in canon law at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he obtained his doctorate in 1948. Upon his return to the archdiocese he was appointed curate at St Gregory's, Weld Bank, and in August 1951 he moved to St Anthony's, Scotland Road. In October 1955 he was appointed curate at St Clare's, Liverpool, where he remained for six years, before moving to be curate at Our Lady and St Joseph, Prescot. In June 1970 he was appointed parish priest at St Bernadette's, Liverpool, where he was to remain until his retirement to Woolton in 2002. He served for many years in the Metropolitan Tribunal. In 1958 he was appointed Vice-Officialis by Archbishop Heenan and in February 1967 became Officialis. He held this post until 1982 and thereafter he continued to act as a consultant to the Tribunal for some years. For his distinguished service to the archdiocese he was appointed an honorary canon in May 1970 and a chapter canon in October 1986. His Funeral Mass was celebrated at St Bernadette’s, Liverpool prior to burial at Allerton Cemetery.

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James Nugent Court opens The new James Nugent Court residential care home in Ullet Road, Liverpool, opened in November offering state of the art care for 56 older people, in luxurious accommodation and more than 50 jobs for local people. All bedrooms are equipped with en-suite facilities, including showers. They also have a flat screen television, DVD player, mini fridge, telephone and internal points. Contemporary on-site hairdressing facilities and a coffee shop are also available in the building and, for sunny days, there are landscaped sensory gardens including seating areas. Just before the official opening on Sunday 17 November, Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Gary Millar, and former Chair of Nugent Care, Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Kelly, led an open day at the Centre which gave members of the caring profession an opportunity to view the facilities. Nugent Care Chief Executive, Kathleen Pitt, said: ‘We are delighted to be able to show this fantastic care home off to care sector workers and we are thrilled it will be opening to the public soon. Linda Corcoran, Home Manager and her team are able to show why James Nugent Court will be a great place to live and we are looking forward to the home becoming an integral part of the local community.’ Linda Corcoran said: ‘I am thrilled that James Nugent Court is finally opening and we can begin welcoming our first residents. I have a really strong team behind me and we are all positive we can make this home a great place to live and work’. For more information on James Nugent Court, 14 Ullet Road, Liverpool L8 3SR, or to arrange a visit, call 0151 261 2000, email: JNC@nugentcare.org or write to: Head Office, Nugent Care, 99 Edge Lane, Liverpool L7 2PE.

New beginnings at Notre Dame The official opening of the new Notre Dame Catholic College building took place with many distinguished visitors attending. Headteacher Frances Harrison welcomed Bishop Tom Williams and Mayor Joe Anderson along with Greg Clarke, the Government Minister for Cities. A large contingent of the Notre Dame Order attended led by Sister Patricia O’Brien SND, the Provincial Moderator and former Headteacher, Sister Susan Walters. Governors and former staff were invited and were able to wander around the new building and be entertained with a short programme produced by the Performing Arts department. Frances Harrison said: ‘We’re all thrilled to bits with our new school. Everyone who has been inside has been absolutely bowled over by how light, airy and spacious it is. It is such an improvement over the previous building and will make a massive difference to the education we provide to our pupils.’

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VMM at House of Lords Over sixty people filled the River Room at the House of Lords for a reception hosted by Lord Mike Storey for the Volunteer Missionary Movement. The event was held to bring faith partners together and highlight the issues and successes involved in faith based overseas development and mission. Speaking at the reception Chief Executive of VMM, Dr Vincent Kenny, said, ‘the societal work of religious and faith groups continues to be seen throughout Great Britain today through their legacy of voluntary hospitals, social services, universities and schools and also throughout the developing world. These are the real capacity buildings blocks of integral human development which VMM continue to support through the work of their professional and vocationally minded volunteers.’ Van Garber, Manager of VMM England and Wales, who is based at Liverpool Hope University, introduced Bishop John Arnold, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Chairman of Cafod. Bishop Arnold highlighted the vital importance of building the capacity of partner organisations and praised VMMs role. He said, ‘People are no longer waiting for handouts alone, the work of the VMM goes much further than just giving money to the needy: it

is about fulfilling the potential of people’. VMM trustee, Mark Wiggin, gave a presentation of VMM’s role in recruiting skilled lay people throughout the UK to assist in overseas development. Since its inception in 1969 VMM has recruited and placed over 2000 lay Christians to work with and build the capacity of overseas partner organisations, improving the lives of millions. They continue to build organisations through partnerships with universities, professional associations, mission orders and development NGO’s that share the values of development mission.

Crisis for Mulanje orphans

The charity Friends of Mulanje Orphans (FOMO) who look after 4,000 orphans in Malawi are facing a funding crisis due to a 63% rise in the cost of maize, the children’s staple diet. Following the discovery that a cheap form of bio-fuel can be made from maize food supplies are diminishing as the price rises. FOMO has currently had to halve the meals which it donates. The FOMO objectives are to feed, clothe, educate and address health issues, but the major worry is now the question of food. The children live in abject poverty and FOMO looks after them in the community, with the support of other families. In this crisis situation FOMO is looking both for sponsorship and individual donations. To make a donation or for further information contact: FOMO UK, 29 Liverpool Old Road, Walmer Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 5QA. Tel: 01772 619409. Email: fomouk@hotmail.com

Dominic: ‘a beacon of light for us’ Members of the Passionist Order from throughout the world gathered at the Shrine of Blessed Dominic Barberi in Sutton, St Helens, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatification of the nineteenth century Passionist Priest who received Blessed John Henry Newman into the Church. It was fifty years to the day since Pope Paul VI beatified Dominic in Rome during the Second Vatican Council. On that day, 27 October 1963, Pope Paul said of Dominic in his homily: ‘He had a great love for England. This phrase would seem to define this humble, but great, follower of the gospel of Christ; it seems to sum up the historical current of the sentiments of the Church of Rome, towards that island of high destiny; it seems to give expression to this present spiritual moment of the Apostolic See, which now raises to the glory of the Blessed this generous

missionary.’ To mark the anniversary the Superior General of the Passionists, Father Joachim Rego celebrated Mass together with Passionist Provincial Father John Kearns and priests from throughout the country. Many Sisters of the Cross and Passion attended and coaches of pilgrims arrived from as far afield as Hearne Bay in Kent. In his homily Father Rego described the day as an ‘historic occasion’ and

said: ‘we celebrate this declaration by the Church that Dominic’s life, his virtues and his self-sacrifice, were such that he not only deserves our recognition but that his life has inspired us and continues to be a beacon of light for us in our own Christian journey.’ He concluded by encouraging the congregation to be true to the work of Blessed Dominic saying, ‘let us take up again the mantle of Dominic and continue his mission today’.

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50 years of service On Sunday 27 October the final two jubilarians of 2013 celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood. Monsignor Peter Cookson, former Dean of the Metropolitan Cathedral, and Father Brian Newns, Parish Priest of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith, Ashton-in-Makerfield, marked the occasion with Masses of Thanksgiving. Archbishop Emeritus, Patrick Kelly, concelebrated the 11.00 am Solemn Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Monsignor Cookson was the celebrant and spoke of the privilege of celebrating Mass daily over so many years and of prayer and humility saying that in fifty years of priesthood there is ‘much to be humble about’. The Archbishop Emeritus celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving with Father Brian Newns in the afternoon at St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith where parishioners and friends joined in marking the significant anniversary. In his homily the Archbishop Emeritus reflected on the celebration of Mass, particularly at the time of the Second Vatican Council.

A town pays tribute The road outside St Mary’s, Lowe House, St Helens, was lined with hundreds of people, there to pay tribute to Steve Prescott, former rugby league player with St Helens, Hull, Wakefield and England. Over 1,000 people were in the church for the Funeral Mass and more outside to pray for Steve who died on 9 November at the age of 39. Diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer at the age of 32 he had been given only months to live, but fought back to set up the Steve Prescott Foundation and raise almost £500,000, much of it by his own efforts including running, walking, swimming and many other activities. Steve’s 12 year old son, Taylor, gave a moving eulogy in which he said: ‘I’d like to say how proud I am of what my dad has achieved. I have got lots of great memories of the times we have had together. I will remember them forever.’ The Mass was celebrated by Canon Tom Neylon who in his homily said: ‘St Paul's second letter to a young man called Timothy contains words of encouragement for us who are saddened by Stephen's death. St Paul had travelled many hundreds of miles for the sake of preaching the gospel. He

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was an athlete for Christ in the way in which he spent himself in preaching the gospel’. As the procession left the church the bells of the carillon rang out ‘when the saints go marching in...’ Thousands stood in respectful silence before applauding as the cortege left. Picture: Liverpool Post and Echo

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spotlight

Help the homeless this Christmas – a Nugent Care appeal Christmas should be a time for friends and family. For far too many people, though, it is the loneliest, coldest and toughest time of the year and this Advent, Nugent Care has launched an appeal to help support single homeless people along with those families and individuals who may be at risk of becoming homeless. Becky’s story Becky was born into a lone-parent household. Her father was absent and her mother died of a heart condition at 31, when Becky was just five. Her grandmother became the main carer for her and her two siblings, but Becky’s brother was violent to them and tragically her grandmother committed suicide as a result. Aged 12, Becky was taken into care after her older sister, then 18, abandoned the two younger children.

At 18 Becky got her own flat and she managed well until her brother was released from prison and moved in with her – on her 21st birthday he tried to strangle her. She was forced to abandon the flat and went to live in a women’s hostel. Becky was introduced to the Nugent Care New Beginnings Service 10 months ago and has been working with Rachel, one of our homeless team workers, to help her resettle. Becky was moved into a short-term tenancy bedsit with support to help her develop the skills to sustain a longer-term tenancy in future. It has not been easy: Becky got pregnant and the subsequent miscarriage left her at a low ebb. That was some months ago and thankfully Becky now is studying part-time; she would eventually like to work in the care sector and the staff at Nugent Care are encouraging Becky to consider a part-time course at university. Becky’s story is far from unique and Nugent Care provides housing support, education and wellbeing services to help many people out of homelessness. When we rehouse someone like Becky the basics – a bed, microwave, kettle etc – cost approximately £150. Your donation, no matter what the size, will help a person out of homelessness. Consider the following: • £5 would provide toiletries • £10 would provide a food pack • £15 would provide a kettle and toaster • £35 would provide a microwave • £80 would buy a new bed. To donate online via our Virgin Giving webpage, go to:

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http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ charityweb/charity/finalCharityHomepage. action?charityId=1001574 You could also donate over the phone on 0151 261 4498 or by post – please make your cheque payable to Nugent Care and post it to Christmas Appeal, Nugent Care, 99 Edge Lane, Liverpool, L7 2PE. If you are a regular supporter and would like to help us throughout the year you may want to consider setting up a standing order. You can phone us for a form or download one from our website. Marie Reynolds our fundraising manger would be happy to discuss donations, corporate support or gifts in your will. Please contact her on 0151 261 2049 or at marie.reynolds@nugentcare.org. Christmas fundraising events • Christmas Homeless Appeal Carol Concert This will take place on Saturday 14 December at 7.30pm at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, Bishop Eton, Woolton Road Liverpool L16 8NQ. The concert will feature the Liverpool Voice Choir (led by Lesley Bentley, former director of arts at Notre Dame College) and the Maghull Parish hand-bell ringers. Tickets are £5 each with free entry for children, and refreshments included. All proceeds will support people out of homelessness. Tickets are available from Francesca at Nugent Care – call 0151 261 2043 or email francesca.d’arcy@nugentcare.org. • Hayes and Finch are holding a preChristmas charity event on Wednesday 4 December between 10.30am and 2.30pm at their Liverpool showroom on Hanson Road, Aintree, Liverpool, L9 7BP. They will be offering a selection of top-quality products at greatly reduced prices and will donate a proportion of the sale to the homeless appeal at Nugent Care.

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sunday reflections On a liturgical note As this month of December opens before us, ‘We wish you a Merry Advent’ may not have quite the same ring to it as the more familiar message but that, at least, is the Church’s hope for us through our liturgies of the coming weeks. Although the shops and the adverts may want to lull us into that false sense of security that we are bound to have the happiest, most perfect and fulfilled Christmas IF we buy the following items, we know perfectly well that the happiest Christmas is the feast centred upon the gift of Christ; once He is at the centre then, in poverty or plenty, we will have a Blessed Season which will then lead us into a Blessed 2014. Advent, as a season of the Church year, can so easily get pushed to one side in the headlong rush to the grotto and the turkey! Each year, at the beginning of the Advent Service in St Cuthbert’s Chapel at Ushaw College, we heard the following words; I offer them to you, wishing

Sunday thoughts

Canon Philip Gillespie

you ‘Happy Advent’: The voices of Advent speak to us of light and hope, of witness and of commitment. They call us to repentance, to ‘prepare a way’ for the coming of the Lord. The tenor of this season demands that we draw aside for reflection and contemplation, at a time when the world clamours for our attention. We become trapped on the express train to Christmas Day from which there seems to be no escape. But the strength of this time of preparation lies in the ability to provide a respite, a quiet corridor, a moment of peace amid the noise and rush of the day. Advent, a season as brief as the winter days it encompasses, gives us an opportunity to develop the neglected art of holy waiting.

What is real? Earlier in the year I was in Las Vegas. I was mesmerised by the size of the hotels. I loved the lights which made it seem like day all the time and the fountains which danced majestically to wonder ful music. I was amazed to find people at slot machines at 8.30 in the morning. While I enjoyed the buzz and the experience it struck me how unreal it all was and how all of it was built to ser ve the great god Mammon and to exploit our perceived need for wealth and material goods. I was reminded of the stor y of the velveteen rabbit and the question asked of the old skin horse in the nurser y: ‘What is real?’ The answer given by that old nurser y toy is that ‘real’ is when you have been loved, so much so that your joints grow slack and your ears get ripped and your eyes fall out but you do not really mind because love has made you real.

Mgr John Devine OBE

The wheelie bin is an ugly invention. Colours vary from one local authority to another as do the categories of waste allowed in each one. Can glass and paper be recycled together? Are books classified as paper? The threat of penalties from some borough councils for getting it wrong or for failing to put the right bin out on the right day in the right week adds a sinister dimension.

And finally, the sound of them being tossed and dragged about once emptied wakens the entire neighbourhood.

‘Form follows function’ is the principle of good design, but it is a principle clearly abandoned in the design of the wheelie bin. The requirement to engage directly with the lifting mechanism on waste disposal trucks has been achieved at the expense of user friendliness. Their height makes them difficult to manoeuvre when full. Best pulled, they are impossible to park against a wall with their lids opening the right way. Negotiating a garden gate in the dark (and rain) with a full bin to ensure that the right-coloured bin is ready for collection at 6am the following morning is a nightmare.

I have just returned from my first trip to the Holy Land. My first encounter was with the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. It was not an uplifting experience. Manger Square serves as a car park and I was confronted by two stinking and overflowing wheelie bins. ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie’? Forget it.

The wheelie bin is one more feature of 21st century urban living masquerading as progress.

Further reflection suggests that if the Word became flesh 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem, He is also made flesh in the world of the wheelie bin: in Bethlehem and Warrington and Liverpool.

In just a few weeks’ time we will celebrate Christmas, which really is the feast of love. God became flesh to shatter our illusions about what reality is and to show us that the only true reality is love. Advent is about preparing our minds and our hear ts to see that because of love we can discover who we really are, beloved children of God. The challenge of Advent is to open ourselves up to the power of love. The deep discover y of love that knows no end is what makes us real. It is what turns our drab, futile, grey existence into vital, pulsating life. God became flesh to show us what love is. Dare we this Advent open our hear ts and minds to love that transforms and make us real? Do take time each day to open yourself to God. Meet love and become love whatever the cost, and know the truth that Jesus came that ‘we might have life and have it to the full’. Fr Chris Thomas

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what’s on Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

Various dates

Saturday 7 December Handel’s ‘Messiah’ Sung by the Choirs of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Liverpool Cathedral. 7.30 pm in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 708 7283 or www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk Sunday 8 December Marie Curie ‘Lights to Remember’ Service 5.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Monday 9 December Advent Exposition 2.00-2.30 pm at St Marie’s, Almond Brook Road, Standish, WN6 0TB.

Sunday 1 December An Advent Sequence 5.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Sung by the Cathedral Choir in procession with seasonal music and readings followed by mulled wine and mince pies. Monday 2 December Advent Exposition 2.00-2.30 pm at St Marie’s, Almond Brook Road, Standish, WN6 0TB. Wednesday 4 December Closing Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary(offered for peace). Presider: Bishop Tom Williams. 7.30 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, L4 1QL. Thursday 5 December SAMM Service 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King Friday 6 December to Sunday 8 December ‘Preparing for Christmas’ A weekend retreat to help keep Christ at the centre of Christmas preparations led by Philip McParland. St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1 PH. Details Tel: 07722 572753. Bookings Tel: 01704 879665. Friday 6 December Embroidery for Pleasure Class 1.00 pm-4.00 pm in the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. All welcome from beginners to experienced embroiderers who would like to learn new skills. Cost £5 per session including refreshments. Bookings and enquiries: enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

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Mersey Wave Christmas Concert With Kathryn Rudge (Mezzo-Soprano), Jason Ellis (Piano and Director) and the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Mersey Wave Choirs. 7.00 pm at St Ambrose, Heathgate Avenue, Liverpool, L24 7RS. Tickets £7 from www.merseywavemusic.com BBC Radio Merseyside Christmas Carol Service 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. In aid of Children in Need. Tickets £4.00, available from the BBC Shop in Hanover Street. The Carol Service will be recorded for broadcast on Christmas Eve at 5.30 pm. ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Evangelisation’ 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street,

Saturday 14 December

Wednesday 11 December Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’ Boy Choristers of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. Director: Christopher McElroy. Harp: Deian Rowlands. 1.00 pm at Liverpool Hope University Chapel, Hope Park, L16 9JD. Schools’ Advent Service 2.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Led by Cathedral Staff and Volunteers. Thursday 12 December Schools’ Advent Service 2.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Led by Cathedral Staff and Volunteers. Friday 13 December ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: Mass of Thanksgiving and Commissioning 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

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december Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’ Boy Choristers of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. Director: Christopher McElroy. Harp: Deian Rowlands. 7.30 pm at Christ the King, Queen’s Drive, Liverpool, L15 6YQ.

Tuesday 17 December

Saturday 14 December ‘A Dickensian Christmas.’ Ken Dodd will compere an evening of readings, familiar carols and seasonal music from the Metropolitan Cathedral Choirs and local primary schools. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 708 7283 or www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk Sunday 15 December Shorter Evening Prayer and Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’ Boy Choristers of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. Director: Christopher McElroy. Harp: Deian Rowlands. 3.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Monday 16 December Advent Exposition 2.00-2.30 pm at St Marie’s, Almond Brook Road, Standish, WN6 0TB. Tuesday 17 December Nugent Care ‘Light up a Life Service’ 12.00 noon in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Details Tel: 0151 261 4498. Cursillo Christmas Ultreya 7.30 pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral. All welcome. Thursday 19 December Cafod Carol Service 7.30 pm at St Teresa’s, College Road, Upholland, WN8 0PY. Saturday 21 December Service of Reconciliation with Bishop Tom Williams 3.00 pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. An opportunity for reflection and individual confession.

Tickets: £11, Concessions £9. Details Tel: 01925 601773. Monday 23 December Advent Exposition 2.00-2.30 pm at St Marie’s, Almond Brook Road, Standish, WN6 0TB. Tuesday 24 December First Vespers of Christmas 3.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Sung by the Cathedral Girls’ Choir. During the Service the new Christmas Crib will be blessed. Wednesday 25 December Solemn Midnight Mass of Christmas

12.00 midnight in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Bishop Tom Williams. Christmas Day Masses in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King 8.30 am (Blessed Sacrament Chapel); 10.00 am (Family Mass: Crypt); 11.00 am Solemn Mass of Christmas Day (High Altar). Friday 27 December 29th Cafod Fun Run 1.00 pm at Wavertree Park, L15 4LE. Details Tel: 0151 228 4028. Email: Liverpool@cafod.org.uk

Friday 27 December

‘Christmas from around the world’ at Culcheth High School Warrington Light Opera and Manchester Opera Orchestra supported by St Helens Catholic Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Tickets: £11, Concessions £9. Details Tel: 01925 601773. Sunday 22 December Festival Carol Service 5.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. A mix of seasonal music and readings and congregational carols. Refreshments will be served after the Service. ‘Christmas from around the world’ at Culcheth High School Warrington Light Opera and Manchester Opera Orchestra supported by St Helens Catholic Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

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profile

Sean Hardeley

Teacher of the Year By Ann Todd When Emily Hardeley grows up, she will discover that the year of her birth was an unforgettable one for her father Sean, who has had double cause for celebration in 2013 having also earned a national Outstanding Teacher award. Sean, deputy head of Science at Holy Cross High School in Chorley, was one of 24,000 candidates put forward for the prestigious Pearson Teaching Awards and won the regional award for Outstanding New Teacher before going through to the finals in October. Sean, now in his fourth year of teaching, was interviewed by a panel of judges before he was eventually chosen and received his gold-plated trophy from Olympic champion Mo Farah at an awards ceremony at London’s Theatre Royal, which was shown on BBC2. Yet the unassuming 28-year-old is quick to thank his pupils and colleagues who helped him earn this accolade. ‘I am very pleased to win, and flattered that I was nominated in the first place by the head of my department,’ he explains. ‘It’s great for the science department and the school. The pupils have been

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very supportive – they actually spoke up for me at the interviews for the award and on the BBC.’ A key factor in Sean’s success was his work with the school’s Science Teaching Engineering and Maths club (STEM), which sent a video camera 21,000 metres into the atmosphere to video the curve of the Earth –the ‘thin blue line’ as he calls it. They attached a camera to a school teddy bear and sent it up fixed to a weather balloon – something Sean describes as ‘a great achievement’. Sean, who grew up in Guildford, has an unusual career background. He started out working in London as a physiologist delivering health assessments for Nuffield Health, yet the memories of his work experience teaching in South Africa began to pull at him. ‘I had had a taste of teaching and liked it. Physiology was great but after one and a half years I reached the stage of thinking, why not go into teaching?’ After completing his teacher training in physics at Loughborough University, Sean and his wife Kate decided he

would apply for jobs within reach of Formby, where she is from. ‘The 30-mile radius job just happened to come up in Chorley. I admit I knew nothing about Chorley, but the school is great and I am very happy here. Now we have baby Emily and it’s a really brilliant time for me.’ And will he tell his daughter about winning his award just after her birth? ‘Well, I could show her the video of the awards ceremony and let her play with the trophy,’ he laughs. On teaching science at a Catholic school, he adds: ‘I am not a Catholic, but what I can say is that we have a syllabus that we work to, but we also ask the pupils to talk about their Catholic perspective.’ It is not just science though; Sean, who played rugby for Harlequins academy and later at Loughborough University, has also taken on rugby league coaching at the school. As for the future, he says: ‘My ambition is to be a head but my immediate ambition is to be head of department, wherever that is. I’ll just take each step as it comes.’

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youth ministry

Work, work, work… and a Harry Ramsden’s supper By Sarah Beatty Our second half-term began with a bang as we welcomed Year 7 pupils from St Mary’s College, Crosby to focus on the theme of ‘New community’. The day was split into workshops focusing on what it meant for these young people to love one another and to appreciate the gifts and talents that they have, but also the gifts and talents of the other people in their year group. The students enjoyed their day, and we look forward to welcoming them back in the future. The team then travelled further afield to Macclesfield to join the All Hallows High School Faith Day. We had the chance to work with Year 10 pupils, focusing on the scripture theme of ‘Peace I leave you, my peace I give you’ (Jn 14:27). The day was split into three sessions looking at how we can show love and peace to others. After our Youth Alive weekend, we welcomed Years 7, 8 and 9 from St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Centre for Learning, Whiston, to Lowe House for day retreats focusing on the theme of ‘Living life to the full’.

This is part of their school’s mission statement and we wanted to explore with them how to live out the core Gospel values in our lives. With November being the month of remembrance, the retreats had an added focus on peace and reconciliation. The past month has also given us the chance to work with our first primary school of the year – St Mary’s Catholic Primary in Euxton. Working with Year 5 and 6 pupils, we explored their school mission statement of ‘Living and Learning together in Faith’. The team had a great day working with St Mary’s, both in the main sessions and workshops, and are looking forward to more primary-school visits in the future. However, it has not been all work and no play. The team have had a few trips out over the last few weeks, including a visit to Blackpool to see the illuminations. Our night out began with the 2p machines in the arcades, where Dom managed to win the best prize ever: a High School Musical pen… No trip to Blackpool would be complete without fish and chips, so we

thought we would treat ourselves to Harry Ramsden’s. The boys on the team took on Harry’s Challenge – an extra-large fish, chips, two side dishes, and bread and butter, which all had to be eaten in 30 minutes. Mike was the only one who successfully completed the challenge, but all the boys got a Tshirt for taking part – much to Mike’s disappointment! After a walk along the prom and photos under the tower, it was time to head back to Lowe House before our next week of day retreats. Keep up to date with our activities via Facebook (Ani Mate), Twitter (@animateyouth) or our website (www.animateyouth.org). Dates for the diary 1 December – Super Sunday, starting at 12 noon. Youth Alive Mass follows at 3pm. 18-19 January 2014 – Eucharistic Minister Training for Young People aged 15+. For further information, contact s.gore@animateyouth.co.uk.

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justice & peace

A time for giving? Three ways to help others this Christmas By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker Every year at the start of Advent the Justice and Peace Commission organises the sending of Christmas cards to people who need to know that someone cares enough to write to them. Christmas cards can make a big difference to the many people in the world who feel neglected and forgotten. Sending a card is an easy way to bring hope to the heart of someone who feels abandoned and forlorn. The J&P Commission has addresses for several groups of people: • Churches in the Holy Land • Victims of Torture • Victims of Human Rights abuse • Persecuted Christians We have been sending cards to prisoners of conscience for many years and to the Holy Land for the last four. Any of these forgotten groups would be delighted to receive a greeting card from you and from others in your parish. If you post cards directly to parishes in the Holy Land there is a chance that they will be sent back by the authorities. We recommend, therefore, the system that we have used for the last three years: send cards via Father

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Humam Khzouz, the Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate, who is very happy to pass them on to the parishes. He has suggested that an extra card is included to explain who the cards are from and why they have been sent. This year’s addresses include parishes in the state of Israel as well as in the Palestinian Authority. How to get involved: To get the addresses contact the J&P office on 0151 522 1080/1081 or email s.atherton@rcaol.co.uk. You can also visit our website www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk (the J&P page can be found in the Commissions section). Closer to home, there are two groups in Liverpool who are desperate for help. This year we have seen dreadful images on our televisions of immigrants drowning in the Mediterranean in their desperate attempt to escape from starvation and hopelessness in their home countries. Those of them who end up here in the Northwest soon discover that the United Kingdom does not welcome them with open arms or offer them the new life they seek. Asylum Link Merseyside supports hundreds of asylum seekers every day by offering immigration law advice, case work support, a hot meal, cheap clothing, low-cost furniture, cycle repair, English language classes and a place to meet other people. Without ALM there would be people living in

doorways. It is approaching a funding crisis and it relies on voluntary support. The other organisation is MRANG, a group that supports and cares for refugee women who are victims of trauma and rape in their home countries, supporting them with pre and post-natal care in a confidential environment. MRANG is now penniless. The contact details for the two bodies are: ASM, St Anne’s Centre, 7 Overbury St, Liverpool. L7 3HJ (Tel 0151 709 1713). MRANG, 36 Windsor Street, Liverpool, L8 1XE (Tel 0151 708 631601). • You can read more about Asylum Link Merseyside in next month’s Pic

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Leisure Time Travel The Northwest’s Leading Pilgrimage Company

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Notre Dame Remembers All members of the Notre Dame Community gathered together for their first Remembrance Service in their new school building on Monday 11th November 2013. The prayerful atmosphere throughout the service was extremely moving. Staff and pupils assembled on the theatre steps and the balconies, overlooking the performance area just before 11am to participate in the service led by Frances Harrison, the headteacher and the 1804 Society. This is a group of Sixth Form students who are committed to communicating and fostering the mission and vision of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Representatives from all year groups laid crosses bearing the names of servicemen and women who had given their lives during past wars and the more recent conflicts. It was a poignant occasion for the school and one where Mrs Harrison had nothing but praise for the 800 plus pupils who conducted themselves with utter dignity and respect. Prayers were said for all who had died and those experiencing

any form of violence or conflict in their lives. The pupils were then challenged to become peacemakers in the school in their own homes and local communities. The service concluded with a two minute silence followed by the ‘Last Post’. This was indeed a service to remember.

St John Bosco Archdiocese day On Thursday 3rd October 2013 St John Bosco held its first Archdiocese Day for 200 Year 6 students and their teachers. Five local primary schools; St Matthew’s, Our Lady and St

Philomena’s, Our Lady and St Swithin’s, St Teresa’s and Emmaus joined together to celebrate our shared Catholic ethos with a retreat style day ending with a shared liturgy. Each individual student celebrated their unique talents sharing this through artwork by creating an altar cloth to be used for their school leavers mass. They drew a self portrait and surrounded it with words describing what makes them special and unique. Collectively the students celebrated what makes their school special by creating a banner for their whole school. Each created a banner with words and illustrations creating really bright and beautiful banners that were used during the liturgy. After all the art work students prepared for their liturgy with each school taking responsibility for different aspects of the liturgy like the music and the wonderful dramatisation of the Gospel. This helped the liturgy to be both spiritual and charismatic as all students got involved in singing, learning lots of new hymns actions and all. This was a wonderful day for our pastoral area bringing together young people to celebrate themselves through faith.

Strictly come dancing! On the 19th October 2013 Archbishop Beck Dance Ensemble competed in the Liverpool’s “Just Dance Competition” in Ellsemere Port Civil Hall. They competed against ten other dance schools in the under 21's and the open age sections. In both of these sections they gained 1st place for musical theatre genre of dance! A fantastic result for the dance performers! They were also placed fourth overall in the under 21’s section. This has secured their place in the “Just Dance Final” in the Empire Theatre on the 30th March 2014. This is a brilliant achievement for Archbishop Beck dancers as the standard of dance in North West dance schools is incredibly high. All of the committed and hardworking dance performers are honoured to be going through to the final. Congratulations and good luck in March!

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cathedral

New Nativity set will be blessed at a special service

Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean

With the generosity and help of the Cathedral Friends, who have partfunded this purchase, a new Nativity Set has been bought for the Metropolitan Cathedral writes Claire Hanlon. Peter Woods, Chair of the Friends said, ‘The Friends role is to support all cultural and artistic aspects of Cathedral life and we were delighted to financially support the purchase of the new nativity tableau. We are confident that it will prove to be a great attraction throughout the Christmas period.’ This is the first time in over thirty years that the Cathedral has had a new crib, and it is our sincere hope that many of you will come, with your family and friends, to say a prayer and spend some quiet reflection time, before the baby Jesus over the Christmas season. The new Nativity set will be blessed at a special service of First Vespers of Christmas sung by the Cathedral Girls’ Choir, at 3.00 pm on Christmas Eve. It will also be situated in a new setting in the Unity Chapel. Everyone is welcome to attend this service. However, the Cathedral has not been able to afford to buy any animals for the Christmas scene. The Dean of

the Cathedral Canon Anthony O’Brien said, ‘I am enormously grateful for the generosity of the Friends and for all they do to support the work of the Cathedral but I deliberately did not ask the Friends to finance any of the animals to complete the set as I thought that people may wish to purchase an animal (lambs, sheep, rams) or make a contribution to pay for the bigger animals (ox and donkey). ‘All the names of the donors will appear in a Donor’s Book that will be displayed close to the Nativity scene, throughout this season and over the years to come, and they will be remembered at Mass. ‘If anyone would like to make a donation on behalf of someone else as an extra special Christmas present a unique personalised certificate will be sent to them. The generosity and kindness of the people in the Archdiocese has always inspired and amazed me, and I hope that many of you will be able to make some contribution towards this project.’ If you have any questions or queries about the new crib or if you would like to contribute please contact Claire Hanlon (c.hanlon@metcathedral.org.uk), or call 0151 709 9222.

December at the Cathedral is a busy but very rewarding time with many thousands of people coming for special services and events during the Advent Season in preparation for Christmas. Unfortunately because there is so much going on this month’s record reads like a ‘Whats On’ feature. The First Sunday of Advent falls today, 1 December, and to mark the change of season we have a special service of readings and music which takes the place of Evening Prayer, the Advent Sequence, this is at the later time of 5.00 pm. During this week there is the SAMM Service (Support for those bereaved after murder or manslaughter) at 7.30 pm on Thursday 5 December and the BBC Radio Merseyside Carol Service on Friday 6 December at 7.30 pm. On the Second Sunday of Advent there is a special evening Service entitled ‘Lights to Remember’ at 5.00 pm organised by the Marie Curie Hospice. Then on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons 11 and 12 December there are the Schools Advent Services. The Cathedral is organising the services this year and they are shaping up to be an even bigger extravaganza. I have been demoted from ‘Joseph’ to one of the Kings but I will have the added enjoyment of riding around the Cathedral on a mobility scooter which will be made to look like a camel. On Saturday 14 December at 7.00 pm there is our own Cathedral Dickensian Christmas Carol Concert, compered by Ken Dodd and involving lots of choirs including our own Cathedral choirs, this could well be a sell out. On the third Sunday of Advent there will be a performance of Britten’s ‘Ceremony of Carols’ after Evening Prayer at 3.00 pm. Nugent Care have their ‘Light up a Life’ service on Tuesday 17 December at 12.00 noon. Our Advent Reconciliation Service is at 3.00 pm on Saturday 21 December led by Bishop Tom Williams and our Festival Carol Service is at 5.00 pm on Sunday 22 December. First Vespers of Christmas will be sung by the Cathedral Girls Choir at 3.00 pm on Christmas Eve. We will bless the new Cathedral Crib during this service. Bishop Tom will preside at Christmas Midnight Mass in the Cathedral and our final Mass on Christmas Day is the Solemn Mass with choir at 11.00 am.

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Pic extras Mums the Word Well Mums, hasn’t 2013 been a year of surprises and celebrations? We were all shocked and saddened by Archbishop Kelly’s early retirement and we send our prayerful wishes to him. Beyond our Archdiocese, history was made for the first time in almost 600 years when the papacy was relinquished by Pope Benedict XVI, due to his deteriorating health. We remember to keep in our prayers Emeritus Pope Benedict and his successor Pope Francis. Back closer to home, our centenary Mass and celebration at the Adelphi Hotel proved a wonderful occasion, while the National Mass at Westminster was a memorable closure to the UCM’s centenary year. Many thanks to all for the help and great support you provided on those occasions. Our new ‘Prayer tree’ in the Cathedral has had an overwhelming response with over 5,000 cards written since it was installed in June. The special Year of Faith, meanwhile, ended on the feast of Christ the King. It was a great opportunity to gain plenary indulgences and to reflect on our own faith and relationship with God in our daily lives. We are now in the holy season of Advent, and away from the madness of the shops the services in our churches give us the opportunity for peace and reflection before the great feast of Christmas. Let us remember those families and individuals who have had severe cutbacks in their benefits and also in the lifeline services. Let us remember too the sick, disabled, those suffering mental and emotional problems, the homeless, and those parents trying to give their children presents for Christmas when their daily bread is coming from the many food banks operating throughout our Archdiocese. Let us do our utmost to be the Light of Christ to those in need this Christmas. May I wish you and your families peace and joy this Christmas season and a healthy and blessed New Year. Angela Moore, Archdiocesan president

Catholic Pictorial

News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba

Nugent Care profits from Knights’ fundraising efforts The KSC has raised over £5,000 for Nugent Care through recent sponsored events organised by council 146 Southport and council 9 Liverpool West. The Southport knights raised £2,100 from a sponsored bike ride while their counterparts in Liverpool West harvested £3,150 from a sponsored walk. This second amount will probably exceed £5,500 with Gift Aid tax refunds and matched funding from Barclays bank. Websites: www.ksc.org.uk and www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com Top: Southport’s grand knight, Tom Sammin, presents a cheque to Sister Benedicte from Clumber Lodge Nugent Care Home. Also present in the picture are Father Phil Gregory, Mrs Pat Sammin and provincial action and youth officer Mike Nolan. Middle: Danny Grimes (far right), grand knight of Council 9, is pictured together with Sue Carter of Barclays bank and Nugent Care’s Marie Reynolds. • The recent visit of the Miraculous Relic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral concluded on Friday 25 October with a service of return conducted by Cathedral Dean Canon Anthony O’Brien. The visit was a great success and the Team from the permanent shrine in Bedford thanked Canon O’Brien and the Cathedral staff and also the KSC for all the help provided in organising the visit. Framed pictures of the image were presented to Canon O’Brien and to our provincial grand knight, John Hamilton. Bottom: The photo shows brothers Ray Pealing, Mike Nolan, John Hamilton and George Lwin with the picture of the image presented to the Liverpool province.

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Catholic Pictorial

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PIC Life Walking with a guardian angel By Moira Billinge

Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. I listened to this poem on the radio; I had come across it on many previous occasions, but this time, for some unknown reason, the words refused to leave my brain and kept repeating themselves, over and over throughout the course of the day. Eventually they became, not the edifying advice intended by their author – thought to be the French philosopher and journalist Albert Camus – but more of an irritation. That night after Mass in a neighbouring parish, as I headed back towards the church car park, my thoughts were obviously hovering somewhere in the heavens rather than on the ground ahead of my feet. It was entirely my own fault; I wasn’t concentrating and didn’t see the step and so landed face first across the concrete. Two guardian angels in the form of a lady and a gentleman emerged from the darkness, coming to rescue me from my spread-eagled and momentarily stunned indignity. Gently and with patient kindness, they helped me to stand, linked my arms, took me to my car and very kindly offered to wait until I felt well enough to drive. Who said that lightning never strikes twice? Two nights later, still nursing my injured pride and battered face, I attended a second evening Mass in the same neighbouring parish. Again it was dark but on this occasion, it was also raining. As I approached the car park I saw, in the distance, the lovely couple who had helped me when I fell two days

Catholic Pictorial

earlier. At the time I had been too shaken to thank them properly, so I now hurried towards them, carefully avoiding the step which had so wilfully brought me to my knees.

Our Prayer for December Dear Jesus From your crib this Christmas please send out your love and peace to all the world. Surround us with the happiness only you can bring to our lives. Amen Please send your favourite prayer to: Barbara, Catholic Pictorial, 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS Please include your contact number (not for publication) and which parish you are from.

Worth a visit

There is a saying, though, that ‘man proposes but God disposes’ and I could not have foreseen a wicked conspiracy between that same step and the blindingly bright headlights of a nearby vehicle. For the second time in 48 hours, at the crucial moment, I missed the step and fell once more in exactly the same place, practically at the feet of this poor, very startled couple. On this occasion, I was not the only victim. The various Catholic newspapers which I had been carefully shielding from the rain flew into the air and landed in the puddles all around me. Amazed that one obviously accidentprone woman could contrive to trip on the same car park step twice, to land in the same spot and require rescue for the second time, my guardian angel shuddered with horror as I attempted to retrieve the newspapers from their various pools of water. ‘No, don’t! Leave them. I’ll pick them up for you.’ Once again, they helped me to my feet – and, luckily, on this occasion, the pavement had missed my face. Again they linked my arms and insisted on walking with me to my car. The woman introduced herself and her 92 year-old father, and added in jest: ‘We are your guardian angels.’ Now, when I think of that poem, I think of that kind, special couple and I hear very different words. ‘Please, walk behind me, and walk in front of me and walk beside me. That’s being a friend.’ Or, perhaps, it is being a guardian angel.

A visit to Oxford promises a peek inside world-famous buildings which were once home to some of our most inspiring poets and thinkers, writes Lucy Oliver. Gerard Manley Hopkins, the poet renowned for such works as The Windhover and God’s Grandeur, read Classics at Balliol College in the 1860s before he realised his Jesuit vocation. As with many Oxford colleges, visitors are welcome to wander around Balliol’s quad and cloisters for a small entrance fee. Hopkins later became curate at the Catholic Church of St Aloysius on Woodstock Road, which welcomes visitors to pray in its beautiful chapels to Our Lady of Lourdes and St Philip Neri. This stunning example of gothic revival was founded in 1875 as a Jesuit parish, and today houses a shrine to Blessed John Henry Newman. For those intrigued by Oxford’s history as a seat of learning, the Bodleian Library, opened in 1602, offers tours around its collections, taking in the Divinity School, the oldest teaching and examination room, and the Radcliffe Camera, with its distinctive circular dome and drum. Nearby is the Sheldonian Theatre, designed by Christopher Wren, where various university ceremonies are conducted. More detailed tours can be booked at Blackwell’s on nearby Broad Street.

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join in Eating Out

Children’s word search

After a few hectic days Christmas shopping call into one of our restaurants listed and enjoy a break

Try to find the clues to our Christmas word search. The meaning of Christmas is Jesus.

JESUS

GRACE

N W

STAR

JOY

PEACE

M A

SAVIOUR LIGHT BIRTH

HOLY NIGHT LOVE

HOST Restaurant 31 Hope Street, Liverpool 1 0151 708 5831 Bella Italia 39 Ranelagh Street, Liverpool 1 0151 707 2121 Bistro Jacques 37 Hardman Street, Liverpool 1 0151 709 1998 Cafe Rouge Met Quarter, Liverpool 1 0151 258 1879 Italian Club Fish Bold Street, Liverpool 1 0151 707 2110 Mattou Pier Head, Liverpool 3 0151 236 2928

More Mullarkey

Monastery Shop

From Johnny Kennedy The young curate had been asked to help out by taking a funeral in a nearby church where the priest was ill. On hearing this, Father Mullarkey told him: ‘The last time I stood in for someone at a funeral, I didn’t know anything about the fella who had died, except that he’d been a headmaster. I told this to the congregation and then asked if there was anyone who would like to say a few words of tribute to the deceased. ‘There was complete silence, not a word from anybody. So I said, ‘Come on don’t be shy, I’m sure there is someone who would like to say a kindly word about the gentleman who has passed on’. There was a long silence, and then a voice from the back muttered, ‘His brother was worse’.’

The shop is now open at the Carmelite

Audio copy of the Pic out now An audio version of the ‘Catholic Pictorial’ is available free of charge, compiled by students, technicians and Chaplain, Helen Molyneux, at All Hallows RC High School, Penwortham Anyone interested in receiving the audio copy should contact Kevin Lonergan Tel: 01772 744148 or 01772 655433 (home).

Monastery, Maryton Grange, Allerton Road, Liverpool L18 3NU. The Sisters have produced some really beautiful Christmas Cards of excellent quality and very low prices. There is also a Maryton Grange Calendar 2014 showing stunning photos of the new monastery and garden which would make a lovely Christmas gift at £6.00 each. Call the Sisters at the Card Office on 0151 724 7102 or email marytoncards@outlook.com

Catholic Pictorial

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Your Local Catholic Business We specialise in all Memorials • Headstones (at trade prices) • Flower Arrangements • Ornaments • Flower Pots

Visit us at our Website www.graveneeds-memorials.co.uk

Wanted for the Missions Large Statues (Even damaged ones), old vestments, pictures, church fittings, rosaries, prayer books, etc. Please ring Mr. B. Ferris KSC, 102 Moor St, Earlsdon, Coventry CV5 6EY Tel: 02476 676986

Samples available from

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Phone: 0151 608 9370 Visit our website www.mortonpress.co.uk

The

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For information about life as a priest or brother in the Society of Jesus please contact

Vocations Promoter 114 Mount Street London W1K 3AH email: vocations@jesuit.org.uk www.jesuit.org.uk

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