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Issue 119 AUGUST 2014
Cath
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PIC
FRE is n
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ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL
Welcome to our new priests INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Fr Roy and Fr John ordained to the priesthood
Archbishop Malcolm receives the Pallium
Bishop Malone’s Episcopal Silver Jubilee
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contents Welcome Welcome to the August edition of the ‘Catholic Pic’ but far more importantly welcome to our new priests, Father Roy Cooper and Father John Poland who were ordained last month. In our main feature they reflect on their journeys so far and as they begin their priestly ministry our thoughts and prayers go with them. During the Ordination Masses Archbishop Malcolm was wearing the pallium which was presented to him by Pope Francis in Rome on the Feast of St Peter and St Paul. The Mass was just too late for inclusion in the last edition and so we are able to cover it this month. There is also coverage of Archbishop Malcolm’s first ever visit to the Isle of Man. Bishop Vincent Malone celebrated his Episcopal Silver Jubilee on 3 July and we reflect on the Mass of Thanksgiving which he celebrated in the Metropolitan Cathedral the following Sunday. Our thoughts, prayers and good wishes go to him, as they do to all the Jubilarians who had their Mass of Thanksgiving on the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Finally news of a new altar frontal for the Cathedral to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. 100 years after the outbreak of that war we remember those who died and all who have died in conflict.
From the Archbishop’s Desk As I write this month’s reflection I am getting ready for the Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes. As a frequent pilgrim to Lourdes I have met the Liverpool Pilgrimage to Lourdes before, and it was on one such pilgrimage over twenty years ago that I met Archbishop Worlock. This was the only time I ever had a chat with him, and I was very moved by the affection he showed for the young pilgrims accompanying him. In a week we meet a lot of different people; our friends, fellow Catholics, people seeking God, the sick, the young, our bishops, priests and deacons. In fact we meet people from every walk of life and from many countries throughout the world. This gathering of people in one place reminds me of the focus of week that is always Jesus. He said that when the Son of Man is raised up he would draw all people to himself – and Lourdes is a real foretaste of his words. But there is one other person we meet on pilgrimage that we can easily miss, and that is ‘ourself’. On pilgrimage we see ourselves more clearly, and it becomes an opportunity to straighten out our life and return home with a renewed friendship with Jesus, as well as many new friends. I hope that you and your families are having a happy and restful summer. Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool
Contents 4
Main Feature An awesome day Fr Roy and Fr John ordained to the priesthood
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News From around the Archdiocese
14 Justice and Peace Looking back 100 years 16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese 18 Profile John Fahey Lourdes Pilgrimages past and present 19 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 20 Animate Youth Ministry Clothes show preaches message of conversion 25 Cathedral Record Commemorating the First World War 26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC 28 Pic Life How we live with the pain of bereavement
Editor Peter Heneghan Editorial Catholic Pictorial Magazine Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool L17 1AA Tel: 0151 522 1007 Email: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk Pictures: Cover and Main feature: Tom Murphy Advertising Andrew Rogers 0151 709 7567 Publisher 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS
Copy deadline September issue 18 August 2014 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.
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An awesome day ‘Awesome’ was the word Archbishop Malcolm used at two ordinations to the priesthood last month. Firstly on 12 July in Liverpool’s St John the Evangelist church he ordained Roy Cooper and eight days later at All Saints, Anfield, John Poland. On both occasions the Archbishop recalled Cardinal Basil Hume’s description of an ordination, used at his own ordination in 1982, ‘awesome’.
Roy Cooper was ordained on 12 July and his journey began with a chance meeting with Father Alan Devaney in a North Wales pub. They talked generally about religion, Roy recalls, ‘I was confused, because I had started going to a Catholic church in Conway because I felt drawn to it , but I was confirmed Church of England. Father Devaney suggested I go to his church when I was in Liverpool, after going to Mass, I thought, this is it, I am home I knew straight away the Catholic Church was for me.’
In September 2009 he started seminary formation at Ushaw College in Durham. Reflecting on this time Roy said, ‘life in a seminary is very different to the outside world, and it takes a bit of adjusting to, it is a time for discernment. At the beginning of my second year, all the students, the formation staff and the domestic staff were informed of the closure of Ushaw, a very challenging experience. Most of the students, including myself were transferred to Oscott College, in Birmingham, at the end of my second academic year. One of the good things about moving to Oscott was the fact that there were many more of us in the seminary which enriched our formation. After five years in seminary, I left in June. I would like to thank all those involved in my seminary formation, both at Ushaw and Oscott, and I am grateful to all the staff for their dedication and patience and to all the many seminarians with whom I have been privileged to share these precious years of priestly formation.’
He was confirmed and not long afterwards, felt called to the priesthood. ‘I had this feeling inside me I should be a priest and no matter how much I tried I couldn’t put it to one side,’ he explained. He studied for a Foundation Degree in Pastoral Leadership at Liverpool Hope University and started work at Walton Prison as a lay Chaplain.
So to the ordination day which Roy describes as ‘a truly amazing and awesome event, an event that I will certainly never forget’. There were, however, a few nerves, ‘I remember getting a little nervous at the beginning of the ordination, whilst I was standing in the bench at the front by my Mum and thinking to myself, “just let go, trust in God, let God takeover and lead
On both days the candidates for ordination and their guests were greeted by brilliant sunlight as they made their way into church for the Solemn Mass. Choirs sang as the concelebrants processed in; the candidates lying before the altar during the haunting Litany of Saints, the laying on of hands and the prayer of consecration before the kiss of peace and welcome into the Holy Order of Priests.
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you”. Which later reminded me that, an ordination is not for the priest himself, he is ordained for God and to serve and minister to the people of God.’ At the end of the Mass though there was joy, ‘I give humble and heartfelt thanks to the Lord for this awesome gift of the priesthood which He has given me, and I am extremely grateful to Archbishop Malcolm for ordaining me. There have been many people who have been a part of my journey over the years, and I would like to thank them all for helping me with prayers and support.’ Just eight days later it was the turn of John Poland to be ordained at All Saints in Anfield. John was an undergraduate at Nottingham and postgraduate at Oxford where he studied philosophy. He became a Catholic before starting university and it was at Oxford that the then chaplain, Monsignor Jeremy Fairhead, encouraged him to think about vocation to the priesthood. John recalls, ‘Jeremy is a great champion of vocations and several people at the English College would count him as an influence on their decision to apply to seminary. I contacted Vocations Director, Father Steve Maloney, and the rest is history’. John went on to spend eight months with Father Steve Maloney in Standish, Wigan on a pastoral placement before studying at the English College, Rome for seven years where he recently completed a licence in canon law. Then he rejoined Father Steve, this time in Anfield, where All Saints has been his base for the last couple of years. In John’s words, ‘I feel very much at home there, it has been a fantastic place to have my first experiences of being both a deacon and now a priest.’ Reflecting on his years of study John says, ‘the past eight years have been challenging but rewarding. People sometimes ask about what the best bits are of training to be a priest. One of the things that I will take away from that experience are the many
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feature ‘just let go, trust in God, let God takeover and lead you’
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friends I’ve made and different people that I’ve come into contact with from all over the world, friendships that I hope will continue into priesthood. In fact it was manifest to me in a great way at my ordination. I was very moved by the generosity of so many people in coming to support me on that occasion, and in the amount of hard work that went into organising not only the ordination but also the Mass of thanksgiving the next day.’
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He has some memorable moments from his Mass of Ordination, ‘It was a very surreal feeling being ordained, everything went by very quickly, but there are some moments that stand out for me: lying prostrate during the litany of saints, the laying on of hands, being vested (including Archbishop Malcolm attempting to guess which shop my chasuble had come from!), the lovely comments from the priests at the kiss of peace, and then reading part of the Eucharistic prayer for the first time. Father Sean Riley was an excellent MC and guided me through it seamlessly, not to mention a couple of nudges from Archbishop Patrick at the
right moments once I was sat with the other priests on the sanctuary.’ The reception following the ordination was at Liverpool Football Club where there was a disco prompting someone to comment to John, ‘I didn’t know priests could be so much fun!’ John will now return to Rome for further studies but will take with him special memories of his ordination day, ‘It will be a day that I won’t forget and I hope that I will be open minded enough to face the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.’ Roy is to be assistant priest in St Peter and St Paul’s parish, Crosby and says ‘It feels like a chapter in my life is coming to an end and I’m turning the page, and the next chapter is slowly unfolding in front of me. Who knows what lies in the next chapter? It’s all in God’s hands, trust in God.’ As our new priests embark on the next stage of their journey let us remember them in prayer.
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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
Archbishop Malcolm visits the Isle of Man Archbishop Malcolm visited the Isle of Man where he Confirmed and gave First Communion to fourteen young
people at Saint Columba in Port Erin during Mass and then spent time meeting parishioners afterwards,
which included a rousing chorus of ‘Happy Birthday Dear Archbishop’ to celebrate his birthday the following day. Pastoral Area Dean, Canon Philip Gillespie, accompanied the Archbishop as he travelled around the Island visiting the all the Catholic parishes before lunch at Saint Mary, Douglas, with the Clergy of the Pastoral Area. After an interview with Manx Radio Archbishop Malcolm returned to Castletown where he celebrated the evening Mass with Father Leo Cooper, Father Brian Dougherty and Father Brian O’Mahony. Canon Gillespie said, ‘it was an extremely busy but enjoyable day and we were certainly delighted to have the Archbishop with us; we look forward to welcoming him back for a longer visit when time allows’. Pictures: John Maddrell
Welcome Archbishop Malcolm The children, staff and Governors of St Aloysius Primary School welcomed Archbishop Malcolm when he visited the school, his first visit to a Primary School since his installation which was attended by Miss Wrigley the Headteacher, and a small group of children. Following tea and biscuits with the School Council the Archbishop was taken on a tour of the school where he spoke to a number of children and staff. Before leaving he gave the school a personal blessing. Miss Sheryl Wrigley said ‘It was a great privilege to have welcomed His Grace, and it is a day we will all remember for a very long time.’
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news diary Cafod Mass of Thanksgiving
The Cafod Annual Mass of Thanksgiving took place at St Oswald’s Church, Old Swan with over 250 Cafod supporters in the congregation. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon celebrated the Mass with Father Mike Fitzsimmons, Father Mark Beattie, Father Grant Maddock and newly ordained Father Roy Cooper. It was something of a double celebration as Father Mark Beattie, Parish Priest of St Oswald’s, was celebrating the 20th anniversary of his ordination. The music of the Mass was led by Sister Moira Meeghan. The children and staff from St Oswald’s Catholic Junior School made a beautiful display at the back
of church especially for the evening and have also written cards for the children living in the Connect2: Brazil and Connect2: Cambodia communities. Their cards will be sent to the communities over the summer. Tom O’Connor (Director of Cafod’s Communities and Supporters Division) thanked the people of the Archdiocese for their generosity over the years and spoke about some of the people he has met around the world who have been helped by Cafod including in Albania, Peru and Sierra Leone. After Mass, Agnes, Imelda and parishioners from St Oswald’s provided the refreshments including a cake to celebrate Father Mark’s 20th anniversary.
Hannah’s 100th celebrations
On Monday 14 July Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Gateacre, celebrated the 100th birthday of the first headteacher of the parish Infant School. Miss Hannah Coleman, who began teaching at Holy Trinity school in Garston became the Head at Our Lady’s just after the war. Her 100th birthday was celebrated with a Mass, at which Hannah was presented with a blessing from Pope Francis, and a party in the Parish Club.
‘Over my head, I hear music in the air…’ The children and the parishioners of St Margaret Mary’s, Liverpool celebrated their annual Family Fun Day last month. The day began with Mass with the children of the parish leading the liturgy in song and sharing the readings of the day, then charging outside as the Mass ended with balloons led by Parish Priest, Father Mark Moran. The balloons were released and a prayer ‘sent up’ by the children for someone who might have forgotten how much God loves them. The fun continued on the parish field where there were bouncy castles, football games, face painting, picnics and people simply being together. ‘I love the sense of community that this day brings, children and adults of all ages, it reminds us all of the wonderful community spirit that we have here and
how working together we can build the Kingdom of God in many different ways’ said Father Mark, who went on to say, ‘the day is focussed on the children of the parish, to thank and celebrate all that they bring to our community. I hope
everyone enjoyed the Mass and the time together’. Also at the Mass Peter Ross received his silver medal from the President of the Guild of St. Stephen, for ten years of service as an altar server.
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Archbishop Malcolm receives the Pallium he pallium is an ancient symbol of the office of Metropolitan Archbishops, who wear it over the chasuble when they celebrate Mass in their provinces as a symbol of their communion with the Church of Rome writes Father Andrew Cole.
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Its origins are lost in the mists of time. The circle symbolises the eternal love of God. The wool reminds us that the sheep of Christ’s flock are gathered together by the Good Shepherd, to be carried by him. The crosses speak to us of the Cross of Christ, and the pins inserted into three of the crosses represent the nails which pierced Our Lord’s hands and feet. The pallium used to be given to the new Archbishop by the Papal Legate in their dioceses, but these days most new Archbishops travel to Rome to receive the pallium from the Pope himself on 29 June, the Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul, the patrons of the Roman Church. This year, Archbishop Malcolm travelled with Bishop Tom Williams, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, Monsignor Tom McGovern, the Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Nottingham, and a large contingent of the Archbishop’s family and friends, clergy and parishioners from Liverpool and Nottingham, and the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir, to receive his pallium from Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica. The festivities began on Saturday 28 June with Mass and a reception in the Pontifical Irish College, which is near to the Pope’s Cathedral, the Basilica of St John Lateran. On Sunday 29 June, it was an early start for everyone. Although the Papal Mass was due to start at 9.30 am, the congregation began to queue for admission well before St Peter’s Basilica opened at 7.30 am. During the Mass, the Pope blessed the palliums, which were taken from the niche of the pallia, beneath the Altar and above the tomb of St Peter, and gave them to twenty-four
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newly-appointed Metropolitan Archbishops. As their names were read out before Mass, Archbishop Malcolm easily received the largest cheer from the congregation! Mass was followed by a reception and lunch in the Venerable English College, one of the two seminaries for the Catholic Church in England and Wales, before the celebration of Vespers with the Benedictine community at the Basilica of St Paul outside the Walls, where St Paul is buried, giving those present the opportunity to pray before the tombs of both St Peter and St Paul on their feast day. The weekend concluded with Mass in the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer and St Alphonsus, where the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is venerated, and a reception in the residence of Nigel Baker, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See. The Metropolitan Cathedral Choir sang at the Pallium Mass in St Peter’s Basilica,
Vespers in St Paul’s Basilica, and the two Masses in the Irish College and St Alphonsus’ Church, lifting the mind and the heart to God with their singing. In his homily at the Pallium Mass, Pope Francis encouraged everyone present to follow Jesus: ‘Follow me by the witness of a life shaped by the grace you received in Baptism and Holy Orders. Follow me by speaking of me to those with whom you live, day after day, in your work, your conversations and among your friends. Follow me by proclaiming the Gospel to all, especially to the least among us, so that no one will fail to hear the word of life which sets us free from every fear and enables us to trust in the faithfulness of God.’ It was a great honour for all those present to hear Pope Francis give that challenge as he bestowed the pallium on Archbishop Malcolm. Archbishop Malcolm said, ‘I was honoured
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and privileged to receive the pallium from the hands of our Holy Father Pope Francis, it was a very humbling moment when I knelt before the Holy Father and he placed the pallium on my shoulders. ‘I hope and pray that, by the intercession of St Peter and St Paul, all of us in the Archdiocese and Province of Liverpool: Bishops, priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful alike will follow Christ more closely every day in our parishes, schools, chaplaincies and communities, proclaiming his Kingdom in our midst and giving
glory to God in all that we say and do.’ Among the twenty-four Metropolitan Archbishops from throughout the world to receive the pallium from Pope Francis were Archbishop Leo Cushley from Saint Andrews and Edinburgh and Archbishops from as far afield as India, Costa Rica, Italy, Brazil, France, America, Nigeria, Pakistan, Austria, Malawi, Madagascar, Chile, the Philippines, Uganda, Uruguay, Tanzania, Vietnam, Poland and Indonesia. A true sign of the universal Church in communion with Rome.
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Catholic Pic Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi From Maria Des Landes hat makes a pilgrimage all the more enticing is the common denominator that motivates an individual to go on one: that of religion and faith. This cannot be overstated as from day one friendships start to form or are renewed from previous pilgrimages. The group forms a unity as that of a choir – something inexplicable.
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The purpose behind the pilgrimage is to take time away from your normal life to affirm your beliefs whilst retracing the steps of previous pilgrims and tourists. This means a visit through history, art, culture, life experiences and events from our own lives. Once you incorporate your faith into this mix, you cannot fail! This was the first organised pilgrimage I had attended. It’s wonderful to brush off the tedium of booking accommodation, travel arrangements, etc and let someone else steer the overall path of your experience. Of course, no one can legislate for every eventuality. And if there is an issue, it isn’t yours to resolve. You are free to indulge yourself on all there is to experience.
have two experienced tour guides for the Assisi and Rome leg of our journey. So, there was no stone unturned, we benefitted from local knowledge and expertise on the history, art and religion of this area. The guides provided anecdotal information, some which travel books may omit. As a group we became accustomed to following the tour guide’s flag. It seemed in Rome, there were many flags to follow as hoards of visitors followed flags tracing the steps to enhance their knowledge and experience.
The reality of the pilgrimage is that, for the duration of the trip, your life is ordered and arrangements for the excursions rely on the whole party meeting the timescales set by the organisers. This wasn’t a problem but everything is finely tuned particularly when there are multiple sites to visit. The seasoned traveller requires this order and will be familiar with the energy/stamina required for each stage of the journey. The rewards are numerous and personal to each individual.
Assisi had a flavour of its own – nestled on the top of a hillside, its presence was understated but very enchanting. To the left of the town was the monastery and Basilica of St Francis: to the right the Basilica of St Clare. The undulating single track roads were tough to climb but offered a rustic charm – stone clad buildings garnished with wrought ironwork, hanging baskets, olde worlde wooden doors and shutters. On climbing the roads by foot every now and then a wonderful vista would open up revealing the surrounding countryside and lower levels of the town.
So what does Italy have in store? Our pilgrimage was to Assisi and Rome. Everything was in place: our English tour operator accompanied us for most of our travels. Our Italian tour guides accompanied us through the whole pilgrimage. We were also privileged to
The jewel of our visit lay outside the walls of Assisi, the chapel that St Francis had rebuilt any centuries before. The church (the Portiuncula) still stands but around it was built the Church of St Mary of the Angels. It was an experience not to be forgotten!
Rome was just as I remembered it to be, whether from childhood memories or from Hollywood films over the years. Rome didn’t appear as hilly as I remembered, at least nothing like Assisi! From a coach it offered an abundance of history/art forms/churches/coaches (we were all on the trail!)/avenues and glimpses of poplar streets. Belissimo! By foot, the iconic buildings and sites such as the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Spanish Steps, the fountains of Trevi, did not disappoint. The marvel and miracle of the art, architecture, statues were testament to the people who had carved every fine detail and their craftsmanship. The highlight as mentioned in Catholic Pic, July issue was our audience with the Pope, who in his Popemobile journeyed through the crowd, stopping to lift up a child and giving his blessing to all. What excitement and privilege this was to be in the same square as Pope Francis. I have saved one very important ingredient to our journey, that of the two wonderful men who led our pilgrimage. Father Ron Johnson, parish priest of St Catherine and All Saints, Golborne and Father Dominic Curran, Chaplain to University Hospital, Aintree. The support and pastoral care given to the group, humour (‘Alora, Fr Ron’) and the masses we were able to attend, must receive our thanks. And so I’ll try and answer a question you may be asking: ‘Why go on a pilgrimage with the Catholic Pictorial?’ The customer ethos and care is at the centre of the trip. From the preparation before the pilgrimage (including a meeting and pre-pilgrimage ‘getting to know you’ Mass), the updates on our journey, practicalities, and our postpilgrimage 1:1 feedback of our experiences. In the coming month we shall also have a group reunion Mass to express our thanks for our safe and spiritually rewarding pilgrimage.
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Bishop Malone’s Silver Celebration On Thursday 3 July Bishop Vincent Malone celebrated his Episcopal Silver Jubilee. He was ordained Bishop on that date in 1989 by Archbishop Derek Worlock in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, and it was to the same Cathedral that he returned this year on Sunday 6 July to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving. Speaking of vocation Bishop Malone said, ‘Why has the Lord done us the honour of allowing us to represent the whole Church community at Sunday Mass? I don’t know. Why has the Lord chosen me within the community of the Church to serve the Church as a Bishop? I don’t know. What I do know is that each of us must co-operate as best we can with our calling, with our responsibility. I hope that today is an occasion for everyone present to say, “Thanks be to God for the vocation he has given me.” Not just over a special period but every day since the day of our birth.’ Bishop Malone concluded the Mass by saying; ‘...go home rejoicing with my thanks for your being here today’.
‘Amazing years of loving service’
On the Feast of the Sacred Heart Archbishop Malcolm celebrated Mass in the Metropolitan Cathedral with priests who are celebrating Jubilees this year. Although not all were able to be present there are in total seven Silver Jubilee celebrations; one Ruby; two Golden; seven Diamond and one Platinum. In addition Bishop Vincent
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Malone was marking his Episcopal Silver Jubilee, making a total of 830 years of priestly ministry in the Archdiocese. Archbishop Malcolm welcomed the congregation to the ‘joyous occasion’ which he described as ‘an opportunity to celebrate the priesthood and give thanks to almighty God for that gift of
his love’. He concluded by paying tribute to those celebrating years of faithful service saying, ‘My brothers, jubilarians, those of you who have served so faithfully, so lovingly and for so long, I congratulate you and I honour you for the amazing years of loving service you have given to the Church’.
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sunday reflections On a liturgical note These are slightly quieter weeks in the lives of our parishes – the schools are on summer break, the Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes is over, and many of the parish and pastoral area meetings are in abeyance until September. Yet sacramentally, all is still busy, with marriages to be celebrated, funerals if called upon, and perhaps baptisms. Visits to the sick and to the hospital continue, Sunday and weekday Masses… the round of parish requirements may reduce over these next weeks, but it never comes to a complete standstill! So a word of thanks to all those who will ensure that in our Parishes the telephones will still be answered, the sick visited and those seeking the sacraments will still be catechised, prayed with and welcomed. In the middle of the month we keep the Solemnity of the Assumption (Friday 15 August) and on this Holy Day our thoughts are centred not only on the singular privilege given to Our Blessed Lady of being Mother of the Word made Flesh (the Theotokos, Bearer of God) but also on the call to each and every one of us to live out Mary’s song of Praise, her Magnificat,
Sunday thoughts We speak of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Could I propose an eighth gift? It is when the Spirit intervenes to override my rash judgements. I frequently make assumptions about a person’s lack of faith only to discover that they are closer to God than I am. The Holy Spirit refuses to be limited by my petty prejudices. I am in good company. Jesus changes his mind about people in the Gospels. People make demands but his initial refusal to help them is worn down by their persistence. Matthew’s Gospel for 17 August is a good example. Jesus ignores the pleas of a woman whose daughter is possessed. ‘He answered her not a word.’ Pressed further, he insists: ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ It is a response worthy of an official at the Benefits Office but the Canaanite women gets under his radar by the confidence with which she gives as good as she gets.
Canon Philip Gillespie
in our daily lives: ‘The Almighty has done great things for us and Holy is His Name.’ The Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer on this Feast speaks clearly of the important position of Mary in our own spiritual journey, our living-out of the Christian vocation we have all received in baptism: ‘For today the virgin Mother of God was assumed into heaven as the beginning and image of your Church’s coming to perfection, and a sign of sure hope and comfort to your pilgrim people.’ We are all members of that ‘pilgrim people’ and in our journeying and learning each day we ask that the prayer and example of Mary, Mother of the Lord may assist us and that we may always serve the Lord with gladness:
Beneath your compassion, We take refuge, O Mother of God: do not despise our petitions in time of trouble: but rescue us from dangers, only pure, only blessed one.
Mgr John Devine OBE
In one of his parables Jesus describes how a householder who has retired for the night is reluctant to answer the door to a neighbour in need. Persistence rather than charity prompts him to respond. Is this story autobiographical? Maybe it is a lesson learnt from Jesus’s own experience. Should I baptise the children of nonpractising parents? I cave in to get people off my back. Is my inability to maintain a firm line lazy or enlightened? Is it the work of the Holy Spirit? Pope Francis says: ‘Frequently we act as arbiters of grace rather than its facilitators. But the Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems.’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 47)
Everyday God Saint Teresa of Avila once wrote a prayer which, since her death in 1582, has been translated into hundreds of languages, put to music and used by countless theologians and spiritual directors. It is a very simple prayer:
Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks, Compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world Christ has no body now but yours. The Gospels were written years after the death of Jesus. What had happened to those communities during those years was that they recognised in their midst the presence of Jesus. He was acting within their community not in some vague spiritual sense but in the community of believers. He was with them in so far as they were willing to love one another, forgive one another, not judge or condemn one another. He was with them in so far as they were able to be peace makers and healers. In some senses we have lost that awareness of the risen Jesus in our midst, touching and sanctifying humanity. We would rather look outside ourselves at holy things than within to discover the risen Lord. We would rather look into the sky to find Jesus than to look at our brother or sister. I have often wondered why we spend so much time looking outside of the ordinary and I guess it is because to find Jesus in the midst of the community is not an easy task. It calls for faithfulness to those around us when we least want to be faithful. It calls for a willingness to believe in the goodness of another person. It demands that at times we be weak and vulnerable and willing to trust. It is a difficult road to travel but it is what spirituality is about. Anything that divorces us from the human and stops us finding the God in our midst is not a real spirituality. Look into your lives and discover God. Reflect on every encounter that you have and you will see the face of Christ and know his presence with you always – yes, to the end of time Fr Chris Thomas
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what’s on august
World citizens of future inspired by Liverpool Hope congress ‘Faith in action’ is how one impressed teacher summed up the impact of the inaugural Young People’s Congress for World Citizenship which took place at Liverpool Hope University in July. The three-day event, marking the 30th anniversary of the Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ), brought together over 70 pupils from 11 schools from Merseyside, Stoke-on-Trent, Leamington Spa and London with the goal – according to Professor Bill Chambers, the congress organiser – ‘to meet one another, learn from one another and support one another in their vocation as world citizens’. The Congress opened with a keynote speech on 10 July by Liverpool writer Frank Cottrell Boyce on Justice, Equality and Cooperation – the first name on a list of speakers also including John Battle, the former MP; Andrea Hope, a black rap poet from the United States; and Ivana Gabolova, a visiting speaker from the Anne Frank House, Amsterdam. The 14 and 15-year-olds present were encouraged not just to listen but to participate by talking and expressing their opinions, according to Professor Chambers. ‘It was something quite new for them, acting like adults at a conference rather than listening and getting taught,’ he explained, and so ‘unbelievably successful’ was the congress that there is already talk of repeating the event in 2015 when it is hoped more Liverpool schools will take part. The local schools involved were Sacred Heart, Crosby; St Peter and Paul, Halton; St Peter’s, Orrell; St Vincent’s School for the Blind; and Broadgreen International. They took part in discussions on themes including asylum seekers, cyber bullying, disability, freedom of speech, homelessness, teenage mental health, travelling people and conflict resolution. Themes were explored through music, dance, art, poetry, drama, photography, film and other workshop activities supported by Merseyside arts organisations. There were also visits to community projects which exemplified The Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25: 35-36 ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…’). These included a homeless shelter, a nursing home, a food bank and a women’s refuge. Another highlight of a memorable event, meanwhile, was a debate on whether 16-year-olds should be able to vote, which was held in the council chamber at Liverpool Town Hall, introduced by Lord Mike Storey and concluded by Stephen Twigg MP.
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Saturday 2 August to Saturday 9 August Thinking Faith: ‘Catholic Social Teaching’. A holiday, study week, prayer and community for Catholics in their 20s-40s. Boarbank Hall, Allithwaite, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7NH. Details Tel: 01539 532288. Email: margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk. Web: www.boarbankhall.org.uk Saturday 2 August Organ Recital By David Hardie (RNCM 2013 Recital Prize winner). 2.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Admission free; retiring collection. Sunday 3 August Mass to mark the hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Saturday 9 August Organ Recital By David Holroyd (Director of Music, Merchant Taylors’ School, Crosby). 2.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Admission free; retiring collection. Saturday 23 August Organ Recital By Gary Desmond (Deputy Organist Bath Abbey). 2.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Admission free; retiring collection. Monday 25 August The Annual Pilgrimage in honour of Blessed Dominic Barberi, CP held in The Church of St Anne and Blessed Dominic Sutton, St Helens WA9 3ZD. Mass at 12.00 noon. Chief celebrant: Bishop William Kenney CP. Refreshments afterwards in the parish centre. Saturday 30 August Organ Recital By Anthony Hammond (Cirencester). 2.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Admission free; retiring collection.
Looking ahead: September 2014 Wednesday 3 September UCM Bi-monthly Mass 7.30 pm at St Clare, Arundel Avenue, Liverpool, L17 2AU. Saturday 6 September Organ Recital By Charlotte Rowan (Organ Scholar) with Richard Lea and Christopher McElroy. 2.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Admission free; retiring collection. Saturday 13 September to Saturday 20 September Thinking Scripture: ‘The Gospel of Matthew’. A holiday and study week at Boarbank Hall, Allithwaite, Grange over Sands, Cumbria, LA11 7NH. Details Tel: 01539 532288. Email: margaret@boarbankhall.org.uk. Web: www.boarbankhall.org.uk Saturday 1 November Embrace Liverpool 2014 Youth Conference (16+) 10.00 am to 6.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Youth Mass at 4.00 pm. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Speakers include: John Pridmore, Father Dermott Donnelly, Sister Catherine Holum, Lord David Alton, Sister Maria Natella, Ken McCabe and Father Duncan McVicar. Free admission, register at www.embrace-liverpool.org.uk Further information Tel: 0151 440 2015
More details at : www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk or www.catholicpic.co.uk
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Support for Divorced and Separated People in the Archdiocese Pope Francis describes the Church as ‘the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems’. Many people who experience family breakdown express a deep seated sense of isolation and rejection and this can influence their feelings about their position in the Church. The Liverpool Archdiocese led the way in addressing this issue. The then Father Vincent Nichols chaired a committee which prepared a report on the needs of separated and divorced Catholics for the National Pastoral Congress held here in 1980. Support groups opened in the archdiocese in 1982. Twice a year the Marriage and Family Life section of the Pastoral Formation Department offers a series of six weekly meetings for people who are divorced, in the middle of family breakdown, or at the end of a long term relationship. Here
they can meet in a confidential, structured and non-judgemental setting and talk, reflect and pray together. Our hope is that the support and the accurate information they receive will encourage them to continue going to Mass and to confide in their parish priest as well as helping them through a difficult period. We still occasionally meet people who have been misinformed by family members or other parishioners that as soon as they are divorced they will be unable to receive Holy Communion. Most who come to the groups are practising Catholics; other Christians are welcome to attend. Numbers are limited to make it easy for people to talk. There is a large age range, from people in their twenties to those, sadly now increasing in number, who have been married for over thirty years. Some have not made a final decision about their relationship while others have been alone for many
years but still feel they have not come to terms with their situation and their position in the Church. Two whole day meetings take place on Saturdays for people who cannot attend in the evenings. Continued contact is available and there is one-to-one support for anyone who does not wish to attend a group. The meetings are run by trained facilitators, some of whom are themselves divorced. The next series of meetings starts on Monday, 15 September in south Liverpool, and is preceded by a one day meeting on Saturday 13 September. For more information about these meetings contact Frances Trotman, Tel: 0151 727 2195. For general information contact Maureen O’Brien, Coordinator for Marriage and Family Life, at LACE, Tel: 0151 522 1044, email m.obrien@rcaol.co.uk
Celebrating our work with children The Annual Mass, celebrating the work done with and for children in the Archdiocese, changed venue from the Metropolitan Cathedral to St Mary’s, Lowe House in St Helens and gave many families the opportunity to meet Archbishop Malcolm for the first time. The venue meant that children and their families could take part in preparations before the Mass and a picnic afterwards in the beautiful garden. The theme of the Mass was to ‘Trust in Jesus’ so children were asked to draw their faces on paper disks and on the reverse to write one worry or concern that they would like to ‘give to Jesus’. The Gospel included ‘Come to me with your worries and troubles and I will take care of you.’ After hearing this, the children were invited to paste their disks on an image of children approaching Jesus, so that the worries were hidden and the faces were turned to the congregation. Children also made ‘shakers’ from empty bottles so they could join in the lively music provided by St Basil’s
Widnes. Servers came from St Basil, St Philomena and All Saints’ parishes, and readers from Christ the King and Our Lady’s parish in Liverpool. The lovely weather meant that families were able to stay and enjoy the picnics they had brought while Archbishop
Malcolm spent time meeting parishioners from across the Archdiocese. If you would like to be involved in the preparation for next year’s Mass please contact the Safeguarding Department on 0151522 1043.
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profile
The link between Lourdes pilgrimages present and past by Simon Hart JOHN Fahey still remembers the sight that greeted him at Lime Street Station when, as a wide-eyed teenager, he prepared to depart on his first Liverpool Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes. ‘All the stretchers were lined up waiting to be put into ambulance coaches. They were green coaches which had been used in World War One and there was a brass plaque on the carriage with the maximum number of horses or men.’ It is a reminiscence which underlines the passage of years since that first journey made to the Marian shrine in the French Pyrenees by Liverpool Hospitalité’s longest-serving brancardier. Today John is 71 and this year’s pilgrimage – which he made along with his brother Paul and daughter Jenny – was his 57th in succession. ‘It is like nothing on earth being there,’ says the former deputy head teacher at Our Lady and St Swithin’s primary school in Gilmoss who – via his impressive longevity – is maintaining an unbroken family presence on Liverpool pilgrimages dating back to the very first one in 1923. After his grandfather, Christopher Maguire, had visited Lourdes in 1913, his mother Margaret and, in particular, aunt Bonnie became stalwarts of the pilgrimage in its formative years. John, a parishioner at Our Lady and All Saints in Parbold, explains: ‘My aunt was one of the founders of the pilgrimage in 1922. It was formed by Liverpool and Lancaster university graduates and undergraduates – they were the nucleus that started the Handmaids and Brancardiers’ Association that took people to Lourdes.’ So it was that John became enrolled in
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John Fahey
the summer of 1958. He attended many pilgrimages as a young man with his three brothers and stirring his memories is like opening a time capsule of the Lourdes pilgrimage as it once was – starting with that epic overland journey. ‘Today they cannot take the amount of stretcher cases that we used to but the people we took were very sick. We used to take up to 25 stretcher cases and that was by train and boat. It was a hell of a job doing that on a long 27-hour journey but everyone gelled on those long journeys and by the time you go to Lourdes, you knew all the sick. ‘Imagine a pilgrimage without Liverpool Youth helpers,’ he continues. ‘There were only about 50 brancardiers to do all the jobs in Lourdes and we would take the stretchers and wheelchairs down to the grotto. We’d be doing three trips. It was tough. It is a doddle now
compared to what it was!’ It was a different world in so many respects. ‘The chief branc was a guy called Jim Seagraves and he wouldn’t allow anyone in the women’s ward who wasn’t married,’ he remembers, before one particularly striking anecdote evokes an era less preoccupied by health and safety requirements. ‘If [sick pilgrims] died on the journey back, when we came to Calais or Boulogne, we would put them on a stretcher and rig up a drip, and doctors and nurses would accompany the stretcher on board. If not the train would be stopped.’ Much has changed, for better or worse, but for John – who goes on his own ‘another three times a year’ to volunteer with the international Hospitalité – the lure of Lourdes is undiminished. ‘It is a wonderful place,’ he says and his family history tells you he really does mean it.
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youth ministry
Our clothes show preaches message of conversion By Father Simon Gore AT the same time that the schools were finishing for the year and minds were wandering to the summer holidays, at Animate we were gearing up for the pilgrimage season. Over 450 young people travelled to Lourdes this year to help serve the sick and you will hear more about the pilgrimage in next month’s edition. Among that ministry of service, the youth pilgrimage had its own liturgies that we hope will have helped focus the minds of the young people present to what pilgrimage is about. This year, in a slightly bizarre twist, our focus was on clothes. ‘Why clothes?’ you may ask, so let me try to explain. I have clothes that I like to wear. And I have clothes that I prefer not to wear but at times have to. I have clothes that I feel comfortable in, and I have clothes I cannot wait to get out of. I think most of us feel the same. Maybe we cannot wait to get out of school uniform, or to take our tie off at the end of a long day. Or perhaps we want to slip into slippers and out of those shoes that have crippling our feet. Clothes, then, are an essential part of who we are. Our
clothes can reflect our mood, and they can say something about our personality. Someone else may have exactly the same T-shirt, but that T-shirt does not have the same memories imbued with it that yours does. It has not been to the same places that yours has. It might look the same, but it is not your T-shirt. We asked each youth pilgrim to bring to Lourdes one such item: an item of clothing that has been worn and has memories attached to it. We started this collection at the departure Mass at Lowe House last month. With this collection, all those individual memories were brought together. They are no longer alone. They have come together, and in coming together they formed a new whole. They formed a heart at the front of the church. We sang in our opening hymn of the Mass that we wanted to have the eyes of our heart opened to better see the Lord. And similarly, at
Communion we sang that we wanted our heart opened to be able to love like the Lord. By going on pilgrimage we want to become more like the Lord. We want to be able to see and act as He would do. Yet it can be difficult to know how to do that. We might even feel alone and might feel pressured by the world around us telling us to behave and act in a certain way that seems at odds with what we think the Lord would want. By bringing our clothes to Mass and then taking them to Lourdes, we are reminded that we are not alone in our journey, our pilgrimage, to have our hearts opened. We all brought a part of ourselves to Mass, and we took a part of ourselves to Lourdes. And we pray that the person that goes to Lourdes is changed, just as our clothes are moulded into a new form. In Lourdes we used the clothes at each youth Mass and formed a new symbol at each Mass, reminding ourselves of the need to be constantly re-formed by the grace of God: converted into what the Lord wants us to be (taking to heart the theme of Lourdes this year – ‘the joy of conversion’). The plan at the end of the pilgrimage is to pass on these clothes – formed and re-formed in their time in Lourdes – to various charities around the Diocese. We pray that our time in Lourdes will have allowed us to be re-formed and converted by the grace of God, sending us back into the world in our own communities to act as servants to all. www.animateyouth.org Facebook: Ani Mate Twitter: @animateyouth
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justice & peace
Looking back 100 years By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker The centenary of the outbreak of World War One falls on 4 August. We have already had massive media coverage of WWI on TV, the radio and in the newspapers.
One member had the great idea that we could hold events in parishes based around the BBC programme ‘Days that shook the world – The Christmas truce’ about the informal truce in the trenches during
woman’s Irish father who was sent from France to put down the Easter rising in Dublin;
Christmas 1914. This has been a great success.
Benedict’s is a memorial to the fallen of WWI as well as being the second largest mosaic in the country. The foundation stone was laid only a few days after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and a few days before the declaration of war.
in Warrington we learned that the whole of the high altar in St
So much so that when the Justice and Peace Commission devoted last month’s Annual Assembly to the question of how we should commemorate this anniversary, several people groaned: ‘Oh no! Not again! I’m fed up with hearing about it.’ I understand their reaction. When the Commission decided to make remembrance one of the priorities for the year, we were aware that the media would be in overdrive about the subject and we wanted to provide some sort of balance to the ‘our brave boys’ approach to commemoration.
So far we have visited eight different venues, including the university chaplaincy in Liverpool, a URC church in Wigan, the Brothers of Charity in Wavertree, and five different Catholic parishes across the diocese. The film touches people’s emotions, which is important because we learn as much with our hearts as we do with our heads. If we were more horrified by war we would be less likely to get drawn into it. People have told some very interesting stories in the conversations after the film show. In Portico we were told of a family who sold their grandfather’s medals awarded after WWI to fund a maternity hospital in Africa; in Leigh we heard of a
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At the Assembly we were encouraged to see the point of view of all the countries involved in WWI and to extend this awareness to the complexities of modern conflicts such as are taking place in the Middle East and Ukraine. It gives me a shock when I suddenly realise that the way I look at the world depends very much on where I am standing. No matter what we do, WWI happened. It cannot be stopped. However, future conflicts can be avoided if we can learn some lessons. Let us hope it is not true that the only thing we ever learn from history is that we never learn from history.
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College help Fr Roy celebrate ordination Notre Dame Catholic College was the venue for the reception after the ordination of Father Roy Cooper on Saturday 12th July 2014. The congregation at the ordination came back to the college for refreshments and entertainment provided by the college choir. Mrs Frances Harrison, Headteacher at Notre Dame welcomed the visitors who included Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, Father Michael Fitzsimmons, Parish Priest of St John’s Catholic Church and Father Roy.
Bellerive pays its respects Students and staff from Bellerive FCJ Catholic College visited the World War One battlefields and cemeteries of France and Belgium during a recent trip. Mr McVeigh, Head of Histroy picks up the story: “We left Bellerive on Saturday 28th June at 6am, arriving at our hotel in Ypres in the early evening. We spent Sunday visiting sites in Northern France. The girls were particularly taken with the Thiepval memorial, listing the names of over 50,000 soldiers missing as a result of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. We got a great insight into the harsh realities of trench warfare when we visited the excavated trenches at Vimy Ridge where thousands of Canadian soldiers perished. “On Monday 30th June, we visited several museums near Ypres and in the afternoon, laid a wreath at Tyne Cot cemetery, where over 11,000 soldiers are buried with over 60% of the identities of the soldiers in the graves unknown. We conducted a brief service and offered up our prayers for all the dead of all wars. As ever, our students were excellent ambassadors for Bellerive and the FCJ values."
Last Night of the Proms Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College brought the curtain down on the Cedar Road site when we presented our annual summer concert, ‘Last Night of the Proms’. This was the last event at the present College before they move to their new campus on Long Lane. The Sports Hall came alive with flags of red, white and blue on Thursday 10 July. This was the eleventh ‘Last Night of the Proms’ concert organised by Director of Music, Bruce Hicks. The College Concert Band were on top form, playing at their best. They were joined by their partner primary school pupils, the award winning Chamber Choir, College Dance Ensemble and Training Band. All the favourites of the ‘Last Night of the Proms’ made up part of the concert as well as the usual combination of comedy, fun and fine music! An appropriate and emotional finale was the ‘Lowering of the Flag Ceremony’ when the college flag was lowered for the last time, meanwhile, the College band and trumpeters sound the ‘Evening Hymn and Last Post.’ The College Piper, Mr Ken Beamer and associates followed this with the performance of the, ‘Highland Cathedral’ and ‘Auld Lang Syne’ bringing the curtain down on an amazingly successful period of service by the College to the local community, and a celebration of yet another year of outstanding musical achievement at the College. The evening was compered by Ellis Howard and Michael McNulty who added their own style to the evening.
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cathedral
Lest we forget As we commemorate one hundred years since the outbreak of the First World War, the embroiderers are busy in the Metropolitan Cathedral Studio producing a new altar frontal to commemorate the centenary of the start of the War. The Frontal was inspired by two poems by the war poets, ‘In Flander's Fields’ by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel Jon McCrae written in May 1915, the opening stanza of which is:
‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.’ The design of the frontal portrays a lone cross, set against a sea of poppies and cornflowers, in the shadow of a tree stuck by lightning. It is symbolic: the flowers, the poppies of remembrance of the United Kingdom, and the cornflower, the flower of remembrance of France, total 55 in number: one flower for each of the 10,000 men who died on Flanders Field. They are in the shadow of the tree, struck down in its prime, what was once living, now dead, but still there as silent presence. ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ was written in 1917 by Wilfred Owen, who lived in Birkenhead. It was published posthumously in 1920 following the poet’s death in action on 4 November 1918 just a week before the signing of the Armistice. Anti war in sentiment the poem describes the death of a soldier following a gas attack and has the final stanza: ‘If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his
face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin; If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori.’ The use of the phrase 'Dulce et Decorum est, pro patria mori’ is used on two levels. The literal translation ‘It is fine and noble
Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean
At the time of writing I am just trying to negotiate with the Council how we can get access for wedding cars to the Cathedral at the same time that ‘The Giants’ are passing the building with all the crowds and subsequent road closures. Not as simple a process as it sounds, nor am I looking for ward to a bride in tears on her wedding day if she has to fight through crowds on foot to make her procession into the Cathedral. Anyway the ‘Giants’ are one of the ways the City is marking the hundredth anniversar y of the star t of the First World War. We mark the anniversar y with the Celebration of Mass at 11.00 am on Sunday 3rd August celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm. Not only does it give us an oppor tunity to remember and recall the enormous sacrifice and loss of life associated with this war it provides us with an oppor tunity to pray for peace par ticularly in the light of the current conflicts and tensions that there are in par ts of the world at present.
to die for one's country’, when read in conjunction with 'Lest We Forget' on the cross, reminds us that these men made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. To those who know the Wilfred Owen poem, and it's anti-war message, when read in conjunction with the 'Lest We Forget' on the cross, it reminds us that we should never forget the carnage of the battlefield and the horrors that an entire generation of young men endured. The design, when completed will be used in the various World War One commemoration services over the next four years, and also on Remembrance Sunday.
You are welcome to join us for this mass. Indeed if you are not going away during August why not visit the Cathedral for mass on one of the Sundays during the holiday period. The building is at its best in the summer months and the liturgies are much simpler and slightly shor ter during these few weeks. Let’s hope we all have a quieter time during the month of August and in our different ways, an oppor tunity to recharge the batteries.
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Pic extras Mums the Word The theme of our July bi-monthly Mass at All Saints, Anfield was world peace. The Mass was celebrated by Father Stephen Maloney in the absence of Fr Mark Madden, and Fr Stephen was joined by Mgr John Butchard and Fr Frank Fearns. Peace is a simple five-letter word with a depth of meaning. The dictionary definition of peace is ‘quiet tranquility, mental calm, serenity, the cessation of war, freedom from war and from civil disorder’. When we look at our world today, peaceful is not a word we could apply to many areas. Our Lady has requested more than once that we say the rosary for world peace. I know that a number of foundations do include the rosary in their foundation prayers as well as saying the prayer for peace that I included in this column a few months ago. Perhaps this is something we could all do, even if it is only one decade. When we read about conflicts in other parts of the world or see reports on the television, we realise how lucky we are in this country and in our city. In the main we live peacefully with our neighbours regardless of their race, creed or colour. We, in the Union of Catholic Mothers, have friendly connections with the Mothers Union in the Church of England and with Ladies of the Jewish Community. They attended our Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral in June and we attend the MU gathering and the Jewish Civic Service, and there is socialising with their local groups at foundation level. I wish you all peace in your families and communities and look forward to seeing you all at our Mass at St Clare’s on 3 September at 7.30pm. Best wishes for a happy and peaceful summer. God Bless, Ann Hogg, Media Officer
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News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba
Following in St Columba’s footsteps September will be a busy month for the KSC in Liverpool. In early September Liverpool province members will be visiting Scotland along with friends and family and a highlight of the trip will be to spend some time on the island of Iona, the place where our patron Saint Columba landed from Ireland in the sixth century to found a monastery and subsequently bring Christianity to Scotland. We will be giving a full account of the visit next month. Council 9 members, meanwhile, will be undertaking their annual charity walk on Sunday 28 September. This year all contributions will be donated to the Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust (HCPT) and members of the council will be seeking donations by means of special envelopes distributed at churches in South Liverpool. • Our Lady’s Star of the Sea in Seaforth was the location for the admissions ceremony of three new members of the order on 13 July. Tom Connell, Philip Brougham and Bernard Gajewski were installed as members during the 11am Mass by
the team of Father Tom Wood, John Hamilton, Peter Kinsey, Pat Foley, Michael Nolan and John Church. We are grateful once again to Fr Tom for letting us hold the ceremony at Our Lady’s, and for the warm welcome we always receive and the provision of refreshments after Mass. Our picture shows the three new members with provincial officers. • We are continuing our search for new members and our next recruitment initiative will be at St Columba’s, Huyton this month. We thank Fr Chris McCoy, the parish priest, for providing us with the opportunity to conduct a pulpit appeal which will take place at Masses on the weekend of 27 and 28 September. • We extend our apologies to Birkenhead council 51 members for the omission of their photo, which should have appeared in last month’s edition in the article focused on the excellent work they do in managing the Tuesday Club for the Less Able in Wirral Area. Websites: www.ksc.org.uk and www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com
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Craig Lodge Retreat Centre
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PIC Life How we live with the pain of bereavement By Moira Billinge No matter how advanced our society might be, when a loved one dies there is no flick of a switch or key on a computer which bypasses grief. We may be able to delay it a little while we are kept busy with all the necessary preparations for burial etc but, sooner or later, there is the inevitable sadness of knowing that we will not see that person again – at least in this life. Grief is a normal reaction to the death of a loved one. In reality, the gutwrenching emotions feel anything but ‘normal’. Nothing prepares us for the ferocious pain of loss and the stark realisation that nothing will ever again be the same. The fact that the person who has died may have been ill for a while and that death is anticipated does not diminish our grief when it finally happens. Knowing that a person is living on borrowed time makes us savour more deeply the moments that we have left with them. When death happens suddenly, it brings with it the additional burden of our not having been able to say goodbye or patch up an argument, and we can feel cheated out of a final, precious opportunity to say, ‘I love you’. A popular prayer begins with the words ‘Death is nothing at all’. That is not true. It also shrugs off the significance of death as if it were nothing more 28
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Favourite Prayer for August Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with you Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus Holy Mary Mother of God Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death Amen
Please send your favourite prayer to: Barbara, Catholic Pictorial, 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS
Worth a visit
than an inconvenient interruption to the daily routine. Death is something which turns life upside down, inside out and back to front. With the best will in the world, to describe death as nothing at all stretches piety to its limits. The death of someone we dearly love is a massive event for those who are left behind. Jesus wept at the death of his good friend Lazarus. His compassionate understanding of the sorrow of Martha and Mary at the loss of their beloved brother was so great that, despite Lazarus having been buried for four days, Jesus brought him back to life. Our Christian belief in life after death does not spare us from the agony of loss. Neither is grief a sign of weakness. Instead, our faith gives us hope, which, in turn, helps to give our lives some balance. We know and accept that while we would like God to bring back a loved one from the dead, it is not going to happen. That person has moved from the here and now of this world into the timelessness of eternity. As Christians, we trust that, enfolded by our prayers, the one we love has merely stepped across the divide between the ups and downs of this life into the life and happiness with God which is beyond our imagining. God will lead us through the suffering of bereavement. The dead are only as far away as God… who is so close.
As we prepare for the feast of the Assumption, plan a visit to a well-known Marian shrine in Portugal, writes Lucy Oliver. It was in Fatima that three shepherd children were visited by ‘the Lady of the Rosary’. Lucia de Jesus dos Santos and her younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, were scrutinised by the local authorities for their claims about the apparitions and messages received but after the Miracle of the Sun on 13 October 1917 – witnessed by many – the Cova da Iria became a major centre of pilgrimage with two million people flocking there in the next decade. Pilgrims continue to visit and pray for a true conversion of heart to follow the teachings and example of Jesus. The site includes the Basilica and Chapel of the Apparitions and above the main entrance is the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, as described to the sculptor by Lucia, who joined first a convent in Spain, then a discalced Carmelite order in Portugal where she remained until her death in 2005. The simple family homes of Francisco and Jacinta in nearby Aljustrel, meanwhile, are largely unchanged and serve as a reminder that wherever we begin our journey, God is already waiting for us.
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join in Eating Out
Children’s word search We celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption on August 15 look at our word search to learn about this solemnity
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More Mullarkey From Johnny Kennedy Two of Father Mullarkey’s parishioners have twin boys, Tom and Stevie, who are high-spirited lads. If there is any mischief going on they are often the chief suspects. Last week a religious chap came to their school to talk to the assembled children. His opening gambit was ‘Where is God’, delivered in stern tones. And for good measure he repeated the question in equally stern tones: ‘Where is God?’ Tom looked at Stevie and whispered: ‘We’re in big trouble now... God’s missing and we’re gonna get the blame!’
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
Relax and enjoy the month of August. If you are having a drive out you might like to stop at one of our listed eating places. Derby Arms Prescot Road, Aughton, Ormskirk 01695 422237 Farmers Arms Chorley Road, Bispham 01257 464640 Yew Tree Dill Hall Brow, Heath Charnock, Chorley 01257 480344 Brook House Inn Barmiskin Lane, Heskin 01257 451314 The Crown Platt Lane, Worthington, Standish 0800 686678 Eagle & Child Singleton Road, Weeton Village, Kirkham 01253 836230
Greeting Cards from the Carmelite Monastery
Beautiful cards for: First Holy Communion & Confirmation cards and new range of Mass cards now available. Ordination Anniversary of Ordination and all occasions are on sale at: The Carmelite Monastery
Anyone interested in receiving the audio copy should contact Kevin Lonergan Tel: 01772 744148 or 01772 655433 (home).
Maryton Grange Allerton Road Liverpool L18 3NU Please contact the Monastery card office on 0151 724 7102. Email: marytoncards@outlook.com
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St. Julie s Catholic High School Serve the good God well, with much liberty of Spirit
Open Evening Thursday 25th September 3.30pm - 6.00pm
Parents, carers and pupils have outstanding confidence in the school. Archdiocesan Inspection, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this visit and I am very impressed! An excellent insight into the school. Our guide was brilliant! Quotes from parents at our Open Evening, July 2014
www.stjulies.org.uk
St. Julie s Catholic High School Speke Road Woolton Liverpool L25 7TN t. 0151 428 6421 email info@stjulies.org.uk
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