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Issue 164 May 2018
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Towards Synod 2020 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
The Priests in Liverpool
Merseyside’s new High Sheriff
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contents Issue 164 May 2018
Welcome As we begin the month of May we are still very much in the Easter season. This year May is rich with celebrations as well as being the month dedicated to Our Lady. We celebrate the Feast of St Joseph the Worker at the beginning of the month, closely followed by the Feast of the English Martyrs. Thursday 10 May is the Feast of the Ascension, now restored once again to a Thursday celebration.
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On the Sunday following Ascension Day we celebrate World Communications Day, a day established following the second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI to pray for and celebrate the work of all involved in communications and the media. Each year the Holy Father issues a message and this year Pope Francis has chosen as his theme: ‘The truth will set you free’ (John 8:32). ‘Fake news and journalism for peace.’ He asks what is fake news and how can we recognise it and speaks of the truth that will set us free and of peace as the ‘true news’.
We also celebrate the anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral on Sunday 13 May, Pentecost Sunday on 20 May and the Feast of the Holy Trinity on Sunday 27 May.
Contents
Truly a month of prayerful celebration.
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Main Feature Paving the way towards Synod 2020
From the Archbishop’s Desk
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News From around the Archdiocese
I am writing this month’s reflection from Rome where I am enjoying a few days retreat with those priests of our diocese who have been ordained less than ten years. It is an enriching experience for me to be with them. Maybe it is because they are all younger than me but their faith and joy in their ministry gives me much hope for the future of our archdiocese. Sister Emanuela, originally from Wigan, is leading us as we explore the relationship between faith and art.
14 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 15 Nugent News Living Fully Hands on Catechesis supporting an inclusive Church
Her talks are deeply moving as they reveal to us the relationship between beauty and faith in the ancient carvings on the tombs of early Christians as well as the glories of the frescoes in the Sistine chapel.
16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese
Another unexpected joy for me was to meet Cardinal Kelvin Felix from St Lucia in the Caribbean. Our paths first crossed nearly fifty years ago when he was a young priest based in Yorkshire and he spoke to a student conference at Wood Hall near Leeds. I remember him being concerned for the welfare of the West Indian people who had settled in the mill towns and were now finding themselves in difficult circumstances. He introduced to us the notion of credit unions as means of people helping themselves to avoid serious debt and poverty. He was an inspiration then and still is nowadays even though he is well over eighty years of age. As we hear a lot about the Windrush generation and how unfairly they have been treated let us give thanks to God for the contribution they have made to our common society, and do whatever we can to bring them justice. Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool
19 Profile Philip Bates New at St Anne’s
Editor Peter Heneghan
Publisher CPMM 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS
Editorial Catholic Pictorial Magazine Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool L17 1AA Tel: 0151 522 1007 Email: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk
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21 Animate Find the time to stop and think 25 Cathedral Record Peter Woods Merseyside’s new High Sheriff 26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC 28 Pic Life Do the walk of life 30 Justice and Peace Reflections on the call to holiness 30 Letter from Rome Liturgical Dramas
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Paving the way towards
2020 Father Philip Inch and Father Matthew Nunes explain the first steps on the road to the Diocesan Synod ince Archbishop Malcolm McMahon announced plans for a 2020 Diocesan Synod in his Pastoral Letters in October and December 2017, you may be thinking, ‘It’s all gone a little bit quiet, what’s happening?’
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In one sense it has all gone quiet – that is because this first year of preparation, from October 2017 to October 2018, is a designated Year of Prayer. The foundation of our Synod must be prayer and Liverpool is fortunate enough to be hosting the Eucharistic Congress and Pilgrimage in September 2018, and so this first year of prayer fits in perfectly with our preparations for the Congress. In Advent each parish was invited to pray a specially composed prayer at every Mass. This prayer asked that we open ourselves to the presence of Christ among us and that we be a listening Church. This was our opening action of the Synod – for the whole Diocese to be joined in a prayerful act together. There will be another opportunity to pray for the Eucharistic Congress and the Synod in the nine days between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday (the original novena). Every parish will be sent a special prayer, which takes the following form: 4
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‘For us all, the need for listening will be at the heart of this journey’
are housebound will be able to pray this prayer with us through the good offices of our extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. This is not all. Archbishop Malcolm has been going around the Diocese leading Holy Hours in preparation for the Synod. It has been wonderful to see people coming out to join him in prayer. The series of Holy Hours (each starting at 7.30 pm) will continue until July and if you could get to any of the following, you would be more than welcome:
‘Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with wisdom, love and courage. Make us more like Christ in our words and actions.
• 16 May – St Mary’s, Chorley
‘Bless the work of your Church. Renew us all in the desire to make Christ known and loved in the world today.
• 30 May – St Joseph’s, Leigh
‘Bless the work of our parish. Guide all that we do so that our Church is a place of mercy and service for all who are seeking you.
• 13 July – Saints Peter and Paul, Crosby
‘Deepen our love for the Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and guide us in prayer and action as we journey towards Synod 2020 to become the Church you are calling us to be. ‘We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.’ This prayer will be in the form of a bookmark. You may be able to take it and place it in your missal or it can be used in the Mass books at church if you use them. We hope that those who are not able to come to Mass because they
• 22 May – St Joseph’s, Penketh • 29 May – St Anne’s Priory, Ormskirk
• 5 June – St Teresa’s, Upholland • 5 July –
St Matthew’s, Queens Drive, Liverpool
As well as these very public actions there has been a lot of work happening behind the scenes. A Synod Working Group has been established at the invitation of Archbishop Malcolm. The purpose of this group is to move forward the Synod process and plan for the event itself. The working group is made up of eight people, starting with Father Philip Inch and Father Matthew Nunes, who have been appointed as Synod moderators by the Archbishop. Sister Rachel Duffy FCJ will provide insights from the religious, Father Mark Beattie is tasked with overseeing the Liturgy,
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feature
Holy Hour at St Bartholomew’s, Rainhill and Father Stephen Pritchard, chaplain at Liverpool Hope University, will ensure that the ecumenical and theological aspects are not overlooked. In charge of logistics for the Synod, meanwhile, are Mrs Debbie Reynolds, a pastoral worker at SFX in Liverpool, and Mrs Maureen Knight, who brings vast experience from across the
Diocese. Finally, Father Dominic Curran is responsible for the Synod’s IT and communications. Listening to our priests In another of the significant early steps taken towards the Synod, the Archbishop invited all of the active priests of the
Diocese to join him for a day of prayer and reflection in March. The Archbishop was present to introduce each day (one at LACE, the other at St Joseph’s, Wrightington) and invited the priests gathered to pray for the Synod and to reflect on the gift of the Eucharist in the life and ministry of a priest. During an hour
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feature of silence before the Blessed Sacrament, each priest of the Diocese was asked to reflect on how they felt about themselves, how they felt about their ministry and how they felt about the Diocese – and had the opportunity to write down what might be done to improve each of these elements. After lunch together, the comments made were reported back to the assembled priests and to the Archbishop. These two days enabled the Archbishop to listen to his priests as we set out on the path towards Synod 2020. For us all, the need for listening will be at the heart of this journey and it will be a major focus for our work in Year 2 of the Synod process. Reflecting this idea of a journey, the Synod logo has been slightly adapted to include the words ‘Together on the road’ above it, and ‘Becoming the Church we are called to be’ below. ‘Together on the road’ is the meaning of the word Synod. It also describes the fact that we as a Diocese are embarked on the Way – the Way of Jesus himself. ‘Becoming the Church we are called to be’ is at the heart of what God is inviting us to be and do and it is why we are having a Synod.
What next? In the following months you will see an advert for the post of Synod coordinator – a full-time, three-year post. You will hear about Synod Sunday (21 October 2018 and 13 October 2019), and about Synod membership (500 people) and what is expected of each member. You will hear also about the opening event of the Synod in the Metropolitan Cathedral on the afternoon of Sunday 3 February 2019. Before any of that, the obvious way to get involved in this first year is through prayer. Please pray for the work of the Synod. It is not just a meeting – it is a process that will open us all up to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, so prayer is crucial. In October 2018 there will be two open evenings where people of the Diocese are invited to come together to hear about the Synod and have their first opportunity to make comments that will help us preparing the way. These will be held on 16 October at LACE and on 18 October at St Joseph’s Parish Centre in Chorley. These evenings will be from 7.30 - 9.00 pm. You do not have to book in advance. You are invited to come and see and hear and have your say.
Isle of Man prepares for Synod 2020
‘Becoming the Church we are called to be’ is at the heart of what God is inviting us to be and do’ 6
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Archbishop Malcolm McMahon visited the Isle of Man last month to take part in the pastoral area Holy Hour service in preparation for Synod 2020 at St Anthony’s Church, Onchan. The Archbishop was joined there by the recently appointed Church of England Bishop of the Diocese of Sodor and Man, the Right Revd Peter Eagles and his wife Gail (pictured along with Monsignor John Devine, the pastoral area dean). Bishop Peter took part in the Holy Hour service which drew parishioners from across the island. This was Archbishop Malcolm's first meeting with Bishop Peter and prior to the service they had dinner together with the priests of the island at St Mary's parish in Douglas.
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Inspiring excellence personal and academic
Welcoming students from all areas of Liverpool & beyond Bellerive is a very popular choice for girls from across Liverpool. Contact us for a guided tour and ďŹ nd out why we are such a unique, ambitious school.
Bellerive FCJ Catholic College 1, Aigburth Drive, Sefton Park, Liverpool L17 3AA Tel: 0151 727 2064 www.bellerivefcj.org Specialisms in Sciences, Applied Learning and Maths & Computing
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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: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk
Seaforth school achieves special award
A Sefton school has become the first mainstream setting in England to achieve an ‘ADHD Friendly School’ quality mark. Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic primary school in Seaforth is dedicated to meeting the needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, and has spent the last two years training staff as well as ensuring access to physical activity and exercise for pupils with AHDH (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and teaching self-calming strategies. The school also introduced a parents’ skills group so that a number of tools and best practice methods could be replicated at home. Cllr John Joseph Kelly, cabinet member for Children's, Schools and Safeguarding, said: ‘This is a fantastic achievement for the school to be recognised as the first mainstream school in the UK to receive this award. All pupils deserve the chance to achieve their potential regardless of the barriers they have to learning and I hope it inspires other schools.’ Joan Jenkins, head teacher of Our Lady Star of the Sea, thanked Carolyn Lawler, the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), for acting as ‘a huge driving force in making changes’. Speaking on receiving the award from ADHD Foundation patron Rory Bremner, she added: ‘I’m extremely proud to receive this award on behalf of all the staff at the school. We've worked hard to make the school fully inclusive, but it’s only been possible thanks to the joint efforts of the staff and parents and teachers all supported by the ADHD Foundation.’
Harry, the 90-year-old volunteer There was a surprise celebration at the Hospice Africa charity shop in Old Swan recently – and with good reason as it is not every day one of your staff turns 90. The man in question, Harry Knight, has been volunteering at the shop on Prescot Road for the past 15 years, making the three-mile round trip on foot from his home in West Derby four mornings a week. Anne and Pete Purcell, who have run the shop for over 25 years, marked the occasion by organising the celebration attended by volunteers, trustees, Harry’s daughter Doreen and Dr Anne Merriman MBE, who founded Hospice Africa 25 years ago. Dr Anne said: ‘Without people like Harry, we couldn’t have continued for the past 25 years – he is simply a treasure.’ When asked the secret of his longevity, Harry replied: ‘Just keep moving.’ As well as his regular shifts at the shop, where he helps behind the scenes sorting out donated goods, Harry has volunteered for the past decade as a ‘Hospitalier’ working with assisted pilgrims on the annual Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes and as a Eucharistic minister for his local parish, St Paul’s. He retired only recently from taking communion to patients at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and has done sponsored walks for HCPT and served as provincial grand knight for the Knights of St Columba. Dr Anne Merriman, who received international recognition for introducing palliative care to Uganda and other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, is pictured (right) along with Harry and his daughter (left). 8
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news diary
Personal Vocation In preparation for Adoremus, the National Eucharistic Congress and Pilgrimage, Father Joe Kendall is offering a series of reflections on Eucharistic themes. I got to enjoy thirteen months as a deacon before being ordained a priest. That year and a bit exercising that ministry felt like a really blessed time when I could be close to the man exercising the priestly ministry at Mass to which I aspired but also come to see how I would bring that diaconal ministry to my life and ministry as a priest. The diaconal year was, of course, at the end of my formation journey, yet it served to show that discerning how God was calling me, while being formed for priesthood, was still very much an ongoing concern. One day, though, it did strike me that the deacon at Mass has a part to play for which we should all be very grateful: he tells us to go. Of course, it is a good thing to be in God’s Eucharistic presence but if we are true to what this presence means for us we cannot just stay put. The bread and the wine have been transformed at Mass and so must we be too. We are changed and we are sent out with a mission: ite, missa est. One of the many blessings of our latest translation of the Mass is that the consequences of this sending are spelt out for us. We might be sent out to announce the Gospel of the Lord or sent out in peace glorifying the Lord by our lives. If we understand those commands and take them to heart then we are sent out with the mission
to transform the world around us. The task of changing the world, binding up a world that is broken may seem daunting and beyond our capabilities. But remember that we have been changed by the Eucharist. Bread and wine have become the Body and Blood of Christ. In fact, we have it in us because of another sacrament too: Baptism. Our sending out from Mass reminds us that we were changed too by our Baptism in which we received a call from God that is both universal and personal. That is our call to holiness and we are nourished in the Eucharist so that we can respond to that universal vocation by living in the way our personal vocation demands of us. With Blessed John Henry Newman, we can pray at Mass that many people will be open to the call of God in their lives.
Obituary of Rev Michael O’Neill MHM Father Michael O’Neill MHM, Parish Priest of St Bede, Clayton Green, Chorley, died on Holy Thursday, 29 March, at the age of 76. Michael O’Neill was born on 17 September 1941 in Pendlebury, Salford, the son of Peter, and Lilian O’Neill. He studied at De La Salle College, Pendleton and at the Mill Hill Colleges in Freshfield (1956-1958) and Burn Hall (1958-1960). Following studies in Philosophy and Theology he took the perpetual oath on 1 May 1965 and was ordained priest on 9 July 1966 in Westminster Cathedral by Cardinal Heenan. His first appointment was to the Diocese of Ngong, Kenya, from 1966 to 1969. From 1970 to 1972 he took on vocations ministry in the North East of England, returning to Ngong in 1972, where he served as a parish priest. In 1980, he returned to Burn Hall to become its Rector, where he succeeded in turning the house into a centre of mission animation and vocations work in the area. During 1985 and 1986, he returned to Africa, to help Cafod/Sudanaid with a repatriation programme in Omdurman and a supplementary feeding programme in Kosti. Following time in Ireland, he spent a year in St. Francis Xavier Parish in the Bronx, New York. On arriving back in England he was appointed to St Benet, Netherton, then St Richard’s, Skelmersdale, and finally as parish priest of St Bede’s, Chorley, where he served for 18 years. After being diagnosed with cancer the last three months of his life were spent at Herbert House in Formby where he died on Thursday 29 March. His Funeral Mass was celebrated at St Bede’s in Chorley followed by burial in the churchyard.
St Anne’s welcomes Archbishop Malcolm for Easter play Year 3 children from St Anne’s Primary School in Ormskirk were honoured to have a very important guest in the audience for their annual Easter production. Every Easter the Year 3 children retell the story of Holy Week and this year they decided to invite Archbishop Malcolm McMahon to come and watch. They issued the invitation early in the spring term and to their delight received a response after February half-term informing them that the Archbishop was available on the day of their meditation, Wednesday 21 March. Along with parents and grandparents, the Archbishop took his
place in the audience – but only after visiting the children beforehand to wish them luck for their retelling of the Easter story, which included songs from Abba, Ed
Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Rag’n’Bone Man. Afterwards Archbishop Malcolm toured the school and met staff and pupils from other year groups.
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news diary Liverpool’s Walk of Witness Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, Bishop Paul Bayes and Merseyside’s Church Leaders led a Holy Saturday Walk of Witness from the Metropolitan Cathedral to Liverpool Parish Church, stopping along the way to reflect on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus with City Centre shoppers.
Bishop Tom in Middlesbrough
Bishop Tom Williams celebrated the Holy Week services at St Mary’s Cathedral, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough this year. Bishop Terry Drainey of Middlesbrough who is recovering from knee surgery, attended and preached at some of the services, and thanked Bishop Tom for his help during this time of need. Bishop Tom is pictured with Bishop Terry and clergy of the Middlesbrough Diocese before the Mass of Chrism.
A diocesan celebration
Archbishop Malcolm celebrated the Mass of Chrism in the Metropolitan Cathedral on the Wednesday evening of Holy Week. Many parishes sent coaches to the Mass and the Cathedral was full as the Archbishop blessed and consecrated the Holy Oils for use throughout the archdiocese in the coming year. 10
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New chapter opens for Bellerive Bellerive FCJ Catholic College welcomed Bishop Tom Williams on 12 April for the opening of two new buildings. Bishop Tom blessed the Sefton Park and O’Neill buildings, both recently completed as part of the college's programme of capital investment. The O’Neill building is named in memory of Mother Xavier O’Neill FCJ, who died in the 19th century from cholera which she contracted as a result of her work with the poor of the city. The school’s Sixth Form leadership team (pictured) were on hand to provide a tour of the new accommodation, which includes state-ofthe-art facilities for Science, Music, and Design and Technology, as well as a purpose-built Sixth Form centre. Bishop Tom has a long association with Bellerive, having served as school chaplain there in the 1970s. Students, staff
and governors joined him for the blessing, together with head teacher Niamh Howlett. Sister Brigid Halligan FCJ, the recently-retired former head, was also in attendance to celebrate this exciting new
Bringing a piece of magic to Cardinal Heenan House The Dutch word ‘Tovertafel’ may not mean anything to your average resident of Roby Mill near Upholland but in one corner of the village – at Cardinal Heenan House – it means a great deal indeed. The ‘Tovertafel’ is an innovative tool for people living with mid-to-late-stage dementia – and thanks to the efforts of a committed group of fundraisers, Cardinal Heenan House has recently acquired one for its residents. Established by the Sons of Divine Providence as an Orione Care home, Cardinal Heenan House specialises in caring for people with a diagnosis of dementia and the installation of the ‘Tovertafel’ – meaning magic box – is an illustration of its pioneering work. It is a small box containing a high-quality projector, infra-red sensors and a speaker, which projects light simulations onto a table which are designed to trigger a
sense of reminiscence. These colourful objects respond to hand and arm movements – such as balloons that can be popped – and this stimulates a level of physical and social activity rarely seen in people living with dementia. The nine-month fundraising project began with a £500 donation from Chris Wright who said: ‘It’s very special for me to be involved as my grandmother passed away with Alzheimer’s when I was young and I know she would have loved the “Tovertafel”.’ Another contribution of £1,000 came when activities coordinator Christine Edge and Beth Harvey, a young volunteer, ran the Wigan 10K. Kerry Ellison, manager of Cardinal Heenan House, said: ‘I’m overwhelmed with the efforts made by families, friends and staff to fundraise for this magical piece of equipment. Seeing at first hand the joy on resident’s faces is magical.’
phase of the college’s development. During his visit, Bishop Tom was also able to celebrate Mass with Bellerive’s Year 11 students as part of their spiritual preparations for the upcoming exams.
Hope hosting Summer Day Out for alumni A special summer event has been organised for former staff and students of Liverpool Hope University including those who were at Christ’s and Notre Dame Colleges. Taking place on the Childwall campus of Liverpool Hope University on Sunday 24 June, the ‘Summer Day Out’ will start with a buffet lunch at 12.30 pm followed by a garden event organised by the local community group Childwall in Bloom. This will begin at 2.00 pm in the university grounds with a number of activities planned for visitors, including the chance to tour the university gardens, listen to live music from the community band Benchmark and – for children – to take part in a Bug Hunt. Plants for the house and garden will be on sale and you can round off the afternoon with home-made cakes, scones (with jam and cream!), tea and coffee. We extend a warm invitation to former staff and students, along with their families and friends, to this informal gathering in welcoming surroundings. The lunch will cost £12 (£5 for the children’s menu), while the events organised by Childwall in Bloom will be free of charge. If you would like to come please contact: Clare Baker, Alumni relations manager Liverpool Hope University Hope Park, Liverpool, L16 9JD Tel: 0150 291 3219 Email: alumni@hope.ac.uk
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news diary Putting faith into action … with a First Aid course By Rebecca Moss, aged 11, from St John the Evangelist parish, Burscough During our Faith in Action group session over the Christmas holidays, we were discussing the Good Samaritan. The way he helped a stranger on the roadside inspired us to think about what we could offer in a similar situation. We thought that one way to be prepared to help other people would be to attend a First Aid course and, as a consequence, the Faith in Action leader in our parish arranged for such a course to take place in our parish hall on 3rd March. The course was open to all parishioners, including the members of our Faith in Action group. The course took the whole morning but it went by very quickly because we were taught so many things that may help in an emergency situation. For example, we learned about cuts, bruises, stings, burns, choking, allergic reactions and collapse. As well as the theory, we also had practical sessions where we practised applying bandages. In addition we learned how to assess an unconscious person and where to locate defibrillators – and then took turns at using a defibrillator training machine. At the end of the course, we each received a certificate and a handbook to take away with us. I really enjoyed the training session and would now feel more confident to try to help if I came across a First Aid or emergency situation.
Archdiocese launches pilot project for lay pastoral associates A ‘new mentality towards the laity’ is what Pope Benedict called for back in 2010. His precise wish was for the laity to be recognised as ‘truly coresponsible for the being and action of the Church’ – and the Archdiocese of Liverpool hopes to move a step closer to this goal with the introduction of a team of full-time pastoral associates. From the beginning of next year, there will be between five and eight pastoral associates working across the Archdiocese on three-year contracts, spearheading a pilot project which will hopefully provide new life and vitality within the existing pastoral structures in our Archdiocese. Planning for the project began in April last year when a Paid Pastoral Workers Working Group was established in response to an invitation from the Archbishop’s Council. This group, comprising ten members with different areas of experience and expertise, has been meeting to explore ways of introducing pastoral associates and has heard presentations based on the experience of such roles in the Archdiocese of Dublin and on the island of Anglesey. In January they started work on 12
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a proposal for the pilot project and after this was approved in March, they will now prepare the way for a small team to begin working in January 2019. Since the Second Vatican Council, we have been growing in our understanding of the importance of Baptism for the mission of the Church, recognising that, in different but complementary ways, each one of us is called to grow in holiness and play our part in building up the body of Christ on earth. To enable and encourage this understanding, lay pastoral associates have been appointed in many parts of the world to share in the leadership of specific aspects of pastoral activity – such as education and formation; spirituality, prayer and worship; justice and peace – and also to co-ordinate the work of the many volunteers involved in pastoral ministry and parish life. To date there has been no policy within our Archdiocese to provide for such a role but this is all about to change. As has happened with the development of Ministers of the Eucharist and lay funeral ministers – initially recruited as a practical measure given the increased pressure on the clergy, but now appreciated as essential to the life of the Church – it is
hoped that these recruits will play a significant role, aided by an integrated formation programme that will develop them as reflective practitioners, skilled in fostering a facilitative culture across different areas of the Archdiocese. In this way it is hoped that the gifts and charisms within the community can be better recognised, used and further developed. Their main duties and responsibilities will be focused on the following: leadership and mission; education and faith formation; prayer, worship and spirituality; and community and outreach. As the new pastoral associates strive to nurture relationships across pastoral areas, they help to build towards – and, in turn, help to build upon – Synod 2020, which aims to consider practical ways of responding to Jesus’ call to be missionary disciples. Between now and the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, pastoral areas and groups of parishes will be invited to make a bid based on their existing plans for pastoral and future development. The new jobs will be advertised in mid-September. Veronica Murphy, Pastoral Associate Pilot Project co-ordinator
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sunday reflections On a liturgical note May is the month of Mary… Those of us of a certain age will immediately complete this phrase with the words ‘month we all love so well’ – and memories will go to processions and statues and perhaps even First Communion shirts and ties and white dresses brought out again for the special day. Pope Francis has given us a new Memorial of Our Lady to be celebrated by the whole Church on the day after Pentecost Sunday (this year, Monday 21 May). This is the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, and it is intended to remind us of the position of Mary at the heart of the life and devotion of the Church. She is the one who tells us, as she did at Cana in Galilee, ‘Do whatever he tells you’ (John 2:5). Mary always points away from herself and points towards Jesus – and tells us to ‘do’, to put into action and into practice what Jesus tells us. And how do we know what exactly to do? In the daily circumstances of our lives it can be difficult to decide what to choose, how to discern, exactly
Sunday thoughts After a well-attended funeral or First Holy Communion celebration I often I hear the comment: ‘It’s a pity we won’t be seeing them at Mass on Sunday.’ Sometimes I am guilty of thinking that myself. Are we incapable of welcoming people to church and unwilling to rejoice in their presence without condemning them? It’s as if the way they are isn’t good enough for God; that there’s a backlog of remedial work to be done before they are worthy to enter the Lord’s presence. Is the Church afraid that if I fail to condemn, people will take advantage of God’s love? Does God need protecting from the consequences of his over-indulgent infatuation with his creatures? Does God sit back with arms folded waiting for us to grovel? No, God makes the first move. ‘The Lord takes delight in his people,’ says Psalm 149. God reaches out with open arms. The priest is the custodian of the
Canon Philip Gillespie
what would Jesus want us to do. This is why prayer and discernment are always needed, lest we just do what we want to do and have no regard for the wider picture or indeed the needs of others who may be affected by our actions. If we are not careful, discernment can be simply a ‘canonising’ of what we want to do anyway. That is why discernment always includes the community of the faithful, the Church. Mary, as Mother of the Church, always seeks the best for her children, seeks to help them discern how best to respond fully to the invitation and call of her Son. This is discipleship in action; the listening, the discerning, the doing. It is something we need to do each and every day, many times each and every day – as St Paul would put it in his letter to the Church in Rome, we need to ask for the grace to discern what is good, acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2 ).
Mgr John Devine OBE
sacraments and while God is generous, the Church feels obliged to tone down God’s open invitation with hurdles to be jumped and hoops to be negotiated. And isn’t there an assumption that while I am in good standing with the Lord, infrequent Mass-goers are not? They are not in a state of grace, we have been taught. Who is? Grace, by definition, is free, unearned and unexpected. We begrudge the sinner God’s love and then wonder why people don’t feel welcome. Nothing has changed. The Gospels relate instances where the religious and respectable condemn the outcasts and the sinners, and they condemn Jesus even more: ‘If this man were a prophet he would know who this woman is who is touching him and what a bad name she has’ (Luke: 7:39).
Who will roll away the stone? I remember many years ago being given an Argos poster and on it was written, ‘I asked Jesus how much do you love me? “This much,” he said and stretched out his arms and died.’ It was a powerful illustration of the truth of love which we see captured in the person of Jesus. God is love and will even go to the cross, that ignominious death, to show us how much we are loved. I think it was Dietrich Bonhoeffer who said that if you had been the only person in the world, Christ would still have gone to the cross so that you would know God’s love for you. I want you to fast forward to what happened on that first Easter day. The Jewish Sabbath is over and the women arrive at the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. We are told that it is on the first day of the week just as the sun was rising. I love that phrase ‘just as the sun was rising’. As the sun is rising out of the darkness, as light illuminates the world, so too the Son rises from the dead, the light shining in the darkness that the darkness cannot overpower. He is alive! The rising of the sun is a very evocative image. As the women walk towards the tomb they are saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone?’ I think that question is as real today as it was on that first Easter day. We still have the same question as we struggle with our lives and ourselves: ‘Who will roll away the stone of our blockages and our blindness, our pain and our bitterness? Who will show us impossible love?’ Of course, the answer to those questions in our Christian tradition is the Risen Jesus, the lasting image and eternal icon of what God is going to do everywhere, for everybody, now and forever. The question is whether or not we are willing to let the risen Lord break into our lives in the power of the Spirit, so that we can know how much we’re loved and so that the stone which we keep so firmly in place will be rolled away. When that happens, what freedom we experience and what life we can bring to the world. Father Chris Thomas
Weekly Reflections are on the Archdiocesan website at www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/reflection
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Hands on Catechesis supporting an inclusive Church Just like the journey when Jesus joined the disciples on the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection, catechesis is often called a conversation or a partnership. In June at St Teresa’s Church Hall in Upholland there is an opportunity to explore this partnership and conversation with people with disabilities in the parish setting and to learn new skills for catechesis. Nugent together with the Department of Pastoral Formation are holding a morning devoted to ‘Living Fully - Hands on Catechesis’ with resources, workshops and ideas on how to work in partnership with people with disabilities in the parish. This day is geared towards parish catechists, sacramental catechists, little Church catechists, clergy and young people pursuing the Faith in Action Award. This is the perfect way to put faith into action. The day includes workshops about Liturgical British Sign language, Messy Church, using Drama and Prayer resources. There are sessions about all of these ways of catechesis within the parish setting that involve all ages and the entire parish community. Living Fully is an initiative that seeks to ensure there is catechesis for all in our
parishes of the Liverpool Archdiocese. Enthusiasm and support for catechesis with persons with disabilities was recently strengthened by a trip in June 2016 to a conference hosted by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Kairos Forum in Rome. The conference brought together persons with disabilities, theologians, clergy, religious, families, and laity. The events identified the unique role and powerful witness of the Church in making ‘Living Fully’ possible for everyone. From this historic conference in Rome followed an Archdiocesan Living Fully day of study in October 2017, bringing practical skills for worship and workshops exploring resources and good ideas. Living Fully is an initiative that asks us to reflect on how all life is a gift from God and how every person has a valuable and dignified place within the Body of Christ. These events also show what catechesis for all might look like in the parish setting and the legal responsibilities to provide catechesis for all. Please join us on Saturday 23 June 2018 at St Teresa’s Church Hall, College Road, Upholland WN8 0PY from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon with tea and coffee from 9:30 am. RSVP formation@rcaol.co.uk or Tel: 1051 522 1040.
A culture of excellence a recipe for thriving I was asking recently how a charity survives in a challenging economy. It is not a simple question to answer but I have thought about the right mix, or recipe that it may take to thrive. The Recipe • 250g of Skills and Experience • 250g of Courage • 250g of Compassion • 100g of Ambition • 150g of Faith/Optimism Combine equal parts of Skills, Experience, Courage and Compassion. Slowly fold in Ambition, Faith and Optimism until a consistent batter is achieved. Place inside an oven (preferably one with adequate resources to suit your needs) and bake until absolutely perfect. Add a dash of humour to taste. Of course I am making light work of a serious topic, which is about diminishing resources in an ever growing area of need. In these tough times, it is helpful to have a little bit of wittiness, and of course, well baked cake. Normandie Wragg Chief Executive Nugent
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what’s on Wednesday 2 May ‘Songs we Remember.’ Singing and enjoyment for anyone who likes to sing but particularly geared towards those living with dementia and their carers. 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm at St Thomas of Canterbury Parish Hall, Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details: Irenaeus Tel: 0151 949 1199. Email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk Thursday 3 May Reflections on the Acts of the Apostles Scripture Morning led by Father Chris Thomas. 10.30 am at lrenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details Tel: 0151 949 1199. Email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk Friday 4 May Feast of the English Martyrs Saturday 5 May ‘A Song of Thanksgiving’ Concert with the Metropolitan Cathedral Orchestra Conductor: Stephen Pratt and the Cathedral Cantata Choir, Director: James Luxton. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or Email: bookings@cathedralconcerts.org.uk www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk Tuesday 8 May Time Out on Tuesdays 10.00 am to 4.00 pm at the Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. An opportunity for quiet time, away from the daily rush of life. Offering £10 per person (bring your own lunch). For further details contact: Sister Winifred. Tel: 0151 722 2271, Email: winniecenacle@mail.com Wednesday 9 May UCM bi-monthly Mass 7.30 pm at St Richard, Liverpool Road, Skelmersdale, WN8 8BX. Thursday 10 May Feast of the Ascension of the Lord (Holyday of Obligation) Reflections on the Acts of the Apostles Scripture Morning led by Father Chris Thomas. 10.30 am at lrenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details Tel: 0151 949 1199. Email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk Thursday 10 May to Sunday 13 May Cursillo three day Weekend at St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1PH
Sunday 13 May - 51st anniversary of the Dedication of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King A Catholic residential short course in Christianity. Details: Tel: 07947 271037 www.liverpool-cursillo.co.uk All welcome at the celebration closing Mass at 3.00 pm on Sunday 13 May 2018. Saturday 12 May Two Cathedrals ‘Messiah’ 7.30 pm at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Sunday 13 May 51st anniversary of the Dedication of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. World Communications Day Liverpool Bach Collective Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata 11, the Ascension Oratorio: ‘Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen’ (‘Praise God in his kingdom’) 6.30 pm at St Matthew’s Church, Queen’s Drive/Townsend Avenue, Liverpool L13 9DL. Singers and Players directed by Philip Duffy. www.liverpoolbach.com Email: liverpoolbach@icloud.com Tuesday 15 May Animate Youth Ministries ‘Life and Soul’ An evening of praise and worship before the Blessed Sacrament with opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 7.00 pm at St Bede’s, Appleton Village, Widnes WA8 6EL.
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Wednesday 16 May ‘Songs we Remember.’ Singing and enjoyment for anyone who likes to sing but particularly geared towards those living with dementia and their carers. 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm at St Thomas of Canterbury Parish Hall, Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details: Irenaeus Tel: 0151 949 1199. Email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk ‘New Wine: New Wine Skins.’ A Support for the Journey event for all involved or interested in RCIA. 7.00 pm on Wednesday 16 May at Sacred Heart Parish Centre, 483 Liverpool Road, Ainsdale, Southport PR8 3BP. Bookings Tel; 0151 522 1040 Email: formation@rcaol.co.uk Thursday 17 May Reflections on the Acts of the Apostles Scripture Morning led by Father Chris Thomas. 10.30 am at lrenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details Tel: 0151 949 1199. Email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk Sunday 20 May Pentecost Sunday Hope Street Harmony Ecumenical Celebration and Pentecost Walk
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may 3.00 pm at the Anglican Cathedral concluding at 5:30 pm at the Metropolitan Cathedral. Starting at Liverpool Cathedral with a short act of worship followed by a procession along Hope Street, during which different choirs from the two cathedrals will regale the walkers. The proceedings will culminate in a mass choral performance and singing of the Halleluiah chorus on the steps of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Join the whole procession or any part along Hope Street where there will also be the Makers Market and many musical activities in venues along the street after the procession.
The Priests come to Liverpool
Dementia Friendly Mass for Pentecost Sunday 3.00 pm at Holy Rosary church, Altway, Aintree, L10 2LG. For those living with dementia, carers, family, friends & parishioners. Followed by refreshments. Monday 21 May to Sunday 27 May Dementia Action Week Thursday 24 May Reflections on the Acts of the Apostles Scripture Morning led by Father Chris Thomas. 10.30 am at lrenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details Tel: 0151 949 1199. Email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk Saturday 26 May Quiet Day 10.30 am to 4.00 pm at the Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. Time to be quiet, reflect and pray. Offering £10 per person (bring your own lunch). No booking required. For further details contact: Sister Winifred. Tel: 0151 722 2271, Email: winniecenacle@mail.com Sunday 27 May Feast of the Most Holy Trinity Tuesday 29 May Cursillo Ultreya 7.30 pm Mass followed by a social at St Michael and All Angels church, Westvale, Kirkby, L32 0TP. Wednesday 30 May ‘Songs we Remember.’ Singing and enjoyment for anyone who likes to sing but particularly geared towards those living with dementia and their carers. 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm at St Thomas of Canterbury Parish Hall, Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details: Irenaeus Tel: 0151 949 1199. Email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Website: www.irenaeus.co.uk
Tickets are selling fast for a concert on Friday 1 June at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Fathers Martin O’Hagan, Eugene O’Hagan and David Delargy better known as the ‘Singing Priest’s’ will be flying in to give a rare performance in the UK: a concert in aid of Nugent – the children’s charity and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. The Priests have toured over the years singing in New Zealand, Australia, USA and Canada and still manage to be parish priests of the own parishes in the diocese of Down and Connor, Northern Ireland. Free time is scarce, but they are delighted to come over once again to sing in Liverpool. Pat Murphy, the former Director of Fundraising for Jospice, who is directing the concert said ‘I am delighted to be working with the Priest’s again especially in one of the best concert venues in the country. The audience can be assured of a great evening of music, song and more than a little Irish craic’. They will be joined by Liverpool mezzo-soprano Danielle Thomas and the Liverpool Signing Choir will be making an appearance. Tickets from £16 are selling fast and can be obtained from the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Box Office Tel: 0151 709 3789 www.liverpoolphil.com or from the shop at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Magazine marks Eucharistic Congress Liverpool is hosting the National Catholic Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress in September. People from across England and Wales – and beyond – will come to our “Liverpool home”. That’s why Adoremus Extra has its own part to play in whatever is happening in Liverpool before, during and after the Congress. For a start, it has its own Scouse flavour, with Bishop Eton, SFX, the Blessed Sacrament Shrine, Freshfield, Formby and Everton, Anfield, Walton and Kirkdale appearing amongst its 124 pages… and, across the Mersey, Runcorn and Frodsham. There are contributions from Frank and Denise Cottrell Boyce, Fathers Denis Blackledge, Tim Buckley and Dame Mary Richardson. You can read about Liverpool’s nineteenth century “martyr priests” who died because they carried the sacraments to people dying of cholera. Perhaps your own ancestors were amongst those who were helped by these courageous men and others who risked their own lives in order to support others at a time of desperate need… and then there were the members of the Liverpool Pals’ Regiment who fought in the First World War… The 124-page, A4 glossy magazine includes something for everyone – including children’s activity pages, six weeks of daily reflections and articles by an amazing range of people from every walk of life. There’s something for everyone in Adoremus Extra!
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profile
Philip Bates ‘Being a head teacher is a great privilege’ By Simon Hart ‘I turn 40 this year and I’m having a crisis – I need a convertible!’ Phil Bates, it should be stressed, has his tongue firmly in his cheek. After all, July will not just bring his milestone birthday but also the conclusion of an immensely satisfying first year as head teacher of St Anne’s Catholic primary school in Ormskirk. ‘Our choir has been established, the number of children receiving music lessons has increased dramatically, and our children take care of our school grounds with our parents and develop their understanding of caring for our world and society,’ he says, listing some of the positive steps already taken since his arrival from St Gregory’s in Preston. His 15 years in teaching had previously taken him to schools in the dioceses of Salford and Lancaster and it was during his last post as head teacher at St Gregory’s that his old school’s leadership team earned an ‘oustanding’ accolade from Ofsted. It says much about the relationship built up during six years there that St Gregory’s governors allowed him to spend two days a week at St Anne’s from September 2017 before he began his new role in a fulltime capacity in November. This is a teacher for whom relationships evidently
matter – hence the 39-year-old can be found at the school entrance each morning greeting parents and pupils. ‘Yesterday we had 35 parents join our Year 2 children to help make puppets, they came in all afternoon,’ he says, offering another example of his efforts to forge the strongest possible sense of community. ‘I’m very aware of the wider scope of the role of head teacher involving the school, parish and community and the impact that one person can have across so many is a great responsibility to have – sometimes daunting, sometimes very challenging but always a great privilege. It’s a joy to be able to help in any way you can to shape the lives of our future generations.’ As a father of four himself, he wants these young lives to be lived with the broadest possible perspective. ‘Our children are children and they deserve a childhood, this is a primary school, it’s not a university,’ he says when noting the activities going on beyond the classroom. Thanks to the presence on his staff of a professional musician, James Cairns, the number of children taking private music lessons has climbed to 20; the number in the school choir, which meets every Friday evening,
is over 40. The school grounds, meanwhile, are adorned with colourful displays of flowers that pupils planted before Easter. ‘Part of the curriculum was looking at growth and we have at least 50 flower displays and planters which the parents helped our children make.’ To enhance this appreciation of the world around them, he continues, the Year 4 class ‘have taken responsibility for the outdoor prayer area and part of that work was repainting all the benches and tidying up this special area’. If that is outside the school, inside he is overseeing the conversion of the old staff room into a multimedia learning zone, encompassing a library and IT suite along with classroom renovations. All in all, then, a busy first year at St Anne’s and life, you suspect, is no less busy when he is not at school. ‘If I had any free time,’ he jokes when asked about home life with his wife Helen and their family. ‘I have four children who range from 7-14. With my younger children we enjoy climbing at West View leisure centre in the winter and days together in the great outdoors in the summer.’ Aiming high, it seems even on his days off.
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St Vincent de Paul CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
0151 709 2572 0151 707 8942 vincent-ao@st-vincentdepaul.liverpool.sch.uk
Serving with Love, Striving for Excellence FULL DAY Nursery places available for all 3 and 4-year-olds from September 2018 Email admissions@st-vincentdepaul.liverpool.sch.uk to register your interest or ask for any further details. Informal visits to school are always welcome, please contact our administration team on 0151-709-2572
St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School • Pitt Street • Liverpool L1 5BY
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youth ministry
Find the time to stop and think Benedict Ratchford from the Animate Youth Ministries team reflects on the need to pause and give proper thought to the mysteries of the Easter season. It says in Acts 2:24: ‘But God raised him from death, setting him free from its power; because it was impossible that death should hold him prisoner.’ For all the power of this message, it can easily feel like Easter is long gone already, with the sight of chocolate eggs and little chicks in shop windows a distant memory. In the fast-paced world that we live in, it can be extremely difficult to find the time to stop and really contemplate the true joy of the Easter season. From a personal perspective, a problem I often face when celebrating annual liturgical events like Easter is that I can sometimes lose that sense of wonder, joy and mystery. I had a similar experience during Lent; it seemed I was just going through the motions. I was almost too comfortable with the season. It was only when I was sitting in the lounge one day and gazing on the crucifix that something struck me. How many
times have I sat in here and not even noticed or cared to look at Our Lord on the cross? As I sat and continued to ponder, it reinforced the message that God so loved the world, he gave his only son. This is something I say nearly daily in the work we do with various schools in the Archdiocese but how many times have I actually stopped and thought clearly about what this means? We need to challenge ourselves more during these times of reflection and joy in the Church’s year so that we may rediscover the wondrous things that God has done for us. Soon it is to be the Church’s birthday, as we celebrate the feast of Pentecost – the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles in the upper room. I try to put myself into the shoes of those present: after witnessing a brutal crucifixion and the rising and ascension of Jesus into heaven, the apostles must have been stunned, amazed, but also filled with fear. Their leader had left them. Many
despised the followers of Jesus. Yet now, suddenly they are filled with a new zeal which allows them to go forth into the world and preach. The Holy Spirit is a force for so much in our lives. Sometimes, though, we can fail to notice the work of the Spirit on our life journey. Maybe, at this time of Pentecost, we could ask for guidance so that we may too, like the apostles, find a new zeal, energy and desire to live out our faith. This can be challenging but we must think of the liberties we have compared with the time of the apostles who risked their lives to pass on the message of Christ. We should also bear in mind that too many people still suffer that same persecution today. Therefore, I hope that you have a blessed end to the Easter season and look forward to celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Please remember the Animate team in your prayers as we continue our ministry with the young people we work with. • Animate’s next Life & Soul evening is at St Bede’s, Widnes on Tuesday 15 May (7-8pm).
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school news Calling all primary schools in the Liverpool area Following the huge success of Peace Proms over the last two years, we are to see the return of the Liverpool Peace Proms 2019. Peace Proms is a free music education resource for Primary Schools which culminates in a large-scale performance for choirs and orchestra at the Echo Arena, Liverpool in January. The programme promotes ‘peace through music’ and already engages almost 30,000 children from 500 schools throughout the UK, Northern Ireland and Ireland, giving them the opportunity to sing in a large-scale production with a choir of up to 4,000 and a full symphony youth orchestra. Peace Proms is for all primary school choirs whether established or starting out. The musical programme is tailor made to ensure it is fun and engaging for children aged between 8 and 12 years; it fulfills important educational requirements and is very rewarding to teach. The end performance is an inspirational and thrilling experience for choirs, teachers, parents and audiences alike! Peace Proms 2019 will be conducted by internationally acclaimed UK music educator Greg Beardsell who is renowned for his extraordinary ability to lead powerful and exhilarating performances. To register your school’s interest, simply log onto their website at: www.peaceproms.com
Top marks from inspectors for St John Bosco Arts College
St John Bosco Arts College has been graded ‘outstanding’ in a glowing report by the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The catholic secondary school in Croxteth was recently visited by the Archdiocese of Liverpool inspectors who spent the day observing lessons and talking to staff and students. According to the report, the outstanding features include the “high quality of teaching and planning” and the high expectation culture of all members of staff and students. The inspectors also said that the school has a “long period of sustained success in the department and a strong Catholic commitment.” Students’ behaviour and attitudes were also praised, with the report adding: “Students love the school and say they wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. “There are the highest levels of mutual respect and behaviour amongst pupils. Pupils feel safe and secure at school because of the effective pastoral system rooted in re-assuring their confidence to flourish.” The College’s aim is to work towards the total development of each student, educating them to act as responsible Christian members of the community and this is an essential element of the Salesian ethos of the college. Commenting on the findings, headteacher Mr Darren Gidman, said: “We are delighted that the school has received such a positive report from the Archdiocese inspectors, which recognises our commitment to Catholic life, religious education and collective worship. “The report reinforces our approach to focus on encouraging the development of the whole student through our Salesian ethos of Christian values, high expectations and exemplary behaviour.”
More young carers urged to come forward Pupils from St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School helped to mark National Young Carers Awareness Day in association with St Helens’ Young Carers Centre. The carers centre has been working with local schools to reach out to the estimated 1,550 children and young people in the borough who may be caring for family members without support. Over the weeks during the build up to National Young Carers Awareness Day, school involvement officer from the centre, Ann-Marie Leather, has been delivering assemblies to schools across
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the borough to explain what a young carer is and what support is on offer if a pupil suspects they are a young carer. Since introducing these assemblies over two years ago, this has led to a number of schools in St Helens achieving the Nationwide ‘Young Carers in School’ award, including St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School which has a young carers lead based in school to promote and inform students, staff, governors and families about the role of young carers and how they are a vital part of the school community. St Cuthbert’s, headteacher
Catherine Twist said: “Many young people at St Cuthbert's have caring responsibilities and some will be hidden, not identified as young carers. “By promoting young carers in school we aim to get the
message out to all concerned that additional support is available and that there are people in school and the town to help individuals, not just with their studies, but in other ways too.”
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Issue 163 April 2018
FREE
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Easter Joy INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
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Peter Woods appointed High Sheriff
Celebrating marriage and family life
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cathedral Merseyside’s new High Sheriff Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean
High Sheriff of Merseyside, Peter Woods, (right) receives the proclamation of his appointment from Lord Lieutenant, Mark Blundell. Credit: Ray Farley On Thursday 19 April in the Concert Room of the Lutyens Crypt Peter Woods was installed as High Sheriff of Merseyside in a ceremony rich in history and tradition.
parishioners that made the day so special and will help me throughout the year’. An informal celebration with family and friends followed the main ceremony.
After the Under Sheriff for The Duchy of Lancaster had explained the role of High Sheriff various proclamations were read in front of the two Queen’s Commissioners present.
After that it was a busy weekend for the newly installed High Sheriff as Peter explains, ‘Saturday saw me at Liverpool Cathedral to say farewell to the Bishop of Warrington and in the evening I was in Whiston, in full uniform, to present awards to some amazing young Air Force Cadets who do great work. On Sunday morning I was at Seacombe Ferry Terminal to take part in the Zeebrugge Centenary Commemorations, in which Mersey ferry boats played a major roll. As part of the ceremony I had to cast a wreath on the Mersey from a ferry boat anchored in the river. We then returned to land where the assembled Royal Navy and Marine officers and veterans paid tribute to the many victims of Zeebrugge’.
The High Sheriff appoints a Chaplain and Peter has asked Cathedral Dean, Canon Anthony O’Brien, to fulfil that role. Canon O’Brien will accompany the High Sheriff during his Shrieval Year at ceremonies including the Signing of the Rolls at the Queen Elizabeth II Court in June and at the Service for the start of the Legal Year at Liverpool Cathedral on October 14. Peter, however, did something different and selected a second Chaplain from the Cathedral Community: Sister Betty Twamley from the Daughters of St Paul. Sister Betty concluded the formal part of the Installation Ceremony with a beautiful prayer asking for tolerance and justice in our society. Reflecting on the day Peter said, ‘I am sure that it was the prayers and goodwill of so many friends and
During his first full week in office Peter visited Maggie’s Place Hospice on the Wirral to meet staff and volunteers, he said, ‘volunteers play a huge role in many Merseyside organisations and throughout my year I will be doing my utmost to support and highlight the great unheralded work that they do.’
We begin the month of May with a special Choral Evening Prayer in Celebration of Seventy Years of the National Health Service on 2 May at 6.00 pm. Lord Alton and Dame Lorna Muirhead will be speaking at the service of thanksgiving and dedication. The first female Dean of Liverpool Cathedral, Canon Susan Jones, is to be installed at an afternoon service on 5 May. She will be the eighth Anglican Cathedral Dean at Liverpool Cathedral and will be the fourth I have worked alongside during my time here at the Met. I’m sure she will be given a warm welcome to Merseyside. Our Cathedral Choirs will be joining with the choirs from Liverpool Cathedral for a joint performance of Handel’s Messiah at Liverpool Cathedral the following Saturday 12 May at 7.00 pm. Light Night throughout Liverpool City Centre takes place on Friday 18 May. Following Choral Evening Prayer that evening there will be a dance performance entitled the ‘Nelken Line’ representing the four seasons of the year on the Cathedral steps. From 7.00 pm three of Liverpool’s finest brass bands will perform a variety of music in the main Cathedral concluding at 9.00 pm Sunday 20 May is Pentecost Sunday with the biannual Two Cathedrals Service and Pentecost Procession on Hope Street taking place from 3.00 pm. We begin with a short twenty minute service at Liverpool Cathedral followed by a procession with some choral stops along the way to finish on our Cathedral steps with a final short liturgy. It is perhaps the strongest symbol of our unity as Christians on Merseyside coming together to celebrate Pentecost and pray for our local region. The first anniversary of the Manchester concert bombing falls on Tuesday 22 May. We have been asked by Manchester City Council to provide a live screening of the memorial service (taking place in Manchester) within our Cathedral for those affected who would like to witness the service and yet not have to travel to Manchester to take part. This will be starting at 2.00 pm that afternoon in the main Cathedral. The Cathedral in partnership with Nugent is jointly hosting a Concert in the Philharmonic Hall of the Priests on 1 June. There are still a few tickets left which are available from the Philharmonic booking office.
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Pic extras
Mums the Word The forthcoming visit of the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham to the Metropolitan Cathedral on 21-23 June is of particular interest and pleasure to members of the Union of Catholic Mothers.
News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba
New provincial council elected
After all, such is our special devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham, that we include her in the prayers we say at every meeting. Liverpool is the first venue on a two-year tour of every cathedral in the country, culminating in 2020 with the re-dedication of England as the Dowry of Mary – that is, the re-dedicating of the faith of the people of England to the Mother of God. The term ‘the dowry of Mary’ is thought to have originated in the 11th Century, after Walsingham had become a centre of pilgrimage. In a 14th century painting known as the Wilton Diptych, King Richard II is shown setting aside England as Mary's donation or dowry. The UCM's annual pilgrimage to Walsingham on the first Tuesday of July is the spiritual highlight of our year. Members come from far and wide to celebrate an outdoor Mass together at the Slipper Chapel, followed by a picnic and a silent procession into Walsingham itself for Benediction in the grounds of the abbey, accompanied by bishops and priests. It is there that our national president gives her address. This is a truly wonderful experience and I would urge any of our members who have never been, to come along and share it with us. • The UCM National Council will take place at the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire from 14-16 May. Please pray for its success, and that members will be inspired to take up the challenge of becoming officers. • The next bi-monthly Mass is at St Richard's, Skelmersdale on Wednesday 9 May at 7.30pm. Madelaine McDonald Media Officer
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There are new faces on the KSC’s provincial council – starting with Brother Ray Pealing, the new provincial grand knight – following last month’s council quarterly meeting. The meeting at St Charles Parish Centre on Sunday 18 March witnessed the election of a new council for Liverpool province, together with Bro Ray’s appointment to a post previously held by Bro Pat Foley, who stepped down in accordance with the rules after his three-year term of office. We welcome Bro Ray, who has held many prior offices, and thank Bro Pat who performed the role of grand knight with distinction. The new officers were officially installed in their elected positions during a ceremony at 11.15 am Mass at St Mary’s, Little Cosby on Sunday 22 April. • As mentioned in the April edition, we welcomed three new members to the order recently, with Mathew
Analogbie, Kevin Jones and Justin Malewesi elevated to full knighthood at a ceremony at St John the Evangelist Parish Church, Kirkdale on Sunday 18 February, during 11.15am Mass. They are pictured above at the front of the group wearing purple collarettes. • Saturday 9 June is the feast day of our patron, St Columba, and members of the order, their friends and families, will be attending the Annual Mass in his honour at 11am on Sunday 10th at St Columba’s Parish Church, Huyton. Another date for the diary in June is the Biennial Memorial Mass for deceased members, which takes place at 3pm on the 16th at the Metropolitan Cathedral. The Knights will also be assisting at the Northern Catholic Conference at Hope University on 22-24 June. Websites: www.ksc.org.uk and www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com
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join in
PIC Life
Greeting Cards from Carmel
Do the Walk of Life By Moira Billinge he Bank Holiday at the end of May brings one of the highlights of the year for Right To Life campaigners in Liverpool Archdiocese – the annual sponsored walk amid the scenic beauty of the Ribble Valley.
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The eight-mile circular walk will take place on Monday 28 May, and will set out, just as in previous years, from St Michael and St John’s Parish Church in Lowergate, Clitheroe (BB7 1AG). The walk will be marshalled throughout by parish priest Mgr John Corcoran and his team of stewards and it promises to be a joyful occasion once more, with refreshments available during and after the event. Walkers are invited to congregate in the car park behind the church at 12.30pm for the pre-walk speeches and instructions, ahead of a 1pm start, and please note that the terrain can be muddy in parts so suitable footwear is required. We are, as always, grateful to our very special guests, Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Kelly of Liverpool and Lord David Alton of Liverpool, who are taking part once again, and we are delighted to announce that the comedian Jimmy Cricket KSG will be joining us too. Lord Alton said: 'It’s wonderful that Jimmy Cricket is walking with us this year. Usually, a son walks in his father’s footsteps but Jimmy will be doing this in reverse, in his trademark Wellington boots.’ Jimmy’s son, Father Frankie Mulgrew, is a Salford priest and author of ‘Does God LOL?’ and the recently published ‘Miracles R Us’. He has been a regular participant in the Right To Life Walk but this will be the first time his father has taken part. Jimmy is a Knight of St Gregory – an award received in 2015 from Pope Francis in recognition of his wonderful work for charity. 28
Catholic Pictorial
Lord Alton added: ‘With his unique brand of Irish humour we’ll be waiting to see if he appears in his well-known outfit of cut-off evening trousers, dinner jacket, hat and wellington boots marked “L” and “R”, for left and right but worn on the wrong feet … which might be a bit of a problem on a sponsored walk. ‘Jimmy’s famous catchphrase is “Ladies and gentlemen, c’mere” – and he’ll be hoping that many new walkers will be joining him by doing exactly that.’ The next 18 months are vitally important for the pro-life movement which is fighting to defeat the campaign to introduce abortion on demand, for any reason, up to birth. Right To Life seldom asks for money but the activities that the organisation has planned, while targeted to be highly effective, will inevitably impact on resources. It is worth recalling Lord Alton’s words from his address at the start of last year’s walk when he recalled a conversation with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the future saint. ‘It’s hard for those of us – people like you and me [the Clitheroe walkers] – who battle on year after year, wondering if people are listening,’ Lord Alton said. Mother Teresa retorted: ‘David, you are not called upon to be successful, you are called upon to be faithful.’ Lord Alton added to those of us gathered: ‘This is what this walk is about. It’s a walk of witness and a walk of reparation, but it is also about being faithful to the very cause of life itself.’ • If you are able to take part, please contact me at moira.billinge@btinternet.com or on 0754 511 8743.as soon as possible to obtain sponsor and booking forms. Booking is important as it helps us to make the necessary catering arrangements. If you cannot take part in the walk, please consider sponsoring the event and promoting it in your parishes.
There is a lovely sellection of greeting cards for all occasions on sale at Maryton Carmel, call to the shop or contact the Sisters at Maryton Grange, Allerton Road, L18 3NU. Telephone the card office on 0151 724 7102 or Email the Sisters at marytoncards@outlook.com
Worth a visit
This month, dedicated to Our Lady, is a wonderful time to visit a Spanish city rich in history and faith, writes Lucy Oliver. Toledo, lying on Spain’s central plain of Castilla-La Mancha, was known as the ‘Imperial City’ for hosting the court of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. It has also been called the ‘City of the Three Cultures’ and its impressive architecture reflects the heritage of a city which has known Christian, Muslim and Jewish influences. Prominent on the skyline are the 13th century Gothic cathedral and the Alcazar; originally a Moorish fortress but later rebuilt, this is now home to a vast army museum. Another worthwhile port of call is the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, which dates from the late 1400s when it was built to celebrate the birth of Prince John, son of Ferdinand and Isabella, and a decisive victory over Portugal. Today, the monastery is still home to the Franciscans, and visitors can take time to reflect in the chapel, and then the cloisters, which surround an inner courtyard of orange trees. A sightseeing wrist pass is available for €8 and allows access to six important sites across the city.
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Something new from Catholic Pic
PIC AWAY DAYS 2018 Carnforth Departing 6th June 10am from St George’s Hall, Lime Street (also Burtonwood pick-up) The journey will take approximately 2 hours. You will be able to take in the scenery and promenade and maybe take a boat ride, do some walking and have a lovely lunch in one of the many eating places.
Clitheroe Departing 26th June 10am from St George’s Hall, Lime Street (also Burtonwood pick-up) The journey will take approximately 2 hours, there are some wonderful family owned shops in Clitheroe with exciting things to buy.
Grasmere Departing 10th July 10am from St George’s Hall, Lime Street (also Burtonwood pick-up) We arrive in Grasmere around 12ish. You will be able to take in the beautiful lakes and mountains of the Lake District along with Beatrix Potter’s house or do some easy walking or visit the bookshop and relax in the beautiful surroundings.
Ness Gardens Departing 17th July 10am from Lime Street Enjoy a leisurely walk around the beautiful gardens, visit the shop and garden store and treat yourself to a lovely lunch in the restaurant.
£15 Please call 0151 733 5492 to book ALL PLACES
A Retreat Day at
The Shrine of Our Lady of Ladyewell led by Father Peter Morgan, Tuesday 22nd May leaving from St George’s Hall, Lime Street arriving at St Mary’s Church around 11.30am Short walk approx quarter of a mile (anyone with walking difficulties please let us know and we will arrange for the mini-bus to pick you up) Mass approximately 12.15pm Lunch at 1pm Tea and Coffee available, please bring a packed lunch After lunch there will be a group walk into the grounds led by Father Peter Morgan who will give a talk during the afternoon. We will be leaving for Liverpool around 4.30pm
£15.00 per person Please call 0151 733 5492 to book
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justice & peace Letter from Rome By Joshua Dixon A few months have now passed since I wrote my first article for the Pic and, hopefully, by now you will have gained some insight into seminary life in Rome. It is certainly true that life here is varied, exciting and affords time for spiritual growth. The excitement of Easter was no exception. After some beautiful liturgies celebrating the Sacred Triduum here in the English College – which is always open to visitors – I was privileged to sing at the Papal Easter Morning Mass in St Peter’s Square. It was a joyful occasion to see the Holy Father, and many cardinals and bishops … to say nothing of the 10,000 or more faithful gathered from across the globe to celebrate the new life of Easter!
Yet, the life of a priest or seminarian, as with everyone, can also be mundane. It is impossible to live in such a way as to always be on a high, to be constantly spiritually ‘elevated’ – we all need to get used to the ordinary aspects of life too. The word mundane has its roots in the Latin for ‘world’, which is mundus. The high points of life offer us hope and consolation whereas the low points often force us to question, doubt and struggle with our faith. Then there is the whole spectrum in between, and here we can place mundanity. As Christians, we believe that Christ is always with us, journeying, speaking and leading us on. In the mundane things we can find time to reflect, to recognise that, at least for some of His life, Christ also lived mundanely, as He ‘grew in wisdom and stature with men’ (Luke 2:42). The working out of salvation, our opening-up to God’s love and His accompaniment with us each day need not be filled with constant excitement. Indeed, much of the unknown lives of the saints were spent in the daily grind, as, little by little, they allowed the Holy Spirit to work on their inner lives, helping them grow up to God through a life of loving. All of us are called to such a life in our own lived reality – not in some distant land or in some deceptively dreamt-up ‘other place’ where we imagine we could simply do better. In reality, God’s becoming human in the incarnation was precisely to show us that, without exception, we too can live a life of loving service to God and neighbour every day. After the excitement of Easter and with the coming of Spring, let’s embrace the mundanity of life and find God with us in it. 30
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Reflections on the call to holiness By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker Pope Francis has just brought out a beautiful new letter called ‘Gaudete et Exsultate’ (Rejoice and be Glad) in which he writes about the universal call to holiness. Holiness, he says, is for all of us. He is quite clear that we are holy when we live our lives well in all their ordinariness. ‘To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain.’ We are not holy in the abstract or in isolation. Holiness is all around us in our communities. He continues: ‘I like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the Church militant. Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbours, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence. We might call them “the middle class of holiness”.’
Pope Francis lists two pitfalls to avoid, Gnosticism and Pelagianism. The first is the temptation to think that our faith journey is about gaining ever more information, as if holiness were the same as knowledge. He writes: ‘Thanks be to God, throughout the history of the Church it has always been clear that a person’s perfection is measured not by the information or knowledge they possess, but by the depth of their charity. “Gnostics” do not understand this, because they judge others based on their ability to understand the complexity of certain doctrines. They think of the intellect as separate from the flesh, and thus become incapable of touching Christ’s suffering flesh in others, locked up as they are in an encyclopaedia of abstractions.’ The second is to think that we can rely on our own efforts The pontiff writes that those ‘who yield to this pelagian or semi-pelagian mindset ... “ultimately trust only in their own powers and feel superior to others because they observe certain rules or remain intransigently faithful to a particular Catholic style”. When some of them tell the weak that all things can be accomplished with God’s grace, deep down they tend to give the idea that all things are possible by the human will, as if it were something pure, perfect, allpowerful, to which grace is then added … Ultimately, the lack of a heartfelt and prayerful acknowledgment of our limitations prevents grace from working more effectively within us … Grace acts in history; ordinarily it takes hold of us and transforms us progressively.’ ‘Gaudete et Exsultate’ is available to buy (£4.95) at Pauline Books on 82 Bold Street, Liverpool, and also free to download on the Vatican website: http://w2.vatican.va/content/fran cesco/en/apost_exhortations/do cuments/papafrancesco_esortazioneap_20180319_gaudete-etexsultate.html
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