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20p from each sale goes to your parish Issue 109 OCTOBER 2013

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Rainbows at 30

Hope in Leyland

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contents 20p from each sale goes to your parish

Welcome

Issue 109 OCTOBER 2013

As the month of the Rosary, October, begins, the generosity and giving reflected in that prayer is mirrored in our own Archdiocese. Rainbows celebrates thirty years of walking with young people and supporting them at life changing moments. Founded in Chicago in 1983 it is estimated to have touched the lives of 2.7 million children worldwide and there are now 136 groups helping children aged from four to 18 in the schools and parishes of the Archdiocese.

ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL

World Mission Day, is celebrated on Sunday 20 October, support offered through our ‘Red Boxes’ to communities throughout the world. Our young people who give so generously of their time and energy on the Lourdes Pilgrimage are recognised and thanked by the Mayor of St Helens and the Church of St Anne and Blessed Dominic in Sutton celebrated its fortieth anniversary; a place where pilgrims come from far and wide to visit the Shrine. In these last weeks support from all quarters brought hope to St Mary’s, Leyland when their High School was destroyed by fire. Out of despair came a determination on the part of everybody in the school and local community to rebuild and move forward.

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Floral celebrations for Sutton INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Rainbows at 30

Hope in Leyland

Opera star remembers her roots

Contents

Truly a time of hope and generosity.

Main Feature Rainbows brightening the gloom

From the Bishop’s desk

News From around the Archdiocese

A Time for Peace – A Time for War I am a Pacifist by nature and by desire, but there are many occasions when I have been upset, angry and, most of all, keen to respond to an injustice, and especially when I feel threatened. On these occasions it is often more important what we don’t do but, ironically, doing nothing is also the worst thing we can do.

14 Spotlight ‘One Faith One Family World Mission Day 15 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life

A good local example of a community responding in a positive and constructive way to a wrong was the Parish school of St Mary’s, Leyland. The High School burnt down! The disaster brought out the best, not the worst, of human nature. They gathered in their church, they prayed together. They laughed and they wept, and they celebrated, yes, celebrated who they were: pupils, parents, teachers, past and present. In fact, the whole community gathered as one, and were one.

16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese

It was my great privilege to be the main celebrant at Mass the Tuesday after the fire. It was a modern ‘Road to Emmaus’ situation. Like Clopas and the other disciple, ‘they talked about all that had happened, and Jesus joined them and explained the scripture to them, and when they gathered for a meal (abide with me) they recognised him in the breaking of bread’.

19 Animate Youth Ministry New Year New Team

As the students placed the burnt Crucifix from the destroyed main entrance of the school in front of the Altar, (disfigured and beaten) minus feet and arms, there was a gasp of pain from the congregation, but also a hidden promise of a redeeming presence, which was full of Hope.

25 Cathedral Record Music at the Met

Out of the ashes of sin and defeat will come new life.

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 Advertising Andrew Rogers 0151 709 7567 Publisher 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS

Copy deadline November issue 9 October 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.

18 Profile Kathryn Rudge Opera sensation remembering her roots

25 Justice and Peace Together for the Common Good

26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC 28 Pic Life Gratitude and our evolving relationship with food 29 Join In Family Fun More Mullarkey

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Rainbows brightening the gloom Organisation helps children in Liverpool Archdiocese affected by loss

By Ann Todd Somewhere over the rainbow… there is a helping hand for children in Liverpool Archdiocese who are suffering the trauma of having lost their parents. The Rainbows organisation has been active in Liverpool for two decades now and has helped thousands of youngsters, offering them kindness and understanding and someone they can talk to in the most trying of times. Rainbows was established to help children in grief because of the loss of parents through death, divorce or separation, or because of another serious loss in their lives. When children lose their parents, their entire world crashes down. They have grown up with the idea that their parents will always be there for them, and the shock of having been abandoned can leave some severely emotionally distressed. The work of Rainbows, a worldwide non-profit organisation, is to provide a safe setting in which these children and young people can talk through their feelings with people of the 4

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same age who are experiencing similar situations. They are helped to articulate their feelings by an adult facilitator (or listener), who is specially trained for the task. The children meet in small groups, in a Catholic or non-Catholic setting, and with the help of journals, story books, games and activities are enabled to name, understand, and come to terms with the many emotions they experience. The programme can be run in a school or a parish. Rainbows was founded in Chicago in 1983 by an American woman, Suzy Yehl Marta, who was responding to her own divorce and its impact on her three sons. She began by running weekend retreats for youngsters through her local church; in the 30 years since, Rainbows has touched the lives of an estimated 2.7million children. Rainbows in Liverpool Archdiocese was started by Father Des Seddon, Director of Christian Education, with Sister Teresa Flynn and Sheila O'Neill, who went to train as registered directors in the United States.

Suzi Yehl Marta

There are now nine directors – all volunteers – who look after the scheme in Liverpool Archdiocese and train facilitators to work with children suffering a period of grief. Such is the dedication of these volunteers that they donate their expenses payments, such as attending conferences, to the needy Rainbows fund. The organisation’s work takes place mostly in schools and in parishes, and across a total of 136 sites, helping children aged from four to 18. Among the agencies that they train for this work is Barnado’s. According to the Liverpool Archdiocesan co-ordinator, Margaret Caulfield, the need for this support is as great as ever. ‘In some schools there are three Rainbows programmes, and thousands of children have gone through the programmes over the years,’ she says. Margaret understands only too well the benefits of the organisation. ‘My daughters were just four and six when I was divorced and there was nothing like this for my children then,’ she explains. ‘They encouraged me to get involved with Rainbows.’ She has received moving letters from children, which she describes as ‘wonderful feedback’. One child wrote: ‘I love Rainbows because I know I am not the only one.’ Another said: ‘I love Rainbows because I know it was not my own fault.’ Children are made aware that whatever they write or say at the sessions will be kept in the strictest confidence, unless it comes to light that they have been damaged by another person, or have hurt themselves in any way. Margaret added: ‘I know from my own daughters how important it is for these children to talk about their feelings. Research shows that 99

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feature ‘In some schools there are three Rainbows programmes, and thousands of children have gone through the programmes over the years’

out of 100 children don’t need counselling, they just need to talk and be listened to and not judged. ‘We find that in the groups the children help each other. Just as adults talk to friends about their problems and things become clearer, the children need to listen to each other – probably more than adults.

‘We had one little boy who saw his dad on a Saturday, when he had access. Suddenly the boy didn't want to go and started kicking up. It turned out he wanted to play football with his mates on Saturday mornings. Another boy said, ‘Why don't you tell your dad to change his day to Sunday?’ The dad was fine with that and that's what they did. If an

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adult had said that, it might not have happened.’ It is believed there are many children who are suffering in silence and whose sadness goes unnoticed. Some break down later in life because of the lack of help and understanding. Since Rainbows was founded, programmes have been implemented in 49 US states and also in Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Spain, Scotland, Singapore, Switzerland and Wales. The organisation’s mission statement is: ‘Rainbows believes that grieving youth deserves supporting, loving listeners as they struggle with their feelings… is available to participants of all races and religions… serves as an advocate to youth who face life-altering crises.’ People involved in the work of Rainbows testify that it transforms lives. One volunteer said: ‘I have seen children become more self-confident, more at peace with themselves, generally happier.’ One parent wrote: ‘When the children came out of the session it was as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. It gave them the opportunity

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feature

‘Mum, I don't know why you would say no, because there was nothing for us when we were children’ 6

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to share feelings and thoughts with people outside the family circle who they trusted. They seemed to grow in confidence and self-esteem as the sessions progressed. My daughter had been quite angry before going to Rainbows, but seemed much happier in herself after completing the course.’ One facilitator commented: ‘I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be such a humbling experience.’ In the case of Suzy Yehl Marta, the founder, she has recalled how she would attend a local support group after the breakdown of her marriage, but one evening when she got back home, one of her sons remarked that no-one had asked him about how he felt about his dad leaving. So the idea of Rainbows was born. Margaret Caulfield admits that when she was divorced over 30 years ago there was no such organised help for

her children, or for herself, for that matter. Catholics did not get divorced, and ‘the Church didn't know what to do’ with her. ‘When I was asked to do this work, after being a fund-raiser, my girls both said, ‘Mum, I don't know why you would say no, because there was nothing for us when we were children’. I know myself now how important it is after seeing the difference it makes to the children, and how wonderful that is.’ • Rainbows in the Liverpool Archdiocese celebrates its 21st anniversary with an afternoon tea on Saturday 12 October (1.30-4pm) at Broughton High School, Yew Tree Lane, West Derby, Liverpool, L12 9HJ. There will be speakers and children's activities and all are welcome. For more information on Rainbows, ring 0151 522 1050.

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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

Coach Three meet the Mayor

Young pilgrims who travelled from St Helens on Coach Three for this year’s Lourdes Pilgrimage were personally thanked for their work by the Mayor of St Helens, Councillor Andy Bowden. Their visit to the Town Hall came about through their use of social media Twitter to promote their work in Lourdes; their tweets were picked up by Councillor Bowden who then retweeted them. Also, on the day of the pilgrimage departure Mayor Bowden sent a tweet out to wish Coach Three ‘a safe and happy pilgrimage’. When they returned from Lourdes the young people phoned the Town Hall to thank Mayor Bowden and were honoured to receive an invitation to the Mayor’s Parlour. A few weeks later, Coach Three staff plus twelve young pilgrims met in Victoria Square in their distinctive yellow t-shirts. The Mayor greeted each with a hand shake and was eager to hear all about the pilgrimage and was particularly interested in the various reasons young people keep on returning to Lourdes each year. They were then given a tour of the Mayor’s Parlour and a talk on the role of the Mayor. The pilgrims had brought, from Lourdes, a bottle of Holy Water and a statue of Our Lady which they presented to the Mayor before they all signed the visitors’ book which, when full, will be sealed and kept in the Town Hall archives. Mayor Bowden certainly made the young people and their work feel appreciated and, to their delight, he inevitably took to Twitter the same evening to express his thanks for the gifts and the story of the journey to Lourdes.

Educate awards 2013 Many of Liverpool's Catholic schools will be taking part in the Educate Awards at the end of November hoping to win one of the prestigious education awards writes Joe Earnshaw. Last year St Albert's in Knowsley were acknowledged for their dedicated environmental responsibility and won the Sustainability School Project of the Year Award, which has springboarded them onto a variety of other eco projects. All Saints Junior School in Anfield was another Catholic school that was honoured with an award last year. They picked up the SEN Provision Award, recognising a school that provides an extremely high quality of care and education services to pupils with Special Educational Needs. Patrick Richardson, Chief Executive and founder of Concept LHP, who will be judging the Eco Project Award says: ‘As a practicing Catholic it is great to see so many Catholic schools thriving and really pushing the educational sector forward, winning an award can really give a school momentum and help them achieve even more’.

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news diary

Spirit of hope in Leyland

Norah: 100 Years young

Hope, resolve and determination were all words used to describe the tremendous spirit in the school and local community following the devastating fire which swept through St Mary’s Technical College in Leyland on the evening of Sunday 1 September. The blaze destroyed most of the building on the eve of the new school year leaving staff and students without their school building for the new term. At 8.00 am on Tuesday 3 September the weekly Mass for the school and local community was celebrated by Bishop Tom Williams, the Apostolic Administrator for the Archdiocese, at St Mary’s church, Leyland. The church was full and the charred remains of the Cross which had hung in the school was placed before the altar. After the Mass Bishop Tom said: ‘With over 800 people from the school and local community at Mass this morning it is clear that the devastating fire has led to a strong spirit of unity and renewal among all associated with St Mary’s. The celebration was one of faith, hope and love as we face the challenges ahead, and the response, particularly from the young people themselves, shows their absolute determination to

meet those challenges. Headteacher, Kathy McNicholas, said: ‘What has been inspirational at this difficult time is the realisation that, whatever has happened, the spirit of the school remains intact and resolute.’ Students began the new term just two weeks later using a former high school site on Ribbleton Hall Drive in Preston. Eventually they will return to the Royal Avenue site in Leyland using a mixture of surviving classrooms and temporary accommodation.

On Monday 26 August the congregation of St Vincent de Paul Church, St. Helens, held an eagerly awaited event when they joined with Mrs Norah Davis in a joyful celebration of her 100th birthday. Norah is a weekly Mass attender who still takes a keen interest in the parish and both her presence and participation at Mass are greatly appreciated by her fellow parishioners Norah is a life-long member of the congregation with a wonderful store of memories and anecdotes about life as it was in St Helens. Sometimes a person is described as a ‘national treasure’ but at St Vincent’s Norah is considered to be a ‘parish treasure’. She is pictured with Karma and Ariella, the two youngest members of the congregation who enjoy her company. No generation gap here!

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news diary

Sutton’s Festival of Flowers

arishioners from St Anne and Blessed Dominic, Sutton, celebrated the fortieth anniversary of their church with a Festival of Flowers over three days in early September.

The church was built in 1973 when the former Sutton Monastery had to be demolished due to subsidence in the area. The Festival was opened with a Service introduced by Parish Priest, Father Peter Hannah, and led by former Parish Priest and Provincial of the Passionist Order, Father John Kearns. Also attending were Bishop Vincent Malone and the Mayor of St Helens, Councillor Andy Bowden.

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Introducing the Festival Father Peter said: ‘the theme “...And it’s from the old we travel to the new, keep me travelling along with you...” reminds us that if we are unaware of our history we will be uncertain of our future. In the Festival we are celebrating those people, works and events that have shaped us into the parish family we are and the presence of God with us as we seek to answer his call to be the people he wants us to be.’ There were fourteen special displays in the church reflecting the history of the parish, the sacraments, parish ministry and outreach and the three Passionists buried in the Shrine: Blessed Dominic

Barberi, Sister Elizabeth Prout and Father Ignatius Spencer. The Festival ended on the Sunday evening with the celebration of a Mass of Thanksgiving for the life and work of the parish and local community.

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news diary Caring award

Double celebration at Brindle There was cause for a double celebration for altar servers and children from the local Primary School at St Joseph’s, Brindle during the summer. Four altar servers were enrolled into the Guild of Stephen increasing the number in the Guild from two to six. The members, pictured with Parish Priest, Father Raphael Jones OSB, are: Erin Baines, Olivia Kershaw, Mick Gardner, Josh Telford, Paul Binks and Elizabeth McDonald. Later in the summer ten children from St Joseph’s Primary School were confirmed by Bishop Tom Williams and received their First Holy Communion in the church.

Two pupils from St Joseph the Worker Primary School, Kirkby, Shaun Perrin and Chloe McAllister, have been awarded the Miriam Brannan Award 2013, in recognition of the fact that ‘they have shown that they are caring and compassionate with their fellow pupils and teachers and have shown: a sound understanding of the difference between right and wrong…combined with a firm knowledge of spiritual moral and cultural awareness’. The award is in remembrance of Miriam Brannan, Anne Levey said of her, ‘she lived her short life by living the Christian ethos, blessed with a great sense of humour and always caring and compassionate towards those less fortunate than herself, showing that by living a true Christian life you can make the world and your community a better place.’

Life in the Spirit A series of seminars with the theme ‘Life in the Spirit’ are to be held every Friday evening for ten weeks beginning on October 11 at St Anne’s church in Overbury Street. The series aims to bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Although designed mainly for practising Christians who wish to make a deeper commitment to the Lord the seminars are open to all. Following an introductory session on 11 October topics will include ‘God’s Love’; ‘Salvation’; ‘New Life’ and ‘Receiving God’s Gift’, each session will begin at 7.30 pm and end by 9.45 pm. Further information is available from the Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or from St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

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news diary Bellerive’s sporting visitors

A group of 30 girls from Genazzano FCJ in Melbourne, Australia spent three days on Merseyside and visited Bellerive FCJ College as part of a European sports tour. Their visit to Europe also included time in London, Belgium, Limerick and Paris. After meeting their hosts the group set off for a football coaching session with Liverpool Ladies FC at the University of Liverpool’s Wyncote Centre followed by a tour of Anfield. An action packed day of games including basketball, badminton and tennis took place at Upton Hall on Friday while Saturday was a free day for the visiting girls to spend time with their host families and get to know the city region. The girls stayed with FCJ students from Bellerive and Upton Hall on the Wirral to gain an insight into local family life. Some of the sights their hosts were keen to show off included the Albert Dock, Liverpool One, the cinema and the Beatles and the Maritime Museums. Mr McGrath, the Merseyside trip coordinator and a history teacher at Bellerive said: ‘We were very excited to welcome our Australian visitors to Merseyside and enjoyed showing them the best of our city despite the rain.’ Sarndra Kennerley, head of netball at Genazzano said: ‘We’ve had an amazing trip and even though it’s a sporting tour we’re also building friendships with other FCJ schools and students around the world. These relationships will last a lifetime; I know many girls who have met on previous trips are still in touch today.’

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Seaforth’s Silver Celebration

Parish Priest of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Seaforth, Father Tom Wood celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his Ordination to the Priesthood with a Mass of Thanksgiving on Wednesday 11 September. Among the concelebrants at the Mass were Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Tom Williams and former Auxiliary Bishop, Vincent Malone. Also joining Father Tom were classmates from the Venerable English College in Rome: Monsignor Marcus Stock, General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales; Father Russell Wright, now serving in the Diocese of Venice in Florida, who preached and Father Alexander Sherbrooke, Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, Soho in the Archdiocese of Westminster. Father Tom said of the celebration: ‘It was a happy and joyous occasion and I was delighted to be surrounded by my family and friends and by parishioners from St Mary’s, Woolton and Our Lady, Star of the Sea, and particularly by the Knights of St Columba to whom I am Provincial Chaplain. It has been a grace to have always been surrounded by so many good and loving people who have supported me over the last twenty-five years.’ The following week the four Jubilarians returned to their old College and during the Wednesday General Audience received congratulations from Pope Francis.

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spotlight

One Faith One Family On Sunday 20 October the Church celebrates World Mission Day; we take a look at work being done in South Africa. How many 15 year-old boys do you know who, without embarrassment, admit that being part of a lively faith community helps to give meaning to life? Yet Tlotlo, a 15 year-old South African schoolboy, declares, ‘The parish is home to me. Growing up as a young boy I didn’t see the point and my mum would drag me to church. But now, I come to church on my own. I’m not ashamed. Other teenagers might lose interest, but I don’t.’ Tlotlo lives in Mogwase, a platinum mining town close to Sun City in South Africa’s North-Western Province. Tourists from across the world visit Sun City and the magnificent Pilanesberg National Park, but bypass Mogwase, reluctant to witness the poverty of its mining community. But the tourists are the losers. Those who live in the shanty compounds surrounding the mines experience tremendous hardship, but the Church is also alive and active, truly ‘one faith and one family’. Many Catholic parishes throughout Africa are subdivided into Small Christian Communities, (SCC). These family clusters sustain the faith, life and energy of the parish and the local community, especially in remote areas where a priest might not be regularly available. Mogwase’s SCCs are the building blocks and mortar of the parish. Is a new church or classroom needed? The SCCs make the bricks and provide the labour. Does the church property need cleaning and maintenance? The SCCs see to it. Are there sick people in the vicinity? The SCCs visit them, pooling meagre resources to ensure that the patient has food and medicine. When there is a death, the nearest SCC organises the funeral and the burial. They prepare children for the Sacraments, instruct converts and form church choirs. Understanding that they belong to ‘one faith and

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one family’, their weekly meeting identifies and plans concrete ways of putting the Gospel into practice. Tlotlo left the Church for a while, but not for long. ‘I didn’t find what I wanted elsewhere. I can now see that this is where I belong and this is my faith. In the SCC, I have a second home, amongst people who saw me grow up from a baby into the young man I am today. My faith has helped me mature and be more understanding. I have become a youth leader. To my surprise, I was elected Head Boy at my Catholic school.’ Jacinta is Tlotlo’s mother and a parish catechist. She explains, ‘I joined the workshop for catechists simply because I wanted to enrich my faith. I wanted to understand in adulthood what my faith meant. When I became a Catechist, I was invited to lead a group of young people who had just made their First Communion and stayed with them until Confirmation.’ Jacinta laughed as she reflected on her value to her parish family. ‘Now I prepare all the parish candidates for Confirmation. Nobody wants me to leave the group.’ Jacinta described the impact of the SCC on her own and her family’s lives. ‘My husband and I had three children. The eldest is an altar server. My husband helps with

leading the service when the priest isn’t here. We can only have Mass every two weeks, so it is the SCC’s responsibility to lead a prayer service when there is no Mass.’ World Mission Sunday is about helping parishes such as that in Mogwase. It is about supporting parishioners just like Jacinta and her son Tlotlo, who speak so confidently about their parish family as they live out their faith surrounded by the appalling poverty and hardship of a mining township. ‘One faith. One family.’ World Mission Day is the annual day of prayer celebrated by the Church across the world. The collection in your parish helps the SCCs in Mogwase to continue caring for each other. It sustains 1,069 dioceses in developing countries. Without your help, many parishes would struggle to survive. World Mission Day shares and builds our faith, nurtures and strengthens the family of our Church. In Brazil in July, Pope Francis declared 'Go and make disciples. Go beyond the confines of what is humanly possible and create a world of brothers and sisters.' This is also the message of World Mission Sunday as we celebrate ‘One faith and one family in Christ.’ To find out more about World Mission Sunday, go to www.missio.org.uk

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sunday reflections On a liturgical note The call that Cafod makes at the beginning of this month for the Harvest Fast Day (the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, 4 October) is echoed at the end of the month in One World Week (20-27 October); they are voices which remind us that as it is in one world that we live and move and have our being, so it is to the one Father of all that we give thanks both for the fruits of the earth and the work of human hands. The gifts which enable us to be fed, to grow and to flourish in our living cannot be taken for granted, for we know that there are many today who lack even the bare necessities of daily living and it is our sensitivity towards them and our desire to see a more equitable usage of the resources of the world which lead us to work and pray together with all people of good will. In communities where harvest is not simply a word but a reality which demands the effort and the work of

Sunday thoughts The long-awaited raising of the cruise ship Costa Concordia has been successfully completed. More than twice the size of the Titanic, this floating skyscraper is an obvious demonstration of the belief that ‘biggest is best’. Costa Concordia was the latest in the line of unsinkable ships. (Titanic with its revolutionary water-tight compartments proved equally vulnerable). While state-of-the-art navigation systems eliminated the need for a living human being on the bridge, computer programmers failed to factor in the over-confidence of a captain emboldened by pre-dinner drinks. There is no shortage of hubris throughout history. The hundreds of miles of underground railways and heavy artillery which formed the Maginot Line between France and Germany failed to prevent the Second World War. Trident submarines proved equally impotent against a determined terrorist with a rucksack on the London Tube. Prophet and psalmist repeatedly remind us that Pharaoh’s chariots and horsemen were the WMD of their day. The New Testament continues with warnings of the fruitlessness of power and might,

Canon Philip Gillespie

the whole community, the sense of gratitude is perhaps all the stronger, but for each one of us it is good to stop and reflect that it is by the work of someone else’s hands that food is put on our tables – the farmer, the fisherman, the shop worker, the one who cooks and prepares our ‘daily bread’. The Liturgy gives us a ready-made thanksgiving for the food we receive and for those who have supplied it and prepared it, words which need not only be spoken by our priests on a Sunday but which can be on the lips of each of us as a grace, a thanksgiving, before our meals: Blessed are you Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received...

Mgr John Devine OBE

but goes a stage further. It suggests that limited resources may also be an advantage. The feeding of the 5,000, the Magnificat and the Beatitudes collectively reinforce the message of the futility of numbers, weight, size, power, prestige, influence… No haversack or spare tunic is required. Even they are an encumbrance. For me the Parable of the Mustard Seed epitomises the Gospel imperative that ‘less is more’. The last time we read this Gospel, I distributed mustard seeds at Mass and suggested that people went home and planted them. Several returned months later to show off their plants. None fell into the Jack and the Beanstalk category but the results were impressive. The Parable of the Mustard Seed could be characterised as human wisdom born out of experience. But advice from the lips of Christ has added potency. He not only challenged the world’s perspective by thinking and talking small. He died that we might live.

Be grateful Just recently I was in Blackpool speaking at a Year of Faith evening. I often wonder when I meet people and talk about the challenge of the Gospel whether our faith lives are just a reality to us because living in a faith culture suits us psychologically and gives us a framework in which to operate. I wonder whether sometimes we do what we do out of habit rather than anything else. Maybe par t of the reason our Churches are emptying is because people no longer find their personal needs fulfilled there and so they move on. There is so much in the world now that attracts and fulfils. In the past the Church provided ever ything – socially, physically and spiritually – but now much can be found elsewhere. Even more disconcer ting is the possibility that some who stay only stay because of some vague disquiet about leaving in case God smites them from above. I think I am coming to the conclusion that most of us who say we have a relationship with God are not really into loving God. We are afraid of God and often tr y to control God or manipulate God into being what we want God to be. I guess it is why we are not open to change and newness and possibility and potential. I think it is why many of the saints are so challenging because their love of God makes them do seemingly foolish or outrageous things. Back to my original question: ‘Do I love the God I work for or the work of God?’ I have just led two mornings of reflection on the Parables of Jesus. After wards one of the par ticipants texted me and said: ‘It’s becoming more and more clear to me that it’s vital to spend a quiet time of reflection with God.’ Without that experience we will never fall in love with God and at best our faith will be sterile and legalistic. I pray for all of us that the breath of the Spirit will lead us into a deep, loving relationship with God who is the fire that makes life wor th living. Fr Chris Thomas

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what’s on Tuesday 1 October Thanksgiving Mass in honour of Father Ignatius Spencer. 6.30 pm at St Anne and Blessed Dominic, Sutton, St Helens, WA9 3ZD. Celebrant: Father Jeroen Hoogland CP. Wednesday 2 October Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 7.15 pm at St Edmund of Canterbury, Waterloo, L22 8QF. Preacher: Monsignor John Furnival. Friday 4 October Harvest Fast Day. Embroidery for Pleasure Class. 1.00 pm4.00 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. Saturday 5 October to Sunday 6 October ‘Come and See 2013’ at Christ the King High School, Stamford Road, Southport, PR8 4EX. Keynote Speakers: Daniel O’Leary, Edwina Gateley. Booking form and details: Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Liverpool, L22 1RD. Tel: 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Sunday 6 October Rosary Sunday. St Helens Family Rosary Procession. Assemble 2.45 pm in Church Square, St Helens, to process to St Mary’s, Lowe House, for Benediction at 3.45 pm. ‘Pause for Hope’ Service. 3.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. An ecumenical service for all people affected by cancer. Main Speaker: Eithne Brown. Music by the Metropolitan Cathedral Girls Choir, St Jerome’s Primary School, and Dave and Danielle Flynn. Details: www.pauseforhope.org.uk or email: raymund.donnelly@roycastle.org Tuesday 8 October UCM Business Meeting. 7.30 pm in the Gibberd Room of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool, L3 5TQ. Wednesday 9 October Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 7.15 pm at St Edmund of Canterbury, Waterloo, L22 8QF. Preacher: Father John Cullen. Friday 11 October Embroidery for Pleasure Class. 1.00 pm4.00 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. ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar. Introductory Session. 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of

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Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434. Saturday 12 October Car Boot Sale. 8.00 am onwards in the Cathedral Car Park. Pitches £10. Details from Claire Hanlon 0151 709 9222.

seating) available from St. Teresa’s Parish Office Tel: 01695 622001. Proceeds in aid of Nugent Care. Sunday 20 October ‘One Faith One Family.’ World Mission Day.

Britten Centenary Concert II: Britten and Friends. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk

‘Spiritual Accompaniment’. Many people are looking for people who will guide them in a good and healthy life and help them find meaning to their lives. Could you be one of those guides? The next course begins on Sunday 20 October. 12.00 noon at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Liverpool, L22 1RD. Details Tel: 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk

Sunday 13 October Mass for St Edward’s College. 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Tuesday 22 October Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter Mass. 12.15 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Monday 14 October ‘Best Care of the Dying Patient.’ A conference in light of the Neuberger Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway; for Priests, Deacons, Bereavement Teams, Eucharistic Ministers, Lay Funeral Ministers, Healthcare Workers, and anyone involved or interested in the care of the dying. 2.00 pm to 4.30 pm or 7.00 pm to 9.30 pm at the Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool, L17 1AA. Chair: Sister Margaret Atkins. Speakers: Dr Karen Groves (Medical Director: Queenscourt Hospice, Southport) and Dr Ged Corcoran (formerly Clinical Director of Woodlands Hospice, now attached to the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool). Charge: £10 (to cover costs, surplus will be donated to the Marie Curie Institute). Bookings: Tel: 0151 522 1040, or email j.cassidy@rcaol.co.uk

Friday 25 October Embroidery for Pleasure Class. 1.00 pm4.00 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.

Cursillo Taster Day. 10.00 am-4.00 pm at St Patrick’s, Park Place, Liverpool, L8 5RA.

Friday 18 October to Friday 25 October The Miraculous Relic Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will visit the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. 5.15 pm Mass of Reception on Friday 18 October. The Knights of St Columba Chapel will be available for Private Prayer from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm each day from Saturday 19 October to Friday 25 October. Friday 18 October Embroidery for Pleasure Class. 1.00 pm4.00 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. ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘God’s Love’. 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. Saturday 19 October Charity Concert: ‘Music for All’ by the Three Towns Operatic Society. 7.30 pm at St Teresa’s Catholic Social Club, College Road, Upholland. Tickets £5.00 (Café style

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Salvation’. 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. Saturday 26 October Carillon Recital by Anthony Brookes. 2.00 pm at St Mary’s, Lowe House, St Helens, WA10 2BE. Tickets £5 (including refreshments) from 01744 22077. City of London Sinfonia and the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir: Faure’s Requiem and works by Tallis, Poulenc and Gabriel Jackson. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 708 7283 or www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk Sunday 27 October Mass of Thanksgiving on the Golden Jubilee of Priesthood of Monsignor Peter Cookson. 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Mass on the 50th Anniversary of the Beatification of Blessed Dominic Barberi CP. 3.00 pm at St Anne and Blessed Dominic, Sutton, St Helens, WA9 3ZD. Celebrant: Father Joachim Rego CP, Superior General of the Passionist Congregation. Tuesday 29 October Cursillo Ultrya. 7.30 pm at St Teresa’s, College Road, Upholland, WN8 0PY. Wednesday 30 October The relics of St Anthony of Padua at St Anthony’s church, Queen’s Drive, Mossley Hill, L18 8AY. Mass at 12.00 noon and 7.30 pm. Veneration of the relics: 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm and 8.30 pm to 9.00 pm.

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october Looking ahead: Friday 1 November Feast of All Saints. Holyday of Obligation. 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. ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘New Life’. 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. Saturday 2 November Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed. All Souls Day. Sunday 3 November LAMP Sunday. Wednesday 6 November UCM Bi-monthly Mass. 7.30 pm at St. Helen, Alexandra Road, Crosby, L23 5TE.

Friday 15 November 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. ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Baptism in the Spirit’. 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. Sunday 17 November Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their Dependants. Friday 22 November to Sunday 24 November ‘Men of Faith for the 21st Century’ led by Father Chris Thomas. Minsteracres Reteat Centre, Consett, County Durham, DH8 9RT. Details: Tel: 01434 673248. Friday 22 November 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.

Friday 8 November 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.

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Growth in the Spirit’. 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.

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Receiving God’s Gift’. 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.

Saturday 23 November Viennese Classics Concert. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk

Saturday 9 November Carmina Burana. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk

Sunday 24 November Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, universal King. Titular Feast of the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Sunday 10 November Remembrance Day.

World of Atherton

Friday 15 November to Sunday 17 November ‘The Word of the Lord endures for ever’ a look at the letters of Peter. Scripture weekend led by Father Chris Thomas at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Liverpool, L22 1RD. Bookings and further details: Tel: 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk ‘The Path to Self Acceptance’ A residential weekend retreat that explores how we can heal the wound of our poor self esteem led by Philip McParland. St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1 PH. Details Tel: 07722 572753. Bookings Tel: 01704 879665.

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Picture: Sussie Ahlburg

profile

Kathryn Rudge

Opera sensation remembering her roots By Ann Todd SHE went in the space of 12 months from Royal Northern College of Music student to opera sensation but Liverpool-born Kathryn Rudge never forgets her roots. Bubbly Kathryn has been in non-stop demand since she graduated in 2011, laden with prizes after seven years’ study, thanks to a mezzo-soprano voice described by the chief music critic of The Times as having ‘tremendous reserves of power, impeccable intonation, the capacity of gloriously sustained legato and most interesting of all, a distinctive vocal quality’. It is not so very long ago that as a parishioner at St Ambrose, Speke, she was being encouraged by parish priest Father Ed Cain to sing at services. She began singing there at 13 and still does so when she goes home to visit her parents. ‘It’s so calm and peaceful to return to the parish after a busy time performing,’ she says. ‘It’s somewhere I feel very much at home.’ Kathryn, now 27, started learning the piano at eight and was inspired to be an opera singer at Liverpool College by teacher Polly Beck, a trained opera singer and mezzo-soprano herself. She remembers: ‘We had a great time

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exploring repertoire. She gradually introduced me to classical pieces and it was a real challenge learning Italian words and music. But it was a tremendous sense of achievement when it came to performing it. Nobody in school sang opera but everyone embraced it and supported me.’ She recalls a ‘fantastic time performing for audiences in lovely venues like the Palm House in Sefton Park’. Her big break, though, came later: straight after leaving the RNCM with an International Artist Diploma, Kathryn was chosen to play the teenage boy Cherubino in the English National Opera’s Marriage of Figaro. The Times named her its Rising Star of Classical Music for 2012, and she was presented to the Queen and Prince Philip at a reception for young people in performing arts at Buckingham Palace – ‘a day I will never forget,’ she says. Besides Opera, she has given recitals at Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, and the London and Cheltenham Festivals, and has appeared as a soloist with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also sung Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival

Hall. And since that memorable performance as Cherubino, there have been other trouser-wearing roles, including Cherubino again at Glyndebourne and Sesto in Giulio Cesare. ‘You have to imitate the way men walk, but also get inside their heads. Remember they are different people!’ She is currently rehearsing with Opera North in Leeds for a forthcoming production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, but also has time for a new project, Mersey Wave Music, which she formed this year with Jason Ellis, a musical director, as a non-profit community organisation in south Liverpool. Their aim is to create live music performance opportunities for the parish and local community, as Kathryn explains: ‘We are supporting two choirs based in Hale at present. It is a wonderful opportunity to give something back to my home town and encourage everyone to get involved in making music. My career as a singer takes me to venues all around the country but it has been particularly rewarding to see the response to our new initiative in my own parish.’

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youth ministry

A new year begins at Lowe House September marked the start of a new year for everyone here at Animate – and a new year means a new team. For 2013/14 we have welcomed young people from different parts of the country, as well as from abroad, to Lowe House to join our existing team members who have stayed on for another 12 months. Animate goes international with the addition of Anita-Marie McGlynn to the leadership team. Anita is from Ireland and has just finished her MA in theology. She has also spent the last few years working with a youth ministry team in her own diocese. The new additions to the volunteer team, meanwhile, hail from as far afield as the northeast and London – and from as nearby as our own parish. Sean Evans joins us from Wigan. He is a stalwart of Lourdes Coach 4 and is also our new resident musician. So far he has managed to avoid too much hassle from the St Helens-ers for his home town, but if Wigan win the Grand Final in the next few weeks there might be a little bit of celebrating in Lowe House!

Coming from further afield is Amy Sewell. Amy joins us from Wallsend near Newcastle. She brings considerable youth ministry experience to the team having spent last year working with our counterparts in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle – she also does a good Big Brother voiceover impression! Having made an addition from the far north it only seemed fair to balance things out with someone from the south, and so Beth Taylor joins us from Eltham in London. Beth has spent time working with Christian drama groups in her own home area and so will be able to give us all a few acting tips – and with a name like Elizabeth Taylor you would not expect anything less! Our final new addition managed to get here with all his bags without even needing a car as he comes from only down the road, living in Lowe House parish. Michael Burrows

continues the family tradition of joining Animate, and with his experience in musical theatre we have someone to lead the music and singing in schools – the only problem is when he practises the songs at the top of his voice in the shower! They join Dominic Cain who has stayed on for another year. Dominic spent last year with us on the volunteer team and decided he liked the place so much he wanted to do another 12 months. Still with us too are Sarah Beatty and Rebecca Wall who continue in their roles as team leaders. This year promises to be particularly busy for us all. We are already booked for quite a few school missions and, at the time of writing, are in the midst of day retreats here at Lowe House. To keep up to date with our activities over the course of the year, follow us on Facebook (Ani Mate) and Twitter (@animateyouth) or via our website (www.animateyouth.org). Please remember us all in your prayers over the next 12 months. Dates for the diary Saturday 5 October – Saturday Night Soul Food (for over-18s): Talk and discussion starts at 6pm; Mass at 7pm; Social at 8pm Sunday 6 October – Super Sunday, Youth Alive: Day retreat starts at 12 noon; Mass at 3pm; Social at 4pm. Lunch available. All welcome.

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justice & peace

Together for the Common Good Archbishop Helder Camara’s famous quotation – ‘When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint; but when I ask why there are so many poor people, they call me a communist’ – challenges us to look at the reasons behind poverty and the absence of the common good. In 1996, our bishops in England and Wales produced a document called ‘The Common Good’, timed to stimulate debate before a general election about what sort of society we wanted.

By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker The recent Together for the Common Good conference (T4CG) at Liverpool Hope University celebrated the achievements of the Anglican Bishop David Sheppard and Roman Catholic Archbishop Derek Worlock in working together for the good of the people of Liverpool in the 1980s. The conference paid tribute to their work, examined their legacy, and looked for ways to continue this great ecumenical endeavour. One of the participants was worried that the phrase ‘the common good’ would be unacceptable to some Christian denominations because it is so closely associated with Catholic social teaching (CST). Another suggested that while it sounded good, it did not mean anything. The phrase is definitely associated with CST. It is a gift from our Church to the world. CST springs from the Gospels where Jesus speaks of ‘good news to the poor’ (Luke 4:18). Concern for the poor has been a hallmark of the Church – see James 2:15-16: ‘If a brother, or a sister, lacks clothes or food, and one of

you says: ‘Go in peace’ but gives nothing, that is no use at all.’ Modern Catholic social teaching began in 1891 with Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical ‘Rerum novarum’, dealing with the scandal of workers’ treatment in the 19th century industrial system. It marked a readiness to re-engage with the worlds of politics and economics, and this continues today with Pope Francis showing by his actions and words that the Church is to be a Church of the poor, not just a Church for the poor. The second objection, that the phrase is just a soundbite, needs some exploration. The key ideas underpinning the notion of the common good are: (1) human dignity; (2) everyone must have access to the basic necessities for a dignified human life; and (3) each of us should be helped to become the best person we can be. The Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching says: ‘the common good indicates ‘the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfilment more fully and more easily’.’ (#164, quoting Gaudium et Spes). The relationship of religious faith and social action is as relevant as ever.

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Prior to the last election they published a short follow-up document, ‘Choosing the Common Good’, in which they said: ‘Because we are interdependent, the common good is more like a multiplication sum, where if any one number is zero then the total is always zero. If anyone is left out and deprived of what is essential then the common good has been betrayed.’ We can argue about what is ‘essential’ but that statement seems a clear call to work towards a society that guarantees housing and healthcare for all, regardless of their personal wealth or position.

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cathedral

Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean A considerable number of people at the Cathedral have been asking whether we will have a new Archbishop appointed by Christmas. A few have even said ‘for Christmas’

which makes me smile as it conjures up a picture of a new Bishop wrapped in Christmas paper turning up on Christmas Day. Until a successor is chosen to replace Archbishop Patrick we continue on as normal working and praying for the good of the whole Diocese with Bishop Tom presiding at many of the major celebrations. October begins and ends with two popular concerts. The Sixteen held their annual concert here last Friday, 4 October, and at the end of the month the City of London Sinfonia will be performing Verdi’s Requiem with the Cathedral Choirs on Saturday evening 24 October. The Annual ‘Pause for Hope’ service for all those who have been affected by cancer will take place at our Cathedral this year on 6 October at 3.00 pm. The following Sunday, 13 October, Bishop Williams will preside at the Solemn Mass which will be attended by the students and parents of St Edward’s College, that

Sunday is the Feast of Edward the Confessor. The image of Our Lady of Guadaloupe will be brought to the Cathedral on 18 October and after being received at the 5.15 pm Mass in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel will be placed in the St Columba Chapel for a week for people to visit, spend time in prayer and leave petitions. The Annual Healthcare lecture followed by Mass celebrated by Bishop Williams will be held in the Gibberd Room on Sunday 20 October at 2.00 pm and the Chapter Mass is on the following Tuesday at 12.15. Monsignor Peter Cookson, previous Cathedral Administrator, celebrates his golden Jubilee of priesthood this year. His anniversary is on 27 October and he will preside at the Solemn Mass that Sunday followed by a simple reception in the Pontifical Hall of the Crypt. Those who have worked with him or known him over the years will all be represented at this thanksgiving celebration.

Music at the Met by Christopher McElroy

This Autumn the Cathedral Choirs are involved in several high profile concerts which all are very welcome to attend. On Saturday 26 October we welcome the City of London Sinfonia (a professional orchestra from London) to give a concert in the Cathedral with the Cathedral Choirs. The main work to be performed is Gabriel Faure’s majestic setting of the Requiem. In the first half of the concert Cathedral Organist Richard Lea performs the Poulenc organ concerto with the orchestra. The concert also features and new work for choir and orchestra by Gabriel Jackson entitled ‘Countless and Wonderful are the ways to Praise God.’ The choristers have been working hard learning this and particularly enjoy the words ‘...in work, creation, dance crazed and lovely to taste with exultation the sublime union and to understand: every day is a holy day.’ Earlier on Saturday 26 October singers from across the region are gathering in the Cathedral to rehearse and perform Thomas Tallis’s monumental work ‘Spem in Alium.’ Much choral music is written in four parts, more complicated music might be eight parts. Spem in Alium is in forty parts. Forty vocal lines all singing together and weaving their way through a dense texture. As you might imagine, a performance of such a work is a big undertaking, and there would be few places in the world better to perform the work than here at the Metropolitan Cathedral where the circular space allows the singers to stand in a circle 360 degrees around the conductor in the centre. If you would like to come and hear this rare performance, come along to the Cathedral between 10am-12 midday to hear the assembled singers rehearsing and singing ‘Spem in Alium.’

Cathedral choirs and orchestra (Saturday 7 December) and family Christmas concert in the Metropolitan Cathedral entitled ‘A Dickensian Christmas’ (Saturday 14 December) which will feature popular carols for all to sing alongside seasonal favourites sung by the cathedral choirs and school choirs. You may have seen on the TV that one of our boy choristers Jack Topping has signed an international record deal with DECCA/ Universal and been appointed an ambassador for Save the Children: more about that next month. For further details on any of these events, please contact the music office: 0151 708 7283 / music@metcathedral.org.uk

Further concerts in December include a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the Anglican Cathedral sung by both

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Pic extras Mums the Word In the current issue of ‘Women’s Voice’, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) magazine, there is an article on prayer. No matter who we are, we all pray in times of sorrow, joy and need – for ourselves but also for friends and family and those less for tunate. Last October at the WUCWO meeting in Rome it was decided to implement a programme whereby all members would attend Mass on a par ticular day each month to pray for a special intention. This would be called ‘A chain of Masses’. We at the UCM have our own such scheme. Our daily Mass scheme has been in operation for over 50 years. On any day of the year other than Sundays and Holy days, somewhere in the countr y there will be members of the UCM attending Mass to pray ‘for all members, for all those who suffer for their faith, for a growth in faith, for an increase in vocations and for marriage and family life’. Dates are allocated to each foundation and, in Liverpool, each member of the committee and past diocesan president is given an extra date. Members need not attend Mass in their own Church, but at whichever Church is available. They do not need to attend in a group or arrange a special Mass, although this is special when it can be done – and none more special than on 8 December, feast of the Immaculate Conception, when we celebrate a Mass and communion day for all members. I remember how the prayers of the UCM got me through health and family problems some years ago and this only underlined to me that the power of prayer can never be understated. I look for ward to seeing you all at the business meeting on 8 October at 7.30pm in the Gibberd Room at the Cathedral. God Bless, Ann Hogg, media officer

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News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba

Knights of St Columba given major role at Cathedral for visit of Holy Icon The Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is coming to the Knights of St Columba Chapel at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. The Image will be received on Friday 18th October at 5.15pm with a Service/Mass of reception. The KSC Chapel will be open from Saturday 19th October to Friday 25th October 10am to 4pm daily. During the visit there will be time for private prayer and petition slips will be available. These are sent to the Shrine in Mexico every month by the Diocesan Shrine Staff based in Bedford. The Image will be returned to the Diocesan Shrine in Bedford on Friday 25th October at 2pm with a Service of Return. In 1531 in a village near Mexico City a “ Lady from Heaven” appeared to a humble local man call Juan Diego. She identified herself as the Virgin Mary. She requested that a church be built on the site and asked Juan to present her wish to the Bishop. The Bishop hesitated and asked for a sign resulting in Our Lady sending Juan to a local hilltop where he found Castilian Roses growing even though it was winter and flowers never grew there and these roses were not native to the area. He gathered them and Our Lady herself arranged them in a tilma or peasant cloak. When Juan presented the roses to the Bishop the Image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously appeared imprinted on the cloak. Although the

cloth was of poor quality and not expected to last longer than 30 years it is as strong as ever after nearly 500 years. A fuller history and explanation of the devotion is contained in leaflets available in the Cathedral entrance. The KSC members will be on duty throughout the visit providing security and stewarding. It is also hoped to have devotions in local parish churches to coincide with the visit and details will be appearing in parish newsletters.

Websites: www.ksc.org.uk or www.ksc.org.uk/province2/ Email: DPOKeane@aol.com

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PIC Life Gratitude and our evolving relationship with food By Moira Billinge ‘Bless us, Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive, through Christ Our Lord, Amen.’ How many children have tried to push away the now-cold mountain of unwanted vegetables and a half-eaten fish finger and have discovered that a watchful parent has other ideas? ‘Just think of all those poor starving children! They would be so grateful for what you are wasting!’ How many have grumbled in response, ‘Well they can have it!’, knowing full well that their sorry scraps had no hope of filling the belly of a hungry child. Whether or not we succumbed to this powerful form of manipulation, we became aware, very early on in our lives, that somewhere in the world, youngsters were dying of hunger. This fact was reinforced in our schools and churches during the annual Holy Childhood (now Mission Together) collections. In the first couple of decades after the war, when people clearly remembered food rationing, theirs was a healthy relationship with food; it was their friend and they ate to live. In recent years, however, we have the extraordinary situation where, for countless numbers of people, food has actually become an enemy and they are its victims. Such individuals are either eating too much and have become obese, or they are starving themselves through anorexia and/or bulimia. These eating disorders can have extremely serious and, in some cases, catastrophic health consequences.

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Various psychological theories are cited as triggering the onset of an eating disorder but the human propensity for ‘habit’ means that it becomes a dependency which very soon engulfs the sufferer in its stranglehold. In these tragic circumstances, it is the changed dynamics of a relationship with food that controls the casualty, rather than the other way around.

Our Prayer for October Dear God Please send your help and love to all the people who are living in troubled countries at this time. Guide the people who are causing the problems and help them to see the error of their ways. Send your peace and love to all the world. 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.

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Understandably, such disorders are not present in famine situations where, sometimes, a couple of daily spoonfuls of food can make the difference between life and death, with no guarantee that they will receive any more. In the last year we have seen the formation of food banks, even in the supposedly more affluent areas of the country. It is an unexpected and increasingly necessary development here in Britain as needs escalate in our days of economic hardship. Food manufacturers, supermarkets and restaurants are examining what it is that they are discarding and are being encouraged to donate it, instead, to the food banks. More households are thinking twice before binning food which has just passed its sell-by-date. Supermarket trolleys no longer cascade with the same quantities of soon-to-be-scrapped foodstuffs. Perhaps, now that we are ever more aware of the not-so-bottomless larder and the environment, we will once again learn to appreciate, protect and share all that God has given to us and, with one voice, cry: ‘We give you thanks, Lord, for these, Thy gifts.’

Take in the autumn colours with a visit to a Welsh fortress set in beautiful woodland, writes Lucy Oliver. Chirk Castle in Wrexham is the last Welsh estate from King Edward I’s reign still lived in today. The medieval tower and dungeon, begun in 1295, are impressive to behold on the approach and played an interesting role in the English Civil War, switching from the parliamentarian to the royalist side under the ownership of Thomas Myddleton, later a baronet. Inside, the castle’s vast interior pays homage to changing tastes across 400 years, from a rare collection of 17th century firearms to the impressive 18th century state apartments. Costumed guides help bring alive the castle’s history: from visiting a medieval toilet and taking part in a pike drill to meeting ‘Will the Archer’ and exploring the dungeons. Other highlights include the art collection in the Long Gallery and the toy theatre, where theatrical types can take part in a pantomime rehearsal. Outside there are shrub and rock gardens and a terrace overlooking the Cheshire and Salop plains. Finally, don’t go home without a visit to the tearoom and farm shop. For more information, call 01691 777701 or go to http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chirk-castle/.

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join in Children’s word search

Eating Out

The Feast of Saint Edward is to be celebrated on October 13th. Try to find our clues to his life in the word search.

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Old George, a parishioner of many years, was busy in his garden, when the young curate stopped for a chat. ‘Your garden is a credit to you, George. You’ve so many different kinds of flowers, it looks beautiful.’ ‘Aye, it’s not so bad,’ said George. ‘Not so bad?’ the YC replied. ‘It’s a lot more than not so bad. It’s such an amazing garden I may use it in one of my sermons.’ ‘What would my garden be doing in one of your sermons?’ asked George. ‘Well, I think your garden is the perfect example of what a garden can look like when God and man work together,’ said the YC. ‘Is that right?’ said George. ‘You should have seen the state it was in when he had it to himself.’

Audio copy of the Pic out now e

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).

Victoria Sponge 175g butter, softened 175g (3/4 cup) caster sugar 175g (1 1/2 cup) self-raising flour, sifted 1 tsp baking powder 3 eggs Put all into a bowl and whisk briefly with an electric mixer until well combined Divide the batter equally into two 8" round sandwich pans (lined with greaseproof paper to ease removal). Bake at 160C/ 320 F fanassisted (or 180C/ 350 F without) for about 20 mins or until golden yellow and springy to touch. Allow to cool in tin for about 10 mins, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Catholic Pictorial

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