Catholic Pictorial by Educate Magazine

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20p from each sale goes to your parish Issue 92 MAY 2012

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ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL

CHRIST CHRIST THE LIGHT LIGHT OF THE THE WORLD WORLD

Father Jimmy 1918-2012

ldeenn G Goold ry rsaary iveers aannnniv icee Jossppic fo forr Jo

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NUGENT CARE MERSEYSIDE Shaping an organisation or changing lives? Why not do both.

Sandymount House of Prayer

Healing Mass

Nugent Care exists to provide quality services to ensure people’s rights are upheld and their needs are met. We are currently recruiting for a: TRUSTEE Ref: 097/CEN The role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the effective governance of Nugent Care by helping us to achieve our mission. We are a diverse agency which is reflected in our Board of Trustees and on this occasion, we are seeking a qualified accountant. The successful candidate will be a person who can demonstrate experience in business leadership, ideally gained in a commercial background. All applicants should be committed to the concepts of Social Inclusion and Equality and Diversity.

There is a healing Mass every 2nd Tuesday of the month at Sandymount House of Prayer 16 Burbo Bank Road Crosby 7.30pm to 9.00pm Tuesday 10th April • Tuesday 8th May Tuesday 5th June • Tuesday 10th July Tuesday 11th September • Tuesday 9th October Tuesday 13th November • Tuesday 11th December All are most welcome

Commitment We recognise the value of Trustees to our organisation and therefore the commitment is 4 meetings per year plus telephone conferences. Other involvement is by mutual agreement. Trustees are unpaid. Expenses are however reimbursed for meetings and other appropriate activities. To arrange an informal discussion regarding this opportunity please telephone Kathleen Pitt on 0151 261 2000. To request an application pack please telephone our 24 hour recruitment line on 0151 261 2040, e-mail personnel@nugentcare.org or visit www.nugentcare.org to download details. Closing date for completed applications: Friday 18th May Nugent Care is committed to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, young people and children An Equal Opportunities Employer

Sandymount House of Prayer The Cry of the Deer Meditations on St. Patrick’s ‘Lorica’ (or Breastplate) Led by Fr John Seddon 7th July Starts 10am – concludes with Mass at 4pm

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contents Welcome In this issue we pay tribute to Canon James Collins, ‘Father Jimmy’ who died on Thursday 19 April at the age of 94. He was known locally, nationally and internationally during a lifetime which spanned most of the twentieth century. A prolific author and writer he was a columnist with the ‘Catholic Pictorial’ for many years his words bringing comfort and healing to many readers. As Parish Priest of St Joseph the Worker in Kirkby for thirty years his ministry is legendary: walking alongside those so often in need, defending them and always standing up for their rights. A long retirement offered him new opportunities as he helped to found the Northern Catholic Conference, now firmly established thanks to his efforts as part of the team. His Healing Ministry continued with services and Masses across the archdiocese and beyond. Just five weeks before his death he rang me to talk about both, his enthusiasm for the Conference and for the Healing Mass as bright and strong as ever. There was the personal, private ministry too: the conversations, the listening and the praying as people, friends and strangers alike, sought his help and support.

Contents

Father Jimmy: Thank You.

From the Archbishop’s desk It was Christmas Eve about twenty years ago. I was visiting Saint Anne’s Hospice, Little Hulton, Manchester as I did every Christmas Eve and where I always allowed myself my fist mince pie. The medicine trolley was on its way round. I noted in a rack a fine selection of the best beverages I could name. I drew them to the attention of the Hospice Doctor who explained: ‘Some of the medicines do not taste very nice and a little drop of something can help them go down, and sometimes it’s a little drop of something that does most good.’ I guessed, because of my long involvement in Saint Francis House Hospice for children, what would be said in reply to my question: ‘Can you mix such beverages and medication?’ I was firmly and properly told: ‘This is not a place to prolong life at any cost: it is to enable people to live their life to the full to the end and to die their death.’ Jospice is such a yes to life among us. I find I need to invent a word to describe the understanding of death in whose light we live: our longing is that none shall be ‘deaded,’ but that they shall die their own death. And that is the meaning of the sacrament of the dying: Viaticum: the food so that our final journey shall be one we freely accept, embrace, and through and with and in Our Lord accomplish. We shall even share in his claim: ‘No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.’

Main Feature Golden anniversary for Jospice God’s loving touch

News From around the Archdiocese

14 Spotlight Invocation 2012: time for discernment 15 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese 18 Profile Amy Armstrong Out of Africa 18 Animate Youth Ministry Reflections on a memorable Easter 20 Justice and Peace Looking for the meaning of Justice and peace 25 Cathedral Record Metropolitan Cathedral Girls’ Choir 26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC

Editor Peter Heneghan Editorial Catholic Pictorial Magazine Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool L17 1AA Tel: 0151 522 1007 Email: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk Pictures Main feature and Profile - Tom Murphy Advertising Andrew Rogers 0151 709 7567 Publisher 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS

Copy deadline June issue 11 May 2012 CPMM Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced copied or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publishers written permission. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Catholic Pictorial Ltd. can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by advertisers.

28 Pic Life Why the truth comes in shades of grey 29 Join In Family Fun More Mullarkey

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Golden anniversary for Jospice Fifty years of hospice care with God’s ‘loving touch’ By Ann Todd ifty years ago, the Crosby-born Father Francis O’Leary was working in the Rawalpindi diocese in Pakistan when he found an old lady dying alone. It proved a history-making experience, bringing into being a Catholic hospice network that has spread throughout the world.

The dying woman, Mrs Jacob, was taken to a little mud hut and cared for by a group of people who later formed themselves into an organisation known as St Joseph’s Hospice Association. She had a remarkable death and kissed the crucifix for a long time before dying, inspiring her willing helpers to collect funds for the thousands of other people similarly abandoned to die. The little mud hut was just the beginning, as today Jospice International , which cares for the terminally ill and chronically sick, celebrates its 50th anniversar y with the knowledge that its work is now going on across the world, in Pakistan, India, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Brazil, and here in England. Jospice International, with Fr O’Lear y ser ving for many years as its director, has extended a helping hand to so many people weighed down by suffering of one kind or another, including the poor, incurably sick and those to whom hospital treatment was not available.

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Fr O’Lear y, a Mill Hill missionar y priest, who entered the junior seminar y at Freshfield at 11, had great faith in St Joseph and would always tell people: “Pray to St Joseph. Leave it to him to sor t out the problem.” An energetic, charismatic priest who often worked an 18-hour day, he was on a visit home to England in 1972 when he realised there was a need for hospices here too. So he set about establishing one, scraping together the money to buy a house at Thornton near his Crosby bir thplace. This became the headquar ters for Jospice and since opening on 19 March 1974 – the Feast of St Joseph – thousands of people from Merseyside and the surrounding region have been cared for in that special, loving way that Fr O’Lear y always wanted: “to die with dignity”. He was convinced of the impor tance of the people in his hospices being able to enjoy the beauty of nature. Those able to were encouraged to take par t in music-making and dance. He also staged a live crib on the lawn at Christmas, which included animals – he was even known to scour the countr yside looking for lambs! Fr O’Lear y, who died at his own hospice in 2000, left behind an amazing legacy and a determination by Jospice suppor ters to carr y on his work. The charity sur vived on the breadline for many years but somehow managed to keep going, as director of fundraising Pat Murphy explained.

“When shor tly after Father’s death I was told by three different consultants that Jospice would not sur vive, I thought, ‘Well, let’s go down with the sinking ship’. Maybe I have some of that faith Fr O’Lear y had, but we are still here and thriving today.” Jospice has been par t of Pat’s life since she became a volunteer after hearing Fr O’Lear y give a talk at her school. “There were collection boxes all over the house. The family helped me count the money. I got a job in banking but carried on as a volunteer until I came to work for Jospice 18 years ago. It was Fr O’Lear y who inspired me – a remarkable man.” Fundraising is vital for Jospice, which is only par tially funded by the NHS. More than £2.5m a year is needed to ensure its work at home and abroad can continue. The Golden Jubilee Appeal Fund launched in 2010 raised £1m that went towards developing an underused conference centre in Thornton to provide four extra beds, impor tant when up to 50 patients a year are cared for. Pat Murphy added: “We depend on voluntar y donations to sur vive. It’s sad that end-of-life care has to be paid for by local volunteers collecting money outside supermarkets, but that is the reality. The alternative to this care would be spending the last few days in an inappropriately busy hospital ward.” Loyal suppor ters include wonder ful people like Frances Franks, a Catholic, and her Jewish husband Don, who between them have raised £270,000 in 10 years.

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feature ‘Pray to St Joseph. Leave it to him to sort out the problem’

Don, who founded a successful greeting card business, often jokes: “Who’d have thought a Jew like me would raise money for Catholics!” Pat said: “His generosity is unbelievable. His belief is that he has done well in life and he wants to share the joy of that with others. “People usually hear about hospice care for the first time when someone in the family is terminally ill, as they never think it will hit them,” she continued. “Then they discover what a wonder ful, peaceful and joyful place it is. I remember one new patient saying after just one hour, ‘I know you are going to really look after me here’. We also have patients who don’t have any family at all, and Jospice becomes their family for the final days of their life.” The work of Jospice overseas includes five clinics in Peru, including one on a river boat, and two more in Honduras. Jospice also suppor ts an

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feature

orphanage for 80 children in Guatemala City. Pat returned recently from a visit to Jospice shanty town clinics in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. “You realise we have so much and these people have absolutely nothing. Kids at a Jospice centre, where they are looked after while their parents are at work, were drinking vitamin drinks from a tin cup. That was probably the only food they had eaten all day. Their parents work for a minimum wage of £180 a month, but the price of food is not much cheaper than here.”

‘You realise we have so much and these people have absolutely nothing’ 6

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Jospice has come a long way from its humble beginnings. That first patient, Mrs Jacobs, had been abandoned by her family after suffering multiple strokes. Fr O’Lear y arranged for her to be taken to an outhouse – the mud hut – in a church compound, where she was looked after by nursing nuns until her death. The date she arrived was 19 November 1962. It was the feast of St Elizabeth, Patroness of Nurses.

On that date Jospice was founded. Fr O’Lear y’s cousin, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, is now president of Jospice International. He said: “I am delighted to congratulate Jospice on its Golden Jubilee. The histor y and the heritage of Jospice is so rich. It is right to celebrate it. I remember well Father Francis O’Lear y’s depar ture as a missionar y priest for Pakistan and hearing about his caring for the dying lady to whom he gave shelter and comfor t. “The inspiration of Jospice must always be centred on the love of Christ for all people, a love which we tr y to reflect in so many ways. May Jospice prosper in all the years to come.” Lord Alton, vice president, added his own tribute: “Father O’Lear y’s lasting achievement in establishing Jospice is the deep appreciation felt by the countless families who have experienced the loving touch of this wonder ful hospice.”

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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

Catenians Public Speaking Catenian Province 4 held their annual Public Speaking Competition in the lecture theatre of Liverpool Hope

University. Nine colleges were represented and the eventual winner was Natasha Ward from Chester

Catholic High School whose chosen topic was ‘Phone hacking: an invasion of privacy?’ Liverpool Hope University, sponsors of the competition for four years were unable to sponsor this year's competition and thanks to the generosity of Brothers Paul McCar thy and Charles Boulton of Liverpool 164 Circle, their firm EAD Solicitors, agreed to become main sponsors. St. Helens Circle agreed to sponsor the college prize of £250 and Gavin Baldr y of Eccleston Electrical Ser vices donated £100 towards the printing of the programme. The adjudicators for the evening were Brother Paul McCar thy, Brother Director Peter Rogers, Dr Janet Nevin, Principal, Ashton under Lyne 6th form College and Dr Bridget Maher, Clinical Director of Acute Medicine, University Hospital Aintree. There was an audience of 185 enthralled by the erudition, presentation and confidence of the young people. Brother Paul Mainon the National Public Speaking coordinator for the Association also attended.

Left: John Murray the Head of Chester Catholic High School who received the winning College cheque of £250, the winner Natasha Ward and Brother Provincial President Steve Cooper.

Liturgy thrives at St Philomena’s Liturgy is thriving in the parish of St Philomena, Liverpool, with a group of over thirty altar servers and even a waiting list for new members. ‘They’ve become something of a youth group, and take part in social activities and fundraising,’ said parish priest, Father Kevin McLoughlin. ‘But it’s Sister Kathleen Buckley and some of the mums who are the ones most responsible for the success of the altar servers. Visitors always comment on how good they are and how well they do their job. We’re all very proud of them and the wonderful example they set.’ As a result of the growth of the group in the parish, Holy Name, Fazakerley has seen more than a trebling in the number of their altar servers from four to thirteen. ‘We’re hoping that we can develop a Youth team between the two churches,’ said Father Kevin.

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news diary SFX Flowers for the Titanic

St. Francis Xavier church was the setting for a special flower festival to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. The commemoration included a short concert by the West Everton Mini-Strings Octet, as well as talks from David Knight, Archivist of Stonyhurst College on ‘The Reasons the Disaster Happened’: whilst another talk by Marshall Morris of the British and Irish Titanic Societies addressed the ‘Short Life of the Titanic’. The festival also included twelve pictures taken by Father Francis Browne, who travelled with the ship for a short time. Father Browne’s uncle had bought him a ticket for the maiden voyage. However, Father Francis’s own Jesuit Superior ordered him to leave the ship once it reached County Cork. The photos are widely regarded as the last known photographic record of the doomed vessel.

Nugent’s Egg Hunt The children of Nazareth House took part an Easter Egg Hunt, as Nugent Care held an Open Day to promote the good work of the Crosby Unit. Parents, carers and local dignitaries were joined by some of the remarkable people who regularly go to extraordinary lengths to raise funds for Nugent and Nazareth House. ‘It’s great that we have such people, who’re prepared to go that extra mile for us,’ said Nugent Fundraising Officer, Kevin Byrne. On the day Nugent were presented with cheques totalling over £11,000. ‘We thought it was a good occasion to say thank you to all those people,’ added Kevin. Nazareth House is a short stay respite for children with physical and learning difficulties aged 6 to17 years-old. The House is owned by

the Sisters of Nazareth, although managed by Nugent Care, and has been caring for children for over 100 years.

St Patrick’s celebration

Archbishop Patrick Kelly celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving to mark the Centenary of the parish of St Patrick’s, Southport. The celebration coincided with the Feast Day of the parish’s patron Saint. The parish was initially founded by a small Irish community who had settled in the area in the years before the Potato Famine, but it was not until 1912 that the first church building was opened, on land purchased from the Scarisbrick family for the sum of £1,500. ‘At Easter-time our joy in the risen Christ is rooted in the ancient declaration: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever,”’ said parish priest, Father Tom Leigh. ‘The people and priests of St Patrick’s Parish, past and present are proud to let this speak for them, as we celebrate 100 years of being an Easter People whose song continues to be...alleluia.’

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Obituary

Death of Father Jimmy Canon James Collins, ‘Father Jimmy’, died on the afternoon of Thursday 19 April at the age of 94 and just three months short of the 70th anniversary of his priestly ordination. A much loved Parish Priest, writer and bringer of healing to many from throughout the world, Father Jimmy was small in stature but mighty in ministry. James Daniel Collins was born in Blundellsands on 27 January 1918, the son of John and Anne Collins. He was educated at St Thomas’ Elementary School, Waterloo, before studying for the priesthood at St Joseph’s College, Upholland. He was ordained to the priesthood on 26 July 1942 at St Edmund’s, Waterloo. He had three appointments as curate: St Oswald, Ashton-in-Makerfield from 1942 to 1944; St Joseph, Birkdale from 1944 to 1959 and St Mary, Woolton from 1959 to 1966. In April 1966 he was appointed parish priest, in succession to

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Father John Henry Smith, of the then recently-established parish of St Joseph the Worker, Kirkby. This was to be his only appointment as parish priest, though he was also Administrator of St Laurence, Kirkby, between March 1981 and September 1985. He retired, after thirty years as parish priest, in April 1996. It was whilst in Kirkby that he became a champion for the poor and disenfranchised when he found people struggling with difficult conditions including poor transport and a lack of shops and community resources he became a community activist, setting up a credit union and an unemployment resource centre. His service to the Archdiocese and the wider community was recognised formally on at least two occasions. On 1 September 1989 he was appointed an Honorary Canon of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter, and earlier this year he received an Honorary Doctorate of

Divinity from Liverpool Hope University in recognition of that lifelong work with the poor, and also his significant role in the establishment of the Northern Catholic Conference, which is based at Hope University. He wrote of the Conference: ‘at this conference there is no unhappiness, only that sense of joy, relaxed and beautiful and only this by the Holy Spirit, it is available, it flows from the people themselves. What is spoken about and discussed gives a meaning to life, a meaning to life touched by the light of the Spirit, a life of joy, abandonment. It is happy at what it has, a desire to Love, Love, Love not just oneself but the neighbour who is next door, and the whole of society and the community of which people live. God bless the Northern Catholic Conference it is a very special gift of God to this part of the world, please pray that it will be able to change the atmosphere for many people’.

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news diary New York novices fly in for Easter

Father Jimmy helped countless people through his ministry, whether as parish priest, spiritual director of the Cursillo Movement in the Archdiocese, and his involvement with the Healing Masses. He also shared his spiritual insights with a wider audience through a number of books in the ‘Reflections’ series begun in 1999. Following his retirement he made a pilgrimage on foot to Walsingham and his reflections on that experience bore fruit in the book ‘Soft Blows the Wind’. He was a regular pilgrim to Lough Derg in Ireland where he entered fully into the penitential spirit of the retreat writing: ‘I knelt at the ancient stone pillar that stands by the stone Basilica. It was the start of my third Station, the last of the day. I move to St. Bridget’s Cross cut into the Basilica. Three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys, kneeling and then standing. There is a cold rain now, sweeping in from the Atlantic. ‘The Mass at 6.30 is a foretaste of the Heaven which awaits those who are faithful to the lessons of Lough Derg. The music steals into hearts, the coming of Jesus breathes peace and joy into many who are feeling that they have made a descent into

darkness, but it is a darkness of peace. The Holy Spirit hovers over the bowed heads. The world has drifted away. A new vision is emerging.’ His Funeral Mass was scheduled to be celebrated in the Metropolitan Cathedral on Tuesday 1 May, the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. Following a meeting at the Quaker Meeting House in Liverpool Father Jimmy once wrote: ‘I walked uphill to the Cathedral, my head full of unanswered questions. I climbed the steps leading up and faced the great doorway and went into the vast space coloured with the red, blues and greens of the afternoon sun. I went to the Lady Chapel. I find a mysterious peace and joy there as though it had been actually visited by the Blessed Virgin and she had left an imprint of her presence. I could still see the young eager faces of the group. They had listened so intently. They were searching for something; something which eluded them. I was aware of the kindness I had always received from the Quakers in the past. They had helped me in the poverty of Kirkby in its darkest days. And, Mother, you are Mother of all of us! I stayed a long time. Peace demands as much.’

The Blessed Sacrament Shrine in Liverpool city centre received a flying visit at Easter – from a trio of trainee priests from New York. The three novices are studying together at the Blessed Sacrament’s parish in Manhattan, Saint Jean Baptiste, yet their back stories could not be more different. Darren Maslan was 10 years an Anglican priest. James Cadman was brought up a Methodist. The only Catholic by birth of the three is Cardinal Heenan old boy Christopher Riley, a care assistant in Liverpool before deciding to follow his vocation. Brother Christopher admits he “stumbled upon” the Blessed Sacrament congregation one day in 2009 when he wanted to go to Mass but “couldn’t be bothered to go up to the Cathedral”. So he entered the Blessed Sacrament Shrine and “found something special there”. For Brother Darren, the feeling of “a weight pressing down on my shoulders” led him to the Catholic Church. Already inspired in his earlier theology studies by the teachings of Jesuit priest Bernard Lonergan, he became a Catholic in 2009, responding to the voice that told him “to make sense of faith and then live it in an entirely different place, a different Church.” For Brother James, the Blessed Sacrament Fathers with their inner-city parishes appealed for their “sense of mission to the wider community and strong sense of loyalty to the teachings of the Church”. He is relishing the Manhattan experience. “New York is a very Catholic city. On Ash Wednesday, we were distributing ashes from seven in the morning till eight at night.” The three novices, who met Archbishop Patrick Kelly and Bishop Tom Williams during their stay, are the first in a decade for the Blessed Sacrament’s British and Irish province and have left Father Gary Walsh, the Superior at the Shrine on Dawson Street, hopeful of “a turnaround in vocations” to the order. “It’s lifted the spirits of the province,” he said.

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news diary

Welcome me as I am A landmark conference on the challenges and achievements of Catholic Mental Health Chaplaincy was held at St Francis Xavier church, Liverpool. The conference was organised as part of the ‘Welcome Me as I Am’ project by the Catholic Bishops Conference Mental Health Project; in partnership with the Spiritual and Pastoral Care Department of Mersey Care NHS Trust. The keynote speaker was Father Daniel O’Leary, and Bishop Tom Williams, Chair of the Bishops Conference Health Care Reference Group, and Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Bishops Conference Mental Health Project, also addressed the conference. ‘We’re reminded of the importance of our distinctive contribution in the collaborative ministry of Chaplaincy in Mental Health Services, together with the need to ensure that our parishes are places of welcome and inclusion for all those touched by mental health problems’ said Ben Bano, Project Manager of the Welcome Me as I Am Project.

Healing Mass The annual Healing Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Patrick Kelly at 7.30 pm on Friday 18 May in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. All are welcome to attend the Mass and priests are invited to assist with Confessions afterwards.

Catholic Pictorial

Mass of Chrism Archbishop Patrick Kelly was the Celebrant at the annual Mass of Chrism in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King on the eve of Holy Thursday. He was assisted by Bishop Tom Williams and Bishop Vincent Malone together with over 100 priests concelebrating and a full congregation from across the archdiocese. At the Mass the Oils used in anointing during the coming year were blessed and the Oil of Chrism consecrated. The Oil of the Sick was carried forward by Eunice Austin from the parish of St John Almond, accompanied by her daughter, son-inlaw and grandchildren. The Oil of Catechumens by Robert and Susan New with baby Joseph and daughter Catherine. They are from St Joseph’s, Blundellsands and are preparing for the baptism of Joseph. The Oil of Chrism was brought forward by Peter Woods, Chairman of the Cathedral Friends Committee with Doctor Elena Vivori and Frances Culligan of the Friends of the Cathedral. The Offertory gifts were carried forward by young people from Animate Youth Ministries. Prior to the Procession of the Oils the priests present renewed their commitment to priestly service.

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spotlight

‘Invocation 2012’ Third National Discernment Festival for Young People The Invocation Festival is a unique event in the life of the Catholic Church in Europe. For people not familiar with the festival, it is aimed at young men and women aged 16 to 35, who are looking to deepen their relationship with Christ and who are searching for the knowledge and tools to develop their own personal formation, discernment and understanding of God's will for their lives. In particular it invites young people to ask themselves the question ‘Am I called to priesthood or religious life’? The weekend is for ordinary young Catholics including those who have possibly never asked themselves this question and yet engage with the Church, perhaps through events such as World Youth Day, Cymfed and Diocesan Youth events or pilgrimages to places like Lourdes, where the service of young people is so much in evidence. The Invocation Festival provides fellowship, catechesis, confession and adoration with time for prayer, quiet reflection, and discernment through keynote speakers, interactive workshops, life changing services and, above all, space to encounter the Lord. In a relaxed setting, the participants often inspire each other and meet with priests and religious who provide a joyful witness to their lives and vocation. This year’s workshops include: Prayer Life: what is prayer and how do we pray? How does prayer help to nurture our vocation and help us to discern who we are called to be? How can we develop an intimacy with God? What is the priesthood? Is there a need? A sacrament and its origins. How does one become a priest and am I the right person? What are the signs and suggestions of a calling? There will also be workshops on Benedictine Spirituality, Carmelite Spirituality, Dominican Spirituality, Franciscan Spirituality and Ignatian Spirituality.

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Now in its third year, plans are well under way for ‘Invocation 2012’ which will be held in the grounds of St. Mary’s College, Oscott, in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, from Friday 6 July to Sunday 8 July. For more information about the festival please visit http://www.invocation.org.uk and contact Father Stephen Maloney, Diocesan Vocations Director, to discuss the logistics for getting young people to this great and unique event.

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sunday reflections On a liturgical note Over the weeks of Eastertide, many of the Scripture readings at Mass are taken from the Acts of the Apostles. In this book we see how the message of the Lord’s Resurrection and His gift of the Holy Spirit transform and change seemingly ordinary situations into opportunities to see and experience the presence and power of God. As the small group of disciples grows both in number and in confidence, we see an emerging unity and common purpose in what they are doing – even if they sometimes use different words, employ different methods, and preach their message to different groups. The feast of Saint Matthias (Monday 14 May) is a good example of this. There is a vacancy in the ranks of the 12; a job has to be done, but who is to do it? Of the two men most evidently qualified and suited for the role, Matthias is selected by what we may think a rather arbitrary method – they pull his name out of a hat. However, we can easily overlook the fact that there is an

Sunday thoughts Dr Jane Williams visited Liverpool Hope University in November. A theologian of repute she delivered the annual Archbishop Stuart Blanche lecture. She is also the wife of Archbishop Rowan Williams. Jane Williams wrote in the Church Times last year: ‘There is a fairly widespread assumption in the prevailing culture of Britain that people of faith rely on dogma and bigotry, and that no one with a brain can believe in God.’ Secular Britain assumes that religious belief is something normal people grow out of – along with Father Christmas and the tooth fairy. Religion is for the naive, at odds with intellectual inquiry. Most long-established universities in the UK were church foundations. Yet today the majority of these distance themselves from their roots as if too close an identification with Christianity diminishes their academic credibility. Liverpool Hope is an explicitly faithbased foundation. This does not make it an uncritical haven for

Canon Philip Gillespie

essential element in any decision-making or taking, namely prayer. The story of the Acts is a story of a group coming to terms with the difficulties, joys, problems and decisions which have to be taken in a Christ-like spirit, always aware that their one vocation is ‘to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last’ (Jn 15:16). Their discussions and decisions are always moulded and fashioned by prayer and by a desire for the good not of themselves as individuals but of the whole community and also of those to whom the Word has to be preached. For our own lives, as well as those of the parishes and communities in which we share, these readings both inspire and challenge. We are asked to have a breadth of vision to see ourselves not as isolated individuals but as members of the one body – living in a way faithful to the example and command of Christ.

Mgr John Devine OBE

those whose faith needs protecting. Nor does it simply translate into pastoral care and provision of worship, essential as these are. Hope’s Christian faith informs the entire academic enterprise. Liverpool Hope is single-minded in its pursuit of academic excellence. While the Church-based university is a concept requiring constant justification in the UK, many of the most prestigious universities in other countries share Hope’s vision. Liverpool Hope finds itself a member of an international network of institutions that wish to work in partnership with it. It is no coincidence that Hope’s academic staff have been recruited from 35 nations. Hope’s founding colleges were established in the 19th century to bring higher education to those traditionally excluded. Fidelity to the vision of its Christian founders drives the university to settle only for the best.

Desire the Spirit Saint Kevin lived at Glendalough in Ireland. A young man went to see him and Kevin asked him: “What do you seek?” The man replied: “Baptism in the spirit.” Kevin looked at him surprised and said: “You mean to tell me you desire the spirit more than money, power, pleasure or reputation?” “Yes,” said the young man emphatically. With that Kevin invited him to step into the lake nearby. He plunged his head under the water until the last bubble of air came from his lips. Then, yanking him up by the hair, he said: “What is it you desire?” “Oh for a breath of fresh air,” said the youth. “When you want the spirit with the same intensity,” replied Kevin, “you will surely experience his coming into your heart.” Whether we know it or not, our deepest need is for the spirit of God, the very life of God poured out for us so that we have the strength to live lives that are vibrant and full, to live as a person of hope, a person of justice, a person of love, compassion and forgiveness, a person filled with awe and wonder who delights in every moment given. When we allow God to release the spirit within us, we begin to become aware that He is everywhere and life is about entering into the most incredible encounter with the divine. It is then that we can no longer treat the world as though it were an accident or people as though they do not matter. Everything bears God’s image and to see it and know it is to live in what the Franciscan priest Richard Rohr calls an enchanted universe. The most incredible gift God can give us is Godself and it is there for the asking. God will never withhold Godself from us because God wants intimacy with us, to share real life with us. In his Gospel, Luke says ‘ask for the spirit and the spirit will be given… knock and the door to life will be opened to you’. Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher to the Papal household, says that to be full of the spirit is to be full of love. Love is the only reality that helps us discover meaning and purpose and which awakens within us understanding, compassion, forgiveness. St Paul tells us that love is the only reality that lasts eternally. When the spirit comes, love is always the first gift we receive. The power of love is awakened within us. So maybe the question to ask as we approach Pentecost is whether or not we want to be filled with love, with the demands that love makes. Fr Chris Thomas

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what’s on Tuesday 1 May Gospel Lectio An opportunity to read and reflect on the Gospel passage chosen for the liturgy on the following Sunday. 7.00 pm at the Prayer Centre at St Joseph’s, Freshfield Formby, L37 1PH. Details Tel: 01704 879665 Wednesday 2 May UCM bi-monthly Mass 8.00 pm at St Anne, Ormskirk, L39 4TG. Friday 4 May to Monday 7 May Three day Cursillo At Loyola Hall, Rainhill, Prescot, L35 6NZ. Details from Ann Tel:07773 674059 Sunday 6 May ‘Discovering God’s plan for you.’ The Archdiocesan Vocations Team’s monthly discernment meeting. 5.00 pm at St Mary’s Lowe House, St Helens, WA10 2BE, followed by the Youth Alive Mass. This meeting is aimed at young men aged between 1318 with opportunities to pray, socialise and learn more about the vocation of the priesthood. Details: Father James Preston Tel: 01942 673753. Animate Youth Ministries 'Youth Alive' Mass. 6.30 pm at St Mary’s Lowe House, St Helens, WA10 2BE. Monday 7 May Organ Recital 3.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tuesday 8 May Gospel Lectio An opportunity to read and reflect on the Gospel passage chosen for the liturgy on the following Sunday. 7.00 pm at the Prayer Centre at St Joseph’s, Freshfield Formby, L37 1PH. Details Tel: 01704 879665

Thursday 10 May ‘In the Footsteps of the Saints.’ Spend time with men and women who have made a difference in our world and continue to influence our choices and attitudes. 7.00 pm at the Prayer Centre at St Joseph’s, Freshfield Formby, L37 1PH. Details Tel: 01704 879665 Saturday 12 May Car Boot Sale in aid of the Lutyens Crypt Project 8.00 am onwards in the Cathedral Car Park. Pitches £10. Details from Claire Hanlon 0151 709 9222. Thursday 17 May ‘In the Footsteps of the Saints.’ Spend time with men and women who have made a difference in our world and continue to influence our choices and attitudes. 7.00 pm at the Prayer Centre at St Joseph’s, Freshfield Formby, L37 1PH. Details Tel: 01704 879665 Friday 18 May Mass of Healing. Celebrant: Archbishop Patrick Kelly. 7.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Saturday 19 May Mass for the Cause of Elizabeth Prout. 2.30 pm at St Anne and Blessed Dominic, Sutton, St Helens, WA9 3ZD. ‘Pastoral’ Concert 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk Sunday 20 May Feast of the Ascension of the Lord World Communications Day

Friday 16th November The Priests In concert for Jospice at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on Friday 16th November. Preorder your tickets now on 0151 924 3812

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Sunday 27 May

Wednesday 23 May Good Shepherd Mass 1.15 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Thursday 24 May ‘In the Footsteps of the Saints.’ Spend time with men and women who have made a difference in our world and continue to influence our choices and attitudes. 7.00 pm at the Prayer Centre at St Joseph’s, Freshfield Formby, L37 1PH. Details Tel: 01704 879665 Saturday 26th May A Mass for Peace Philharmonic Hall. Experience the moving words and music which have earned so much praise in recent years. With its depiction of the horrors of war and the beauty of prayer this forthcoming event will lift your soul. Karl Jenkins conducts The Armed Man. This ever popular composer interprets his own work with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Liverpool Welsh Choral. Tickets are available from £12. Telephone 0151 652 6374 or 0151 709 3789. Sunday 27 May Pentecost Sunday Solemn Mass of Pentecost 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ The King. Two Cathedrals’ Service 3.00 pm beginning in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King and

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may Looking ahead: Sunday 3 June ‘Discovering God’s plan for you.’ The Archdiocesan Vocations Team’s monthly discernment meeting. 5.00 pm at St Mary’s Lowe House, St Helens, WA10 2BE, followed by the Youth Alive Mass. This meeting is aimed at young men aged between 13-18 with opportunities to pray, socialise and learn more about the vocation of the priesthood. Details: Father James Preston Tel: 01942 673753. Friday 8 June to Sunday 10 June Northern Catholic Conference at Liverpool Hope University with the theme: ‘”Corpus Christi” The Eucharist. The real presence of Jesus’. Speakers include Father Christopher Jamison OSB, Father Daniel O’Leary, Marino Restrepo, Tony Hickey and Canon Jimmy Collins. Details: www.northerncatholic.co.uk or from Northern Catholic Conference, ‘Regina Coeli, 6 Warner Drive, Liverpool, L4 8US. Tel: 07543 800812. Sunday 10 June Annual Children’s Mass Celebrant: Archbishop Patrick Kelly. 2.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

concluding in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral; taking place this year in honour of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Tuesday 29 May Cursillo Ultreya 7.30 pm at St Michael and All Angels, Kirkby, Liverpool, L32 0TP. Thursday 31 May ‘In the Footsteps of the Saints.’ Spend time with men and women who have made a difference in our world and continue to influence our choices and attitudes. 7.00 pm at the Prayer Centre at St Joseph’s, Freshfield Formby, L37 1PH. Details Tel: 01704 879665

Friday 15 June to Sunday 17 June ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people.’ A look at the Acts of the Apostles. Scripture Weekend led by Father Chris Thomas at St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Formby, L37 1PH. For details contact Irenaeus on 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Saturday 16 June ‘Fairest Isle’ Concert 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk

Saturday 19 May

Wednesday 27 June Annual UCM Mass 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Saturday 30 June Archdiocese of Liverpool Pilgrimage To the Shrine at Ladyewell, Preston, PR2 5RR, led by Archbishop Patrick Kelly. 12.00 noon Mass in St Mary’s Church; followed by a Rosary Procession to the Shrine and mediation and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 3.30pm. Details: Father James Preston: email: jamespreston27@hotmail.co.uk

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youth ministry

Reflections on a memorable Easter Life has been, as usual, rather busy for the Animate team. It seems a long time already since we were finishing our last school mission before Easter at St Augustine’s in St Helens. That was a fantastic week, where we were able to spend time in classes working with the pupils in smaller groups, exploring the theme of ‘Let your light shine’. Straight afterwards we were on the road to London for the Flame conference at Wembley Arena on 24 March.

all waving their quite cumbersome branches in the air and helping get Holy Week off to a good start. As usual, Animate offered day retreats over the Triduum that led into the different services. It was good to see so many people come along for these and we hope they helped make the services more meaningful as we drew out the themes of this great week in the Church’s year.

hope through sport. After Flame, we were straight into the Holy Week and Easter liturgies.

One difference to the usual Triduum activities, though, was Good Friday. Rather than have a day retreat here at

This year Palm Sunday fell on a normal Youth Alive night so we celebrated it in typical Youth Alive fashion: branches of trees hacked down from the garden to wave in the opening procession and then a very powerful rendition of the Passion to lead us into a reflection on what Holy Week is all about. It was great to see so many people at the Mass,

Lowe House we packed everyone into minibuses and cars and made the trip up the M6 for the Preston Passion. You may have seen this on TV on Good Friday morning, and if so you will have seen some of the young people of our diocese join in the dancing to the final song, ‘You’ve got the Love’. A different way to prepare for the Good Friday liturgy but an opportunity that does not come along often and it was good to be part of a Christian witness to the country at this most special time of the year.

Flame, organised by the Catholic Youth Ministry federation (CYMfed), was designed to link in with this year’s London Olympics and so the theme of the day was the connection between sport and faith. Guest speakers from the world of sport talked about their own faith and how it had helped them overcome certain obstacles in life, or encouraged them to live out the Olympic ideal of ‘Higher, Faster, Stronger’. For the Liverpool contingent, the highlight must surely have been our own Richard ‘Woody’ Netherwood finally getting the stage he has worked for all these years as he led the CAFOD section of the day in front of the 8,000 young people present. Woody introduced Abdi Dima, a 19year-old member of the Kenya national karate team who, through a CAFOD project, has been able to find

The whole week came to a culmination with the Easter Vigil and the Easter Sunday Mass. As always it was a special celebration here at Lowe House and a great way to end what had been quite a hectic term! WYD Rio de Janeiro World Youth Day 2013 will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our pilgrimage runs from 16-30 July 2013 and is for those aged 17+. For further information, contact Father Simon Gore: s.gore@animateyouth.co.uk.

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profile

Amy Armstrong Out of Africa Amy Armstrong from St Luke’s Parish in Whiston is part of a gap year programme with Cafod, although based in Salford she has just returned from working in Ghana and reflects on her experiences. I am based at Just Youth, a Spiritan retreat centre, in Salford. Part of the gap year programme, means that I receive a month’s experience in a developing country. Earlier this year I went with two other volunteers to Ghana where we stayed with the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus. We spent two weeks in Bolgatanga in the upper east region of the country and met some incredible people there. I think that is what struck me the most about Ghanaian people: they might not have much, but they are incredibly happy. We worked in two schools in Bolgatanga, and met students who have to work before and after school in order to pay the £15 for their education. Students who have to walk for miles to get access to clean water and others who have to care for their younger brothers and sisters due to the absence of their parents. In the final two weeks, we went to

Takoradi and Cape Coast in the south. We visited a neo-natal hospital and nursing school there. It was astounding to discover that they hired gentlemen to carry women up the stairs in the hospital after giving birth because the lift was broken. The babies and mothers are very well looked after, and it is clear to see that the hospital keeps to the Millennium Development Goals on mother and baby health. It was fascinating to see the differences between the north and the south of Ghana: differences, not only between wealth, education and resources, but also in climate. Sister Martha SHCJ, said that there has most definitely been a noticeable change in climate in recent years. People rely on the rain for their crops to grow, and often the rains can come at irregular times. So they have to decide: plant on the first rain and hope it continues to rain for the rest of the season, or plant towards the end and hope for a growth spurt. It's unreal to witness people living their lives like this, especially when we have such easy access to produce from all over the world. The work done by Cafod in supporting

people with climate issues will certainly make a difference to their lives. Faith is most certainly alive in Ghana. Mass can be up to two and a half hours long. Long, but truly amazing and worth getting up at 6.00 am for. The people that I met believe that God gave them their way of life for a reason, they truly believe that God has intentions for all of them, and they are grateful for everything that He has given them. They believe that He is looking after them. Some of the young people that we met said that if they didn't have their faith, they would just give up. One teacher I met said that students are fully aware that ‘nothing good comes easy’ in life. They are all truly inspiring. I have learnt to live everyday as it comes. There are people out there who work incredibly hard to receive the things that we just take for granted. Count your blessings every day: someone else's life could have very easily been ours.

“It's unreal to witness people living their lives like this” Catholic Pictorial

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justice & peace

Looking for the meaning of justice and peace By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker Recently, I have been thinking a lot about the relationship between charity and justice. Partly this is prompted by theological concerns but partly too by hints that ‘justice and peace’ is old hat and needs to be replaced by an emphasis on charity, sometimes even by its Latinised form, ‘caritas’. I was delighted when I came across the following definitions of justice given by Pope Benedict XVI in his annual address to the General Inspectorate for Public Security at the Vatican on 13 January this year: "Justice is not a mere human convention. When, in the name of supposed justice, the criteria of utility, profit and material possession come to dominate, then the value and dignity of human beings can be trampled underfoot. Justice is a virtue which guides the human will, prompting us to give others what is due to them by reason of their existence and their actions." In this message, the pope makes it clear that justice is: • at the heart of how we relate to other people • due to all people simply because they exist • something we need to practise • something we can get better at with practice And of ‘peace’ the Pope added: "True peace must be constructed day after day with compassion, solidarity, fraternity and collaboration on everyone's part." There is much to think about here and I wonder how these words

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describe your experience of the Church and especially of justice and peace? Are you a member of a church that practises “compassion, solidarity, fraternity and collaboration”? If not, why not? Our concern for other people and for justice grows when we give our faith a chance to sink into our hearts rather than just be stuck in our heads. This takes time. It takes prayer and silence as well as words and conversations. So as to make time to consider these big issues, J&P in the diocese organises an annual retreat at Loyola Hall and this year’s retreat takes place on 18-20 May, with the title ‘Empowering relations of Justice and Peace’. Everybody is welcome. (If the residential rate seems too expensive, then maybe you could consider coming for the day on Saturday for just £10.)

Finally, a handwritten note that the Pope sent recently to the Church in Ireland included a prayer for “the growth of charity, justice, joy and peace within the whole human family”. Here we have the other key word in our spiritual journey. We don’t just have charity, justice and peace. Now we are offered their fruit: joy.

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holyland

The Living Church in the Holy Land during the Easter period Some personal observations from our Catholic guide in the Holy Land, Usama Salman he Holy land is a place for two nations and three religions. Each of the three has a corresponding memory that has been kept alive through the believed religion: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This place, in particular the city of Jerusalem, is the centre toward which all of Jesus’ earthly life converges. It is where Jesus’ salvation mission finds all of its meaning.

According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus said when he was asked by some of the Pharisees to order his disciples to stop rejoicing and praising God in a loud voice, he answered “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” Today, these stones are the local indigenous Christians in the Holy Land “the Living Stones”, also known as Palestinian Christians, that are divided into fourteen different denominations. Descendants and heirs of the first primitive Christian community, who lived, experienced, and believed in Jesus as Saviour. Despite the fact, that these communities are challenged by many difficulties, they still endeavor to celebrate Easter Week that begins with the Palm Sunday. Local Christians, especially from Jerusalem specialize in preparing Palm branches designed with pockets to hold the decorated flowers and coloured ribbons in preparation for the Palm Sunday procession that begins from

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Bethphage church on the eastern slope of Mount of Olives. The place where Jesus sent two of his disciples to losen the tied colt and an ass that no man sat on. The local community and thousands of Christian pilgrims participate in the procession led by the Latin Patriarch from Bethphage to the Church of St. Anne inside St. Stephen’s Gate in the Old City. The sound of the leaves branches shaken by the thousands of celebrants takes you back to the time when Jesus lived. At the end of the procession, Christian scout troops circle the walls of the old city of Jerusalem in their colourful uniforms with Jerusalem crosses on their backs while playing different musical instruments. On Good Friday, Christians from all across the world join the local Christians expressing mourning and grief as they walk along the Via Dolorossa. The procession through the fourteen stations of the cross ends at Calvary. The tradition that goes back generations has families from the local Christian community of Jerusalem to carry the cross throughout the fourteen stations of the cross accompanied by the Franciscan community choir and the parish boy scout troops. Easter Saturday is the Saturday of light “Sabat Anour” in the Arabic language, when the resurrection of Christ is commemorated by the holy fire which takes place in the church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Thousands of pilgrims join the local Christians, with many of them sleeping overnight beside the Holy Sepulchre church, to be among the first to receive the holy fire. All the crowd will be waiting to receive the light that comes from the empty tomb of Jesus holding candles and glass lanterns. The moment the light comes out from the tomb, the local Christians will be celebrating on the small alleys of the Christian quarter with church bells ringing. Many of local Christians believe that the fire that comes out of the tomb won’t burn you so you will see many people passing the light on their faces without getting burned. Joyful salutations are heard, bells ringing and the Holy fire is already on its way to more distant places in the Holy Land, and beyond. The atmosphere is one of public joy and celebration. Local Christians on this day always start greetings to one another with the traditional Easter greetings “Christ has risen” and the response, “He has really risen”. Easter Sunday is a family celebration day, after the Easter Sunday mass that is held in every parish, family and friends gather and eat a feast in joyful celebration.

“The moment the light comes out from the tomb, the local Christians will be celebrating on the small alleys of the Christian quarter with church bells ringing”

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Catholic Pictorial official

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A MASS FOR PEACE Experience the moving words and music which have earned so much praise in recent years. With its depiction of the horrors of war and the beauty of prayer this forthcoming event will lift your soul. KARL JENKINS conducts THE ARMED MAN. This ever popular composer interprets his own work with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Liverpool Welsh Choral.

A programme of inspirational singing Expert group vocal sessions Fun songs Big Sings with other schools Free trial of ten weeks

On Saturday 26th May at the Philharmonic Hall tickets are available from £12. For more information please contact Stephen Mannings stephen.mannings@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk

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cathedral

The Metropolitan Cathedral Girls’ Choir Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean

by Christopher McElroy Since the Metropolitan Cathedral opened in 1967, music at liturgies has been led by the Cathedral Choir of boys and men. In 2008 the opportunity for girls to sing in the Cathedral was also opened up with the foundation of the Cathedral Girls’ Choir. The choir comprises of up to 30 girls, aged 11-18 who all receive specialist music places at St Edwards College, the Cathedral Choir school. Each morning from 8.00 am to 9.00 am, whilst their fellow students are waking up, the girls are hard at work rehearsing in school with choir director Philip Arkwright. On Mondays the girls sing at Mass in the Cathedral at 5.15 pm, and on Wednesdays they sing Choral Evening Prayer at 5.45 pm. In addition to their regular liturgical duties, the choir often sings for special celebrations in the Cathedral and also at liturgies and concerts across the Archdiocese and beyond. The girls’ choir made their broadcasting debut in 2011 when they recorded the Easter Sunday ‘Sunrise’ service for BBC Radio 4. Pentecost Sunday this year will see the Metropolitan Cathedral Girls’

Choir, along with the Anglican Cathedral Girls’ Choir host the Cologne Cathedral Girls’ Choir here in Liverpool. Earlier this year, the two Liverpool girls’ choir travelled to Cologne (Liverpool’s twin city) to celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Pentecost sees the return visit, and will see an action packed weekend for all three girls’ choirs with a Civic Reception in St Georges Hall, a concert in the Anglican Cathedral, Solemn Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral followed by the Two Cathedral’s Service, which this year begins at the Metropolitan Cathedral before processing down Hope Street to the Anglican Cathedral. In July, the annual auditions will be held for places in the Cathedral girls’ choir. Girls audition at the end of year 5, starting as probationer choristers at the beginning of year 6. Further information is available on the Cathedral website www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk The addition of the Cathedral Girls’ Choir to the liturgical music offering of the Cathedral has been of great benefit to the Cathedral community, complementing the singing of the Boys and Men, and allowing music to be provided at liturgies on a daily basis.

Following the sad news of Canon Jimmy Collins’ death we began the month of May with his Funeral Mass in the Cathedral on 1st May: the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. I don’t think the Lord could have picked a more appropriate day for the Requiem of the former parish priest, of thirty years standing, of St Joseph the Worker, Kirkby. On Sunday 13th Archbishop Kelly will confirm young people from the Cathedral parish at the Solemn Mass. The Cathedral Friends Association will hold their Annual Mass and Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 15th beginning at 5.15 pm. Later that week as part of her tour of the United Kingdom in the Jubilee Year her Majesty the Queen will visit Liverpool on Thursday 17th May. On Friday 18th there is the Annual Healing Mass at 7.30 pm and as this is also ‘Light Night’ in Liverpool City Centre there will be a candle lit labyrinth on the Cathedral Piazza and architectural light projections on the rear of our building. The following week there is the Good Shepherd Mass in support of Nugent Care at 1.15 pm on 23rd May. Over the Pentecost weekend there is a concert by ‘The Sixteen’ on Friday 25th at 7.30 pm. The Cologne Girls’ Choir will be visiting us for the Feast and they will be taking part in a combined concert with the Metropolitan and Liverpool Cathedral Choirs at Liverpool Cathedral on Saturday the eve of Pentecost at 7.30 pm. The Cologne Choir will also be singing at the Solemn Mass at 11.00 am on Pentecost Sunday which is also Bishop Tom William’s Ruby Anniversary of Priesthood. In the afternoon at 3.00 pm there is the bi-annual Two Cathedrals Service involving all the Christian Churches and their Leaders. This year there is a special focus on thanksgiving for the 60 years that Queen Elizabeth has been on the throne. It should be a very colourful occasion and the Lord Lieutenant has managed to organise a full military band to lead the procession down Hope Street. The service begins at our Cathedral and ends in Liverpool Cathedral. On 31st May there is a Mass for New Catholics at 7.30 pm, during which Mr Jonathan Brown will be ordained to the Diaconate. For all you Olympians out there you may be interested to know that the Olympic Torch will be carried passed the Cathedral and down Hope Street at 5.00 pm on 1st June and there will be entertainment and events on the Piazza in advance of the Torch Relay – but the Archbishop and Cathedral staff will not be appearing in running kit.

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Pic extras Mums the Word May, the month of Our Lady. In my youth all Catholics girls had a white dress to wear in the processions held in honour of Our Lady. In my church, St Francis of Assissi, Garston, we had two processions, one on the first Sunday and one on the third. The boys all wore white shirts and grey or black shorts and the Legion of Mary also walked, wearing their blue cloaks. Do any churches have May processions these days? Our Lady has many titles and many shrines in this country and beyond. The nearest one to us is at Fernyhalgh between the M6 and Preston. This is a lovely shrine not only to Our Lady but also to the Martyrs of England and Wales. The big shrine to Our Lady in England is Walsingham. In medieval times, there were four 'must-do' pilgrimages: Jerusalem, Compostela, Rome and Walsingham. I am sure you all know the story of how the Lady of Walsingham Manor, Richeldis de Faverches, was taken in a dream by Our Lady to the holy house in Nazareth and asked to build one in Walsingham. Richeldis had this dream three times and did her best to comply with Our Lady's wishes. The builders had problems, so Richeldis spent a night in prayer and the next morning the house was built, albeit some 200 feet from where Richeldis had chosen. Our Lady promised: “Whosoever seeks my help here will not go away empty-handed.” Walsingham became a place of prayer and consolation. Henry II was one of the first monarchs to visit, possibly in penance for Thomas a Becket’s murder. Henry VIII walked barefoot from East Barsham Manor a couple of miles away. No one could have foreseen what would happen some 30 years later when, on his orders, the shrine and priory where closed and Our Lady’s statue was taken to Chelsea and burned before Thomas Cromwell. It was to be over three centuries before Walsingham became a place of pilgrimage once again. I am sure, however, that people still prayed to Our Lady of Walsingham in private – indeed it is recorded that Henry VIII prayed to her on his death bed. Please God, may England once again become 'The Dowry of Mary’. God bless, Ann Hogg, media officer

Catholic Pictorial

News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba

No change to St Columba celebration Every other year in June, our Order usually holds its National Memorial Mass for deceased members at the Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool. However, this year due to the Eucharistic Congress taking place in Dublin from 10-17 June – which members of the Order and their families will be attending – it has been decided to reschedule the Memorial Mass for Saturday 6 October at 3pm. One event that will still take place in June is the celebration of the feast day of our patron, St Columba. For many years Liverpool Province has celebrated the occasion at St Columba’s Parish Church, Huyton where we always received a very warm welcome from Father Michael Lee. He retired last year but his successor as parish priest, Fr Chris McCoy, is delighted to carry on the tradition and he will celebrate Mass for us on the eve of the feast, Friday

The World of Atherton

8 June, at 7.30pm. We are grateful to Fr McCoy for arranging the Mass and ask all members and their families to please attend. Thanks also go to Fr Lee for all his support in the past; we wish him a long and happy retirement. As this is the month of May, the Order demonstrates how much it values our Patroness Mary Immaculate. Each council at its May meeting rededicates the Order to her tender care as indicated in the opening words of the dedication prayer: “We dedicate and consecrate our beloved Order to your Immaculate Heart. O Blessed Lady, accept us as your Knights. We beseech you to direct and guide the activities of the Order and to inspire all of us with a devouring zeal for the cause of God, whose handmaid you are; to increase in us all, love of God, love of our brethren and unity of mind and action.” Website: www.ksc.org.uk Email: DPOKeane@aol.com

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PIC Life

Favourite Prayer Gods Love May Gods love encircle you May Gods light enlighten you May Gods joy enliven you May Gods strength be with you and all those you love all the days of your life From John Dolan St Joseph, Blundellsands

Why the truth comes in shades of grey By Moira Billinge I was listening recently to a programme on BBC Radio 4, ‘John Peel’s Shed’ by writer John Osborne, which related the true story of a lady who bought a KitKat from a station prior to boarding a train. When she had settled down into her seat, she opened the wrapping, broke off and ate the first piece of chocolate and then put the rest of it on the table in front of her. Sitting opposite her was a skinhead who, without saying a word or even making eye contact, reached across and broke off a piece too. He put it in his mouth and put the remainder on the table in between the two of them. The lady felt intimidated and angry, but did not know how to respond. Tentatively, she picked up the KitKat and snapped off another chunk for herself before she too returned it to the table. He did the same, put the last piece in his mouth and placed the empty wrapper on the table. The woman eventually got off the train and when she looked into her handbag she found the KitKat she had purchased in the station, still untouched. Her reaction was understandable – after all, it is not every day that a complete stranger will share a snack, without so much as a by-your-leave. However, I would have loved to have heard the young man relate his version of the story. In actual fact, he must have been a remarkable character because he too would have been surprised by the incident and undoubtedly had just cause to feel aggrieved yet I believe he handled the episode with exquisite tact, restraint and generosity. After the programme it occurred to me how radically a misunderstanding can 28

Catholic Pictorial

change a situation so that the perception and, therefore, reporting of it is far removed from the actual truth. The same goes for the misinterpretation of a conversation. The American author, Robert McCloskey, once said: “I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I mean.” This is all too often the case. How many arguments have been started by imagining, rather than hearing, what was actually said? Our interpretation of events can be incorrect for different reasons: false expectations, inherent prejudices or impressions that we have gathered about individuals, so that our final analysis may unwittingly be a combination of what we actually heard and what we expected to hear. I believe the following quote by Margaret E Sangster is all too accurate: “In the whole round of human affairs, little is as fatal to peace as misunderstanding.” Misunderstanding can, at best, result in amusement when the mistake is genuine and born out of innocence, but there are times when the resulting fallout can have serious consequences. The reporting of an event can be deliberately manipulated and used as the vehicle for gossip and innuendo. Unscrupulous journalists who operate by the idiom “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story” offer a prime example of how truth can be deliberately distorted. If the accurate details do eventually surface, it can be too late to undo the damage to the reputations and lives that the lies have created. In the search for truth, it is mindful to remember the old saying: “There are three versions to every story: yours, mine and the truth.”

Send your favourite prayer to: Catholic Pictorial, 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS

Worth a visit During Our Lady’s month of May, pay a visit to a special Catholic shrine in North Wales, the first to be opened in Bala since the Reformation, writes Lucy Oliver. You will find the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on the busy high street running through this picturesque town, tucked away from the hustle and bustle. The 1609 building has been many things – a café, a fish and chip shop, stables – but it became a Catholic church in 1948 and now houses a beautiful oak statue of Our Lady. Carved by the same Portuguese sculptor whose statue stands in the basilica in Fatima, it was blessed by the Bishop of Leira in Fatima, and brought to Liverpool before pilgrims processed into Bala. While in Bala, visit the largest natural lake in Wales, Llyn Tegid, home to the rare gwyniad – a land-locked herring dating back to the Ice Age. The Bala Lake Railway offers a nine-mile return journey by steam engine through the natural beauty of Snowdonia, beginning its journey in the small village of Llanuwchllyn. Finish your pilgrimage by reflecting on the scenic beauty surrounding Our Lady’s shrine and her supporters’ faith, and believe in God’s transformative powers in all our journeys.

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join in Sunday lunch

Children’s word search The beautiful month of May is dedicated to Our Lady, try to find out more in our word search

MARY

QUEEN OF PEACE

W U

M A

CARER

PROTECTOR

PRAYERFUL

MOTHER OF GOD FULL OF GRACE FREE FROM SIN

GENTLE OUR MOTHER

Enjoy a meal out at one of our listed restaurants Grill on the Square Palmyra Square North, Warrington 01925 234077 Matou Georges Parade, Pier Head, Liverpool 0151 236 2928 Bistro Franc 1 Hanover Street, Liverpool 0151 708 9993 The Marsh Cat Mostyn Square, Parkgate, Wirral 0151 336 1963 Italian Club Fish Bold Street Liverpool 0151 707 2110 Hen & Chicken Prescot Road, Maghull 0151 520 1121

Recipe of the month

More Mullarkey From Johnny Kennedy The young curate had just come back from the Senior Citizens' Party. “How did it go?” asked Father Mullarkey. “It was good,” said the YC. “Everyone enjoyed themselves and the dinner was excellent and then we had a singsong with two chaps on banjos.” “Sounds as though it was a great afternoon,” said the auld fella. “It was, except that when I was selling the raffle tickets, the monsignor wouldn't buy one.” “Doesn't surprise me,” said Father Mullarkey. “I've known him for years. He went to Blackpool for a week once and spent £4. If he was a ghost he wouldn't give yer a fright.”

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

Mushroom Stroganoff 350grm Tagliatelle 1 Onion chopped 225grm Mushrooms (sliced) 1 Clove garlic (crushed) 2tbs Paprika 4tbs White wine 1tbs Tomato puree 1tbs Lemon juice 150ml Creme fraiche 2tbs Chopped parsley 1tbs Olive oil Cook pasta as pack suggests, heat olive oil, add onion and mushrooms, fry over high heat until golden. Add garlic and paprika, stir and add wine, tomato puree and lemon juice and stir for a couple of minutes. Add creme fraiche and stir gently, Drain pasta and divide over four plates. Top with mushroom mix and scatter with parsley.

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

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