Cathpic feb 2015 by Educate Magazine

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:22 Page 1

Issue 125 FEBRUARY 2015

LIVING JOYFULLY AT THE CATHEDRAL ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL

FREE

Celebrating unity in Crosby INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Nightfever comes to Liverpool

Affirming marriage and family life

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:22 Page 2

Lourdes

Medjugorje

Easter departures

by air from Manchester

7 days by coach, no overnight travel 01st April & 05th April Excellent hotels, full board in Lourdes

8 days half board Departs 30th April & 09th July Accommodation very close to St James Church

£475 per person

Call now for a full colour brochure

£550 per person

Lourdes by air from Manchester 5 days various dates throughout 2015 Full board in excellent 3* hotels - Wine with lunch & dinner Full pilgrimage programme arranged by Options Tour Manager £525 per person *Weekends also available* 6515

2015 Pilgrimages to Lourdes * Rome * Assisi * The Holy Land * Poland * Fatima CALL NOW FOR A FREE FULL COLOUR BROCHURE 768 Manchester Road | Castleton | Rochdale OL11 3AW

Catholic Pictorial

0844 8551844

www.options-travel.co.uk

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:22 Page 3

contents Welcome As the month of February begins there are a number of major celebrations taking place in the Archdiocese. Next Friday ‘Living joyfully’ begins at the Metropolitan Cathedral, it has been organised as part of the Year of Consecrated Life which began in Advent, and will offer an insight into the life and work of Religious Orders in our Archdiocese and beyond. Friday is aimed at school years 10-13 while Saturday is open to all but especially young people. The exhibitions will remain in place for Sunday morning giving those attending the annual Mass for Marriage and Family Life a chance to see them. At this celebration Family Bibles are exchanged and every aspect of married life is remembered in prayer. Our main feature this month concentrates on marriage and family life in preparation for the Synod in Rome in October and all are invited to contribute. Animate Youth Ministries bring Nightfever to Liverpool next Saturday evening beginning with Mass at 5.40 pm in the Blessed Sacrament Shrine. Later in the month there is the Annual Civic Mass at the Cathedral and Wednesday 18 February is Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of Lent. All these and more are in our ‘Whats On’ pages, please do take part if you can.

Contents

From the Archbishop’s Desk

Main Feature It’s time to talk about family life

Christians are used to laughing at their religion and themselves. Within limits we can enjoy a slightly irreverent joke about God, Jesus or the Pope as long as it is funny. Some of you may remember the TV programme That Was The Week That Was that was hosted by the late Sir David Frost. It was a no holds barred satirical commentary on the news and poked fun at everyone including the royal family. Spitting Image was in the same genre.

News From around the Archdiocese

There has been a long tradition of satire in Britain going back centuries and including plays, like Spencer’s Faerie Queen and famous periodicals such as Punch and Private Eye. A negative side to this satirical tradition is that the borderline between ‘funny’ and ‘insulting’ is very narrow, and that humour easily becomes mockery. One example of this was the TV series, Popetown, which reputedly portrayed the pope bouncing around the Vatican on a pogo stick. Quite rightly the BBC withdrew this, as it would have deeply offensive to Catholics.

18 Profile Richard Reid CSsR Living Joyfully

In the light of the recent murders in Paris it is now time for our society to seriously discuss what are the limits of our freedom of expression. We will find this hard to do as our society no longer has a common moral basis but it is urgent that we do so. We should remember that it is incumbent on Christians to be sensitive to the feelings of others and to respect their religions; we have to remember that not everyone is as thick skinned as we are.

15 Nugent News The Courtyard

16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese 19 Animate Youth Ministry How Animate gave me a sense of purpose 20 Justice and Peace A partnership Church 25 Cathedral Record Courses for all 26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC

Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool

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 Celebration of Unity: Jim Donnelly Advertising Andrew Rogers 0151 709 7567 Publisher 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS

14 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life

Copy deadline March issue 9 February 2015 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 Coughs and sneezes spread diseases… even in church! 29 Join In Family Fun More Mullarkey

Catholic Pictorial

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:22 Page 4

‘It’s time to talk about family life’ Archbishop Malcolm asks Liverpool Catholics to join in national discussion and reflection on marriage and family life By Simon Hart VERY February, the Metropolitan Cathedral is the venue for Liverpool Archdiocese’s Annual Mass for Marriage and Family Life. This year is no exception – the 2015 Mass takes place on Sunday 8th at 11am – yet it seems likely that the words of Archbishop Malcolm McMahon may resonate that little more deeply this time.

This is a significant year for the Church both nationally and internationally when it comes to marriage and family life. In mid-December, the Bishops of England and Wales published a document titled ‘The Call, The Journey and The Mission’, which invites Catholics in this country to reflect on these gifts. Archbishop Malcolm, in his subsequent pastoral letter on 28 December, the Feast of the Holy Family, issued his own call, urging his flock across Liverpool Archdiocese to take part in this important discussion on marriage and family life within their parishes. His invitation was not just to married couples but to all adult Catholics in the Archdiocese as he explained: ‘The views and experiences of married couples and single people, those who have had long and loving marriages, those have suffered the pain of divorce and separation, and those who have alternative lifestyles, are all necessary’. 4

Catholic Pictorial

The Archbishop requested that people respond quickly – ‘between now and Easter Sunday’ – to ensure that the resulting “deliberations can be compiled and submitted by Pentecost Sunday’ in May. The catalyst for this ‘conversation’ about marriage and family life was the special Synod of Bishops in Rome last October where the question of ‘Pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation’ came under consideration. The conversation will continue at this year’s meeting of the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October, which will address ‘The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and in the contemporary world’. ‘In this time between these two Synods, our Holy Father has asked us to reflect on both these themes with true spiritual discernment,’ said the Archbishop. In his pastoral letter, Archbishop Malcolm spelled out the importance of participation – and prayer during this period. ‘Think about the situation of the family today – your own family and families across our Diocese, country and world; pray for families and ask God to enlighten the Church so that we can work to support married couples and family life. Above all, pray for your own families, that they may be strengthened in love by the gift of God’s spirit. ‘It may also be useful for you to join

together in your parishes, praying together and discussing the issues that face the family today. I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to gather in your parishes, schools, chaplaincies and homes to have these conversations between now and Easter Sunday (5 April), so that your deliberations can be compiled and submitted by Pentecost Sunday (24 May). Your parish priest will be able to give you questions for discussion and other guidance that the Bishops of England and Wales have produced to help us. ‘The views and experiences of married couples and single people, those who have had long and loving marriages, those have suffered the pain of divorce and separation, and those who have alternative lifestyles, are all necessary for the Synod to discern, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, an effective pastoral approach for those called to marriage, as well as the role of marriage in the Church’s mission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness.’ As Archbishop Malcolm noted, the document from the Bishops of England and Wales – ‘The Call, The Journey and The Mission’ – provides a framework for those wishing to take part. It offers a series of readings and reflections from the Scriptures which are relevant to the different stages of marriage and family life. It also seeks to prompt reflection with the following set of questions: • What are your joys and hopes of marriage and family life today? • What are your struggles and fears of marriage and family life today? • How can we better understand marriage as a vocation? • How does your marriage enrich you?

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:22 Page 5

feature ‘Think about the situation of the family today – your own family and families across our Diocese’

• How does your family life enrich those around you? • In what way, through the abiding presence of God, is your family “salt of the earth and light to the world,” and a place of and for handing on our faith? Each of the above questions is accompanied by a quote from Pope Francis. In one such quote, from October 2013, the Pope reflected on the promises made in the Sacrament of Marriage. ‘At that moment, the couple does not know what will happen, nor what joys and pains await them,’ he said. ‘They are setting out, like Abraham, on a journey together. And that is what marriage is! Setting out and walking together, hand in hand, putting yourselves in the Lord’s powerful hands. Hand in hand, always and for the rest of your lives. And do not pay attention to this makeshift culture, which can shatter our lives.’ The Bishops have also produced an additional Reflection Document for the Clergy on Marriage and Family. This offers conclusions from the 2014 Synod final document as a means of guidance, and asks that people with ‘messy’ lives

Catholic Pictorial

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 6

feature

‘The Church must always defend the sanctity of human life, and support marriage and family life as the bedrock of society’ 6

Catholic Pictorial

receive ‘compassion and love’ from the Church.

account of difficulties, weakness and painful situations.” ’

It says: ‘The Synod final document from last October calls us to echo Jesus’ own approach to dealing with what we could see as the messiness of family life in the contemporary world; we are, like Jesus, to look “…upon the women and men (He met) with love and tenderness, accompanying their steps with patience and mercy, in proclaiming the demands of the Kingdom of God.” (Synod Document, 11).

It may be a bumpy road at times but Archbishop Malcolm said in his pastoral letter that those who travel it should not underestimate the importance of their ‘mission’. ‘The Church must always defend the sanctity of human life, and support marriage and family life as the bedrock of society,’ he said. ‘For this reason, I believe that married people have an important mission in the world.

‘The Synod does not shirk from the truth of the Gospel and the Kingdom, urging us to make the “demands of the Kingdom of God” but this must be accompanied with a compassion and love, seeing firstly persons who are loved by God and secondly their situations.

It would be good for you to reflect upon how your family, by the grace of God, is ‘salt of the earth’ and ‘light for the world’ (Matthew 5:13,14), a place of nurturing our young people, caring for our older people, and handing on the faith to our children and our neighbours.

‘As Saint John Paul II almost twenty years ago wrote in Veritatis splendor 95: “ …a clear and forceful presentation of moral truth can never be separated from a profound and heartfelt respect, born of that patient and trusting love which man always needs along his moral journey, a journey frequently wearisome on

‘I hope that your conversations will inspire your prayer and action on behalf of all families, especially your own. I join my heart and prayers with yours, asking God to bless all families, so that they may be a sign of God’s kingdom coming and his will being done on earth as it is in heaven.’

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 7

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 8

News diary If you’ve got any news from your parish that you’d like featured e-mail us with the details at: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk

Seminarians Mass of Thanksgiving by Thomas Clarke (Second Year Seminarian for the Archdiocese) On the Tuesday after Christmas

Archbishop Malcolm celebrated the annual Mass of Thanksgiving at Saint Charles Borromeo Church, Liverpool with our diocesan seminarians and

those discerning a vocation to the priesthood. The concelebrants included Bishop Tom Williams and Bishop Vincent Malone, also present were the Vocations Director, Father James Preston; Vocations Promoter, Father Simon Gore; Father Andrew Robinson, and Father Joe Kendall. At Mass the Archbishop confirmed two parishioners and preached about the radical call to service that every Christian must commit to. He thanked the seminarians for their ongoing commitment to formation for the priesthood and extolled the young to listen carefully to what God is asking of them. The Mass was followed by a buffet lunch in the presbytery where the bishops and seminarians were able to catch up with one another after a long year. There are currently nine men in formation for the priesthood, four of whom train at the Pontifical Beda College in Rome and five at Saint Mary’s Seminary Oscott. There are also several young men at school or university throughout the Archdiocese who continue to discern whether they are called to the priesthood. We would ask for your continued prayers for our seminarians as they set back to work at the start of a new year and you can now follow their journey on social media, on Facebook at /liverpoolvocations and on Twitter @LVocations

Celebration for Widnes Servers The Pastoral Area of St Charles Borromeo, Widnes, celebrated a Mass for Altar Servers at St Bede’s church. During the Mass five new servers, who had completed their training, were welcomed and six servers were enrolled into the Archconfraternity of St Stephen after having served faithfully for the past twelve months. Other senior servers received certificates to mark the many years of service that they have given to Catholic Church in Widnes.

The servers are pictured along with the priests of the Pastoral Area. Six servers make their promises as they are enrolled into the Guild of St Stephen

Catholic Pictorial

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 9

news diary Bishops visit Gaza Last month the Christian community of Gaza was the focal point of this year’s visit to the Holy Land by Bishops from across Europe, North America and South Africa in support of the local Christian communities; among those taking part was Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Kelly, who celebrated Mass at the Carmelite Monastery in Bethlehem. The Bishops also visited Sderot, an Israeli town hit by rockets fired from Gaza during the conflict, Bethlehem, where they prayed at the dividing wall, and Hebron. They returned to the Cremisan valley, where the planned building of an Israeli security wall threatens the livelihoods of over 50 Christian families and also visited Bethlehem University and the seminary in Beit Jala. The Bishops also met with His

Beatitude Patriarch Twal and the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Lanzarotto. At the end of their visit they called for human dignity to be the basis of peace saying, ‘We witnessed the tragic consequences of the failure of both local and international politicians to advance peace. Human dignity is given by God and is absolute. The ongoing conflict assaults the dignity of both Palestinians and Israelis, but in a particular way our commitment to the poor calls us to lift up the suffering people in Gaza. A year ago, we called Gaza “a man-made disaster, a shocking scandal, an injustice that cries out to the human community for a resolution.” In the wake of the terrible destruction caused by last year's war, our presence reminded the small Christian community that they are not forgotten’.

St Cecilia’s head girl Carissa Gonzaga, 10, opens the new school kitchen with local MP Stephen Twigg and headteacher Philippa Agate

State of the art kitchen at St Cecilia’s A Liverpool primary school is finally serving school dinners from its own kitchen thanks to a £165,000 project funded by the Archdiocese. St Cecilia’s Catholic Junior School, in Tuebrook now has its very own state-ofthe-art kitchens and four chefs to prepare healthy meals for pupils who previously had to be escorted to a nearby infant school or to St Cecilia’s Catholic Church because the school did not have any facilities to prepare meals.

Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Kelly celebrates Mass in Bethlehem Carmelite Monastery

The bishops at the dividing wall in Bethlehem

Headteacher Philippa Agate said: ‘We have an extra fifty children signed up for school dinners this term, and the opening of the kitchen also means the school can offer practical cookery lessons, which became part of the national curriculum in September. As well as teaching healthy eating, it cuts down on the time spent taking the pupils to the infant school. We had to take seventy children every day and sometimes in awful conditions with torrential rain, hail or snow and that has been going on for years.’ The school kitchen is creating a ‘much better experience’ for children, with school dinners and pupils with packed lunches no longer separated at lunchtimes. ‘They can eat together at the same time. We also have our own allotment and a food tech club and we can use the kitchen for school events for parents and the whole community. The children absolutely love being able to eat school dinners here,’ said Philippa.

Catholic Pictorial

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 10

news diary

Moving visit of Auschwitz Survivor Bishop Tom Williams was present at Alsop High school, Liverpool, to hear the moving testimony of Auschwitz survivor Zigi Shipper. The school held the Anne Frank Trust exhibition last month to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Bishop Paul Bayes opened the exhibition at a ceremony attended by Mr Ian Cohen, Chairman of Merseyside Jewish Representative Council and The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Erica Kemp. Zigi said that we cannot change the past, but we have the power to determine our future adding that many people ask him ‘How can I remember?’ to which he replies: ‘How can I forget when most of my family perished?’ In 1944, he was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, for some unknown reason, he did not have a number tattooed on his arm. But his striped pyjamas had the number 84303. People were dying from starvation and freezing to death. However, with the Russians advancing, Zigi and the rest of his group were sent on a death march, arriving in the German town of Neustadt.

He was liberated by the British Army on 3 May 1945. A few days later, he ended up in hospital for three months due to the effects of overeating after a long period of malnutrition. Once he left hospital, he was sent to a Displaced Persons’ Camp in Hamburg. Later this month Zigi will return

to Auschwitz for the 70th Anniversary of the liberation. He told the audience ‘I am not miserable, I am happy and I love people’ He concluded ‘We must not forget the 6,000,000 Jews who perished and we must not forget the other people who also perished in the Holocaust.’

Hamlet comes to Prescot Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School in Prescot, performed two special performances of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ in school at the end of last year and they were so successful that they were invited to perform again last month at their feeder secondary school St Edmund Arrowsmith Centre for Learning to their Key Stage 3 peers. An outstanding performance was appreciated by staff and students alike at St Edmund Arrowsmith and will

Catholic Pictorial

greatly assist in a smooth transition to the ‘big school’ having raised both the self-esteem of the Year 6 and the aspirations of their secondary peers. Head of St Edmund Arrowsmith, Brian King said, ‘I was pleased to be invited to a production of Hamlet performed by Our Lady's Catholic Primary School and was impressed by the quality of the performance and the obvious joy that students expressed by being on stage. Our students were very impressed and

enjoyed the production immensely. Well done to all at Our Lady's. They should be very proud of the children’s efforts.’ During October, they had performed this specially abridged version of our most celebrated bard’s tale, at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre as part of the National Schools Shakespeare Festival. The Year 6 pupils from Our Lady’s joined 1,000 other schools both primary and secondary by performing to a paying audience in one of 150 theatres across England. Having received rapturous applause at the Epstein the children had to wait patiently, due to regulations, for more than a calendar month before they were allowed to perform the play for a second time. Headteacher, Haydn Boyle, enthused: ‘How wonderful it is to be part of the UK’s largest youth drama festival which empowers our children by raising their self-esteem, develops our teachers’ skills and attracts new audiences to Shakespeare’s works. 2014 was a fitting time for this tribute as it marked the 450th anniversary of the “Bard’s” birth.’

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 11

news diary The Council of Churches Together in Crosby, which meets regularly and supports ecumenical events in the area, arrange a Service for Christian Unity each year during the annual Week of Prayer.

Celebration of Unity

Monsignor John Furnival (current Chair of the Council) suggested inviting the three Merseyside Church Leaders of the Catholic, Anglican and Free Churches to be present at the Unity Service on Sunday 18 January at 3.00 pm at the beginning of the Week of Prayer. That date was also observed as Peace Sunday. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, Bishop Paul Bayes and Reverend Dr. Sheryl Anderson (Chair of the Methodist District) all happily agreed to attend and to give a 5 minute Address during the Service at St Peter and St Paul’s church, Crosby. The Service was attended by about 350 people from Crosby, Waterloo, Blundellsands and other areas and was based on that offered by the Brazilian Churches for this year’s Week of Prayer throughout the world. As part of this Service the Gospel story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well (John Chapter 5) was read and the three Church Leaders reflected on this. In addition they spoke movingly about the influences on their own formation and their ecumenical journey and how they owed so much to people of other denominations. The called for a deeper appreciation of ecumenism, continuing dialogue with one another and the need to reflect on what had already been achieved on the road to unity. They emphasised the need to act courageously to overcome traditional barriers and divisions in the churches and to move forward where possible.

The Service as a whole was very well received and all took part very enthusiastically. Refreshments were served in the Parish Hall afterwards where people could meet the Church Leaders more informally. £750 was raised in the retiring Collection for the victims of the Ebola Crisis. The event was a great encouragement to all who have ecumenism at heart and for the local churches which look for inspiration and guidance on the way ahead for Christian Unity.

Catholic Pictorial

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 12

news diary Living Joyfully ‘Living Joyfully’ is the theme of a three day event to be held at Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King from Friday 6 February to Sunday 8 February 2015. The aim is to celebrate the many forms of Religious Life and to create an encounter between Religious and young people and the general public. The celebration is part of the Year of Consecrated Life called by Pope Francis and reflects the Holy Father’s own evident joy in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus. Friday 6 February is aimed at school years 10-13 and will offer an introduction to the different ‘flavours’ of consecrated life, live worship music, moments of prayer and reflection and discussion. Workshops will look at prayer, mission and justice, community life, making choices, priesthood, religious vows and the joy of the Gospel. Saturday 7 February is open to all,

especially young people, and offers an opportunity to meet religious, priests, and consecrated lay people to learn more about their lives and what inspires them. Again there will be discussion with topics including the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience; discernment; community life; faith and justice and prayer. The day will conclude with Mass at 6.30 pm celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Archbishop Malcolm says, ‘The gift of consecrated life, given by God to Religious, is such a powerful thing that it can actually change the world. We need to show people that being a Religious is joyful; that it is a way of being Christian that has great value in itself as well as being symbolic of the Kingdom of God.’ Throughout the two days, and on the morning of Sunday 8 February, there will be exhibitions in the Cathedral showing the work of the Religious Orders. On

Friday and Saturday those attending will hear presentations on religious life from Abbot Christopher Jamison OSB and Sister Lynne Baron FCJ before having the opportunity for discussion with a panel of people in religious life. Father Richard Reid CSsR is one of the organisers and says that it is time for those in religious life to share their joy in the Gospel, ‘We want people to know that we are here, to know that those in religious life belong very much in the present, not in the past. We need to share the fact that we live joyfully in response to God’s call in our lives.’ For further information email: LivingJoyfully2015@gmail.com

Nightfever comes to Liverpool The phenomenon known as Nightfever is set to come to Liverpool on the evening of Saturday 7 February when young people from Animate Youth Ministries will take over the Blessed Sacrament Shrine in Dawson Street in the City Centre before taking to the streets to invite people in to join them, light a candle and say a prayer. The evening will begin with Mass at 5.40 pm followed by adoration, music and reflection from 7.30 pm to 11.00 pm during which time volunteers will pray in silence before the Blessed Sacrament. People passing the church will be offered candles by Nightfever street missionaries and invited to come into the church to light them, wind down, and enjoy the music and atmosphere. Visitors will be able to stay as long as they want and will be encouraged to write down prayer intentions, and draw a word of scripture from baskets. The evening will offer them an opportunity to deepen their faith, and to find out about catholic events and groups taking place in the area, including concerts, feast day celebrations, talks, and courses. Team Co-ordinator Chris Jones from Animate Youth Ministries is organising the event and says: Nightfever in its purest form is very simple, it seems to me that the simplicity attracts people to Jesus. I haven’t met one person who does not want to light a candle, some people even ask for one to be lit for them. This is a chance for everyone to “come and see” (John 1:46) If that means that they come in for a total of five minutes and spend that in front of the Blessed Sacrament, that’s five minutes more

Catholic Pictorial

Nightfever in Glasgow than they would have normally. Having volunteered and latterly been on the leadership team for Nightfever Glasgow, I have seen people going into church and coming out with tears of joy in their eyes.’ Nightfever began following the World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI held in Cologne in 2005; it has since spread across Europe, to North America, South America and Australisia. It arrived in the United Kingdom in February 2012 and currently takes place in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford, Manchester and Birmingham.

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 13

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 14

sunday reflections On a liturgical note The new year seems to be flying by already – or perhaps that is just age catching up with me/us? After a mere six weeks of the green of Ordinary Time, on Wednesday 18th of this month we will return to the purple of a season of expectation and hope, Lent. This is the time of preparation and purification which leads us up to Easter Day and the 50 days of the Easter season. During Lent, the Church ‘fasts’ from various things in the Liturgy, just so that their re-appearance at Easter will be all the more powerful; no Gloria, no Alleluia, no flowers, no ‘voluntary’ music, but only music to sustain singing... it can all appear rather negative and bleak. However, it is all for a good purpose – the fasting from these good things, like the physical fasting upon which we are invited to enter, especially on Cafod Fast Day, is intended to highlight their true significance and importance. When they reappear at the feast of Easter

Sunday thoughts In today’s Britain, Christmas begins in October and ends on Boxing Day or, at a stretch, on New Year’s Day. Schools return before the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas have run their course – a tendency reinforced by bringing forward celebration of the feast of the Epiphany to the nearest Sunday. This year I am holding out. I am keeping the Christmas crib in church until 2 February. In the pre-Vatican II calendar the feast of the Presentation marked the end of the Christmas season; a season that only begins with Evening Prayer on Christmas Eve. Last year the crib in my house survived until Shrove Tuesday. Am I being counter-cultural or just bloody-minded? Prophetic or obstinate? I enjoy Christmas. It is my favourite time of year. And the season of Epiphany traditionally embraces not

Catholic Pictorial

Canon Philip Gillespie

it is as if we breathe a sigh of relief but appreciate them all the more because of their absence for a while. A powerful simile for the season of Lent is that of the desert. The desert is a place where all things are pared down to their minimum; there are no distractions to stop us being alone with ourselves and with our God, it is a place of the purification of intentions, of seeking and searching for what really matters, freed from the noise and bustle of the everyday demands. Some will be lucky enough to enter into the desert of a formal retreat in a lovely secluded setting; for most of us, it will be a case of making space for the desert in the midst of our own experiences and daily timetable. What will be your Lenten resolution, the making of space for the desert experience?

Mgr John Devine OBE

just the visit of the Magi but also the baptism of Jesus and the miracle at Cana in Galilee when Jesus ‘let his glory be seen’. On the feast of the Presentation, also known as Candlemas, the words of Simeon celebrate the light that dominates Christmas and the Epiphany: ‘My eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared for all the nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of your people Israel.’ If we follow the market and dump Christmas after Boxing Day, we lose the richness of these grace-filled weeks when the promises we longed for in Advent are realised. Left to itself, January returns to darkness. It is a joyless month, a secular Lent. And it needn’t be. Why make it worse by abandoning Christmas so soon?

Good news to the poor I was in London recently for a meeting and afterwards went down to Piccadilly Circus where I met a man who was begging. His name was Tony. He had been in the army and when he came out he could not connect with society. He became violent, went to prison and then on to the streets. He told me he did not do drugs but drank to keep warm. I left him feeling really disheartened. I then went to Euston for the train and met a guy called Eddie who again was on the edge. He wanted money for a night shelter so I went with him to the shelter and with the money he had, we got him in there. I don’t know what sort of society we live in which can allow people to live on the streets with a benefits system which seems to catch people out rather than help. I don’t know what sort of Church we are if we are not constantly proclaiming care for those who are less fortunate without blaming or judging. It is what the Pope is calling us to. I eventually got on the train and was sitting opposite a man who was full of his own importance yet behind all the bluff and the bluster I could see a lonely man whose only value as far as he was concerned lay in what he possessed. I realised again that poverty of spirit is as bad if not worse than physical poverty. I think the truth is that all of us need to hear the good news of a God who is love. All of us need to hear the good news of a God who is compassionate. All of us need to hear good news which cuts through the nonsense we surround ourselves with and the masks that we wear and which tells us that we are loved as we are. Those of us who follow Jesus and say we have heard this good news have ourselves then to be good news to the poor wherever we find them. We too have to proclaim liberty to captives. We too have to set the downtrodden free. Too many of us condemn those who for whatever reason find themselves at the bottom of the heap. Too many of us hide behind the cosy lives we have built and forget the old adage that ‘there but for the grace of God go I’. Jesus came to proclaim good news to the poor. Let us hear that good news for ourselves and allow it to flow through us into the lives of others. Fr Chris Thomas

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 15

nugent news Courtyard café and training unit The Courtyard Café in Admin Road, Kirkby, trades as a healthy eating coffee shop while training vulnerable or excluded young people and adults with learning disabilities. The concept of The Courtyard was developed through partnership working and ideas sharing between Nugent Care, Knowsley Working Well and Knowsley Chamber of Commerce. It became apparent that there was a need for healthy eating take out food provision in the immediate vicinity of Knowsley Business Park. At the same time it was also established that there was a need for alternatives to education and employment for young people with Learning Disabilities and other vulnerable young people who were or at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Through extensive market research The Courtyard idea was developed. The Courtyard Coffee Café broadly offers catering Industry Standard Training opportunities, together with employment and employability, to local vulnerable and excluded people. The service it offers to local businesses and the local community includes fresh food prepared daily to healthy eating principles, sourced with a conscience There are order delivery options to the immediate vicinity of Knowsley Business Park and Admin Road within a 2 mile radius and ordering, collection and delivery services to local businesses. An additional aim is that The Courtyard becomes something of a ‘hub’ for community, business, and health and social care groups with a particular emphasis on social enterprise. To achieve this flexible business and community space is available to use or hire. It also hosts special events and themed menus. Last year it hosted a Red v Blue Cooking Challenge with Nugent Care’s patron, Phil Thompson (ex Liverpool) taking on Graham Stuart (ex Everton) in a cooking challenge resulting in a narrow victory for the reds with the competition judged by Darren Wynn, a member of the Master Chefs of Great Britain and a Director of Carringtons Catering Limited. For more information about The Courtyard Café Darren Roberts, the Social Enterprise Coordinator for Nugent Care, can be contacted on 0151 261 2000, or alternatively visit the website: www.courtyardcatering.org or email: info@courtyardcatering.org

Last month the Archbishops of Canterbury and York published ‘On Rock or Sand’, described as a ‘pre election intervention’ saying that poor and marginalised people are increasingly being shut out of the life of the nation. Commentators compared it with ‘Faith in the City’ published by the Church of England thirty years ago with the same message. No doubt in the coming weeks before the election other churches and faiths will rightly produce their own documents highlighting priorities for voters and politicians. The two reports separated by thirty years carry a very similar message which led me to reflect on changes over that time. Many of the issues would appear to be the same but what has changed is the way in which we, as a caring society, respond. I thought in particular about the changes in support for people with learning disabilities over the years and Nugent Care’s continuing commitment to continue to offer high quality support. Years ago support was through residential or even long term hospital care but now society recognises the needs of the individual and the commitment is to work with everyone on a personal level. At Nugent Care we offer supported living in people’s own tenancies, where they live and learn in their own environment. We do catechetical work in preparation for the Sacraments. Family catechesis has brought rich rewards in the archdiocese proving how much better it is to work with families and individuals. Imagine how such individual support enriches the lives of those with learning difficulties as they are guided towards baptism, Eucharist, reconciliation and confirmation. In this way their understanding is enhanced whereas in previous years it may have been lost. We have individualised day support services which enable people to access the everyday opportunities that should be open to us all. These include leisure and learning activities and enabling people to attend volunteer placements or college. Our new Nugent Social Enterprise Community Interest Community offers training opportunities to industry standards to people with learning disabilities and to young people not in Employment, Education or Training. The Courtyard Café and training centre is based in Kirkby at the heart of, and offering a service to, the local community. You can read more about their work in this month’s Nugent Care feature. It is wrong to say that nothing has changed over the last thirty years. Yes, some issues are still with us, and it would be better if they had been resolved years ago, but the response to those issues has changed offering more care for each individual. It is imperative that, even with the severe financial cutbacks, that this personalised approach is able to flourish. Kathleen Pitt, Chief Executive Nugent Care

Catholic Pictorial

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:23 Page 16

what’s on Sunday 1 February Education Sunday An opportunity for schools and parishes to come together to celebrate and give thanks for all the students, staff and parents who work in and for Catholic schools and a chance to reflect on the contribution that Catholic education makes to our communities. Resources from the CES: http://www.catholiceducation.org.uk/schoo ls/school-resources/item/1002985education-sunday-2015 Monday 2 February Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Tuesday 3 February Embroidery for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk UCM Business meeting 7.30 pm in the Gibberd Room of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Wednesday 4 February Bereavement Care Training Course 1.30 pm at Holy Rosary Parish Centre, Old Roan, L10 2LG. Cost £10. For details contact Maureen Knight Tel: 0151 522 1046 Email: m.knight@rcaol.co.uk

Saturday 7 February Friday 6 February to Sunday 8 February ‘God reveals deep and hidden things’ Reflections on the Book of Daniel. Scripture Weekend led by Father Chris Thomas at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details: Tel 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Friday 6 February ‘Living Joyfully’ A day for young people aged 14-18 years to explore the joy of responding to God’s call in our lives through workshops, discussion, prayer, drama and live worship music. A day to celebrate the many forms of Religious Life in the Year of Consecrated Life. 10.30 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. For details email: LivingJoyfully2015@gmail.com Embroidery for Pleasure: Crewel work for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan

Catholic Pictorial

Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk HCPT Fundraising Evening 7.15 pm at St Anne and Blessed Dominic Parish Hall, Monastery Road, St Helens, WA9 3ZD. St Bartholomew’s Music Groups, raffle, tombola and quiz. Aid to the Church in Need Prayer Vigil for Religious Freedom 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Speaker: Neville KyrkeSmith, National Director of Aid to the Church in Need. Saturday 7 February ‘Responding to the Call.’ A Day of Recollection to support those exploring vocations to the Priesthood. Discover more about diocesan priesthood; talk with and hear from priests of the archdiocese and spend time in prayer and discussion. 10.00 am at St Charles’ Presbytery, 224 Aigburth Road, Liverpool, L17 9PG. Further information from Father James Preston Tel: 0151 727 2493 or email: frjamespreston@gmail.com. Also on Facebook at /liverpoolvocations and on Twitter @LVocations ‘Living Joyfully’ A day for anyone wanting to know more about consecrated life and the priesthood. Workshops, discussion groups, prayer, and light hearted activities. A day to celebrate the many forms of Religious Life in the Year of Consecrated Life. 10.30 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, concluding with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP at 6.30 pm. For details email: LivingJoyfully2015@gmail.com ‘Nightfever-Liverpool’ 5.40 pm Mass at the Blessed Sacrament Shrine, 4 Dawson Street, Liverpool, L1 1LE, followed by adoration, music and reconciliation until 11.00 pm. Details: www.animateyouth.org www.nightfever.org Sunday 8 February Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking. Annual Mass to celebrate Marriage and Family Life 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Tuesday 10 February Embroidery for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk

Wednesday 11 February Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes World Day of Prayer for Sick People. Bereavement Care Training Course 1.30 pm at Holy Rosary Parish Centre, Old Roan, L10 2LG. Cost £10. For details contact Maureen Knight Tel: 0151 522 1046 Email: m.knight@rcaol.co.uk Friday 13 February Embroidery for Pleasure: Crewel work for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk Saturday 14 February Silk Painting for Shibori in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King Tutor Gill Roberts. An introduction to the Japanese art of Shibori, which uses a combination of stitch and dyes on silk to create stunning patterns. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk

Wednesday 18 February Sunday 15 February Day of Prayer for the Unemployed Church Action on Poverty Sunday Details: www.churchpoverty.org.uk/sunday Annual Civic Mass 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Mass with and for Healthcare Workers 2.00 pm at Christ the King, Queens Drive, Liverpool, L15 6YQ. Celebrant: Bishop Tom Williams. Tuesday 17 February Embroidery for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk Wednesday 18 February Ash Wednesday

p01-17:covers 23/01/2015 16:24 Page 17

february Thursday 19 February ‘From death to life’ Reflections on Mark’s Gospel. Scripture Morning led by Father Chris Thomas. 10.30 am at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details: Tel 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Friday 20 February Embroidery for Pleasure: Crewel work for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk

1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk am at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details: Tel 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Friday 27 February Lent Fast Day Embroidery for Pleasure: Crewel work for Beginners

Saturday 28 February Day of Reflection for Lent with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP 10.00 am – 4.00 pm at Sandymount Retreat Centre, 16 Burbo Bank Road, Blundellsands, Liverpool, L23 6TH. Cost £15. Details at www.sandymountretreats.org.uk Tel: 0151 924 4850 Email: info@sandymountretreats.org.uk

Saturday 21 February Symphonies and Psalms Concert with the Cathedral Orchestra Conductor: Stephen Pratt, and the Cathedral Cantata Choir, Director: Richard Lea. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk Monday 23 February to Sunday 8 March Fairtrade Fortnight Details: www.fairtrade.org.uk Tuesday 24 February Embroidery for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk Thursday 26 February ‘From death to life’ Reflections on Mark’s Gospel. Scripture Morning led by Father Chris Thomas. 10.30

Looking ahead: Tuesday 3 March Embroidery for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk Thursday 5 March ‘From death to life’ Reflections on Mark’s Gospel. Scripture Morning led by Father Chris Thomas. 10.30 am at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Details: Tel 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Friday 6 March Women’s World Day of Prayer

World of Atherton Marriage and Family Life Ministry PAPYRUS: Prevention of Young Suicide Conference Suicide is a leading cause of death among our young people. PAPYRUS seeks to work with communities across the UK to tackle the stigma that surrounds suicide and to promote mental health and wellbeing among young people and those who care for and work with young people. Speaker: Ged Flynn, Chief Executive of PAPYRUS. 10.00 am-3.30 pm (light lunch provided) at LACE, Croxteth Drive, Sefton Park, L17 1AA. Online booking at www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/CoursesEvents or Tel: 0151 522 1040. Cost £10 per person. For more details contact: Maureen O’Brien Tel: 0151 522 1044 Email: m.obrien@rcaol.co.uk Embroidery for Pleasure: Crewel work for Beginners 1.00 pm in the Studio of the

Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tutor David Peglar. Cost £5 including refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral Car Park. For further information Tel: 0151 709 9222 or email enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk Saturday 7 March ‘Responding to the Call.’ A Day of Recollection to support those exploring vocations to the Priesthood. Discover more about diocesan priesthood; talk with and hear from priests of the archdiocese and spend time in prayer and discussion. 10.00 am at St Charles’ Presbytery, 224 Aigburth Road, Liverpool, L17 9PG. Further information from Father James Preston Tel: 0151 727 2493 or email: frjamespreston@gmail.com. Also on Facebook at /liverpoolvocations and on Twitter @LVocations

More details at :www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk or www.catholicpic.co.uk Catholic Pictorial

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:27 Page 18

profile

Richard Reid Helping young people find their calling by Simon Hart Richard Reid is talking about vocations. His own could not have been more straightforward– ‘I have wanted to be a priest since I was a very young boy,’ he recalls cheerfully – but he knows other cases can be rather more complicated. As the Redemptorists’ vocations director for England and Scotland, Father Richard has almost daily dealings with those considering a life in the Church. Yet this month he will address a rather broader range of people at the Living Joyfully event at the Metropolitan Cathedral. This three-day event on 6-8 February is an attempt to show the public – particularly young people – the reality of religious life. ‘We were talking about this Year of Consecrated Life that the Pope has asked for and we thought “We need to do something”,’ he says of the plans laid with a group including a De La Mennais brother and nuns from four different orders. ‘We are all ages and all different forms of religious life and I think they will see that and it will raise questions,’ he adds of

Catholic Pictorial

the event. Its first day is for school pupils from Years 10-13 but the second day – Saturday 7th – is open to all and will feature presentations, discussions and a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon. ‘We are hoping to plant seeds in young people’s minds to let them know we exist and we do great things, and we do things joyfully. If I was a miserable person I would have left the Redemptorists years ago!’ Ordained at 26 in 1998, Fr Richard is based today at Bishop Eton, Childwall. He estimates he has engaged with ‘about 40 people’ contemplating their calling over the last four years. ‘They are trying to work out where God is in all the different life choices that are thrown before them. My job is to try and help them to listen to the voice of God because there is no other way to get a vocation.’ Returning to his own vocation, he heard that voice when still in short trousers in his native Scotland; indeed he spent two years at a junior seminary – Blairs College in Aberdeen – on leaving primary school. After completing his

secondary education back in his home town of Greenock, he joined the Redemptorists. Curiously, his only concern about becoming a priest was a desire to remain at home, and not be sent to Africa. ‘I was asked years later to go to Zimbabwe, completely out of the blue, and it was a really wonderful experience that I am very grateful for.’ That said, his posting to Tafara, Harare ended abruptly when he suffered a brain aneurysm on a visit home. ‘They thought I was going to die. I was in intensive care for six weeks and then here I am now miraculously.’ He remains grateful for the many prayers said for him then and after making a full recovery, was presented with a new challenge as vocations director – the latest in his multi-layered life as a priest and ‘a great privilege’. ‘I could never have guessed that I would have been in the places I have been in, and met the people I have met, and done the things I have done,’ he adds. ‘They have happened because I said yes – simple as that.’

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:27 Page 19

youth ministry

How Animate gave me a sense of purpose Sean Evans reflects on the meaning of his work with Animate Youth Ministries – and how he came full circle with a recent trip to his old school. We are already into February and I have started to ponder what the coming months (my final few at Animate) have in store for me. I have been a volunteer with the Animate team since August 2013 and in July, I plan to leave Lowe House to go and study music at university. I have never really planned far ahead in my life and I guess that is half the reason I am writing this article now. I was born and brought up in the Catholic faith. By the time I started at St John Fisher High School in Wigan, though, I did not care very much for it – at least not until the Animate team of 2010/11 came to the school. That was the week that I remember thinking for the first time ‘I do believe in God’. I became this whole other person for a week and it was incredible. I felt there was a purpose to my life. We always say that our work is worth doing for the one young person who finds their faith through our help. And I think I was that person.

decision to stay for another 12 months. In July of last year I returned to Lourdes but once I got there, there was something different: this was not a bad different; in fact, quite the opposite – it was almost perfect. For the first time I was able to reach that same level of enthusiasm and energy that I had felt on my mission week as a schoolboy and since July my faith has never been stronger.

After that week I wanted to experience again that same enthusiasm and energy. I tried to pursue that feeling by going to Mass, by going to Lourdes on pilgrimage; each time I felt something that I struggled to describe – a sort of purpose.

This is a special team and a special place and being here has allowed me to flourish and develop into a confident, faithful and strong person. And in December, I came full circle as, for only the second time, St John Fisher welcomed Animate for a mission week.

As I was coming towards the end of my time in Sixth Form, I was not sure what I wanted to do, but the opportunity to sign up for Animate came along and I did not hesitate… and here I am, over 18 months down the line.

The first time I had been a scared Year 11 pupil; now I was there as a fully involved member of the team. Indeed I found myself speaking with the pupils there in a way that I had not managed at other schools, in a much more personal way.

When I arrived for my first day, I was so scared about what I had signed up for but I still felt this sense of purpose and I suppose that is why I never considered giving up. As my first year went along I really came to understand who I was and what I had to offer. By the end of it, I knew I had more to give and so made the

All things considered, the people I have met over the last couple of years – and more importantly in the last six months – have changed me for the better. I am excited about finishing this year on a high and just hope I can pass on something of the value of our work to the people I meet in the next few months and beyond.

Catholic Pictorial

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:27 Page 20

justice & peace

A partnership Church By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker I remember that when I was a boy I thought being a Christian meant being a Catholic and being Catholic meant going to Mass on Sunday, eating fish on Friday and not thinking rude thoughts on any day of the week. Catholics were clear on rules and rituals. One of the delights of being the J&P field worker is working with people in the parishes and seeing how faith influences the way people behave in all areas of their lives, especially in the area of relationships with other people at home and overseas. Our faith does not just have us loving God. It does not just have us in relationship with God. It calls us

to love God’s people and all of God’s creation. It calls us to be aware of our relationships. Our church communities in Liverpool’s Norris Green and Fazakerley have been putting this insight into practice for years, most recently by running a debt advice service from the parish rooms at St Agnes. This led them to realise how many people were experiencing difficulties and they decided to find out what else was going on in people’s lives. First they talked among themselves about what was difficult in their own lives; then they turned outwards to find out what were the concerns of others in the community. They were not surprised to discover that some of the worst problems that people were facing were caused by the benefits system, especially by the changes known as Universal Credit. The local Anglican community were natural friends to draw into these conversations because they were the ones who had provided expertise and support on the debt-advice work and who had already set up a large food

bank. These ecumenical conversations led to the desire to be better organised and advice was sought from the Merseyside and Region Church Action on Poverty charity (MARCAP). The next step was a successful application for a grant to pay someone for 36 hours to organise training and listening events. This grant was given by the Evangelical network in Aintree. The last time I visited the group in Fazakerley they were involved in a media training session run by a woman from Church Action on Poverty (CAP) as they prepared to spread the conversation further to highlight the effect of benefit delays on people’s lives. Present in the room was a woman who had spent all of December with no money after her benefits were changed. As people of faith we go to church and say prayers but faith is much more than this. It influences all areas of our lives: how we eat, how we think, how we relate to people, how we spend money, how we vote. How we vote influences policies and policies change people’s lives.

Vigil for religious freedom at the Cathedral Can you spare an hour to pray for the suffering Church and for people around the world who are persecuted for their religious beliefs? The Metropolitan Cathedral will be the venue for a Prayer Vigil for Religious Freedom on Friday 6 February (7.30-9pm). Organised by the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and hosted jointly with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, the event will feature a talk from Neville Kyrke-Smith, national director of ACN UK, who will reflect on recent visits to projects in countries including Lebanon and Ukraine. The Cathedral vigil is one of a series taking place throughout the north-west in the lead-up to Easter to mark the publication of ACN’s Religious Freedom in the World 2014 report. Assessing the situation in 196 countries worldwide, this report concludes that there is a serious decline in religious tolerance throughout the world – nearly 60 per cent of countries have experienced some degree of violations against religious freedom, with intolerance particularly ‘high’ in 20 countries

Catholic Pictorial

including Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, China and Pakistan. For more information, visit www.acnuk.org. There are two further vigils scheduled within Liverpool Archdiocese: St Mary’s, Chorley (Sunday 8 March, 3pm) and St John’s, Wigan (Friday 13 March, 7.30pm).

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:27 Page 21

StCatholic Vincent de Paul Primary School Pitt Street Liverpool L1 5BY “Serving With Love … Striving For Excellence”

❤

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

OFSTED May 2013 - ‘St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School is an outstanding school.’ Convenient City Centre Location Nursery Places Available Breakfast Club: open from 7.30am Range of After-School Extra-Curricular Activities

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

ICT Suite PC/Mac/iPads Educational Visits in our Private Minibuses Healthy Schools Award Activemark Gold Basic Skills Quality Mark Liverpool Hope University Articled School Status Archdiocesan Religious Education Inspection “an outstanding school”

For further details, contact the Headteacher: Mr P Stewart on

0151 709 2572

Fax 0151 707 8942 email: vincent-ao@st-vincentdepaul.liverpool.sch.uk

❄

Leisure Time❄ Travel ❄

❄ Liverpool’s❄Own Pilgrimage Specialists ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄

LOURDES by air Liverpool direct into Lourdes Departs 24th July An 8 day pilgrimages Full board in Lourdes £749

FATIMA by air Liverpool into Lisbon 11th-15th May £575 18th-22nd May £529

LOURDES by coach 24th July - 8 days No overnight driving Full board in Lourdes St Georges Hotel £549

LOURDES by air Manchester into Toulouse 17th-21st August £579

HOLY LAND by air Manchester into Tel Aviv Full pilgrimage programe 14th September £1149 12th October £1149

OUR 2015 GROUP BOOKING CHARTS ARE OPEN Holy Land • Lourdes Rome • Fatima Poland • Knock and much more

For a copy of our 2015 brochure email: info@lourdes-pilgrim.com Facebook: leisure time travel pilgrimages www.lourdes-pilgrim.com

0151 287 8000 The North West’s Leading Pilgrimage Company Catholic Pictorial

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:28 Page 22

John the Joiner CRB checked For all the small and larger jobs Doors, Skirtings, Architraves, Shelving, Flat Packs Plus All the other jobs that you have put off doing Mobile - 07807486008 Phone or text Email jj4cko52@yahoo.co.uk

Catholic Pictorial

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:28 Page 23

Catholic Pictorial

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:28 Page 24

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:28 Page 25

cathedral

Courses for all Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean

The first months of 2015 are a busy time for the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King with a series of day courses and regular weekly groups. Embroidery for Beginners is a regular course held on Tuesdays from 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm with David Peglar as tutor. Each session costs £5 and includes refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral car park. Running alongside the beginners’ course is Embroidery for Pleasure Crewel work for Beginners with David Peglar as tutor. This course is held on Fridays from 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm. Again each session costs £5 and includes refreshments and free parking in the Cathedral car park. There are four separate day courses on offer. On Saturday 14 February there is Silk Painting for Shibori withTutor, Gill Roberts. This is an introduction to the Japanese art of Shibori, which uses a combination of stitch and dyes on silk to create stunning patterns.

On Saturday 14 March David Peglar leads Goldwork - Intermediate - Purl and Sequins. This is the second course in Goldwork, and follows on from the last year’s beginners course looking at using the specialised purl thread and sequins. On Saturday 11 April Gill Roberts leads Silk Painting for Embroidery (Part 1) The first part of a two part course, where the art of creating a silk-painted ground for embroidery using various techniques will be explored. David Peglar gives part two of this course: Embroidery on Silk Painting (Part 2) on Saturday 9 May. Following on from the previous month this course will be using the backgrounds created in the earlier workshop as the basis for an embroidery using various techniques. The courses are open to all and to book a place on any of them, or to make further enquiries, contact enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

With Ash Wednesday occurring almost in the middle of February the month has a rather hectic first half followed by a calm and steady ending. We have a ‘Living Joyfully’ weekend from Friday 6th until Sunday 8th February. This is linked to the year of Consecrated life and most of the religious orders in the Diocese will have stalls within the Cathedral giving an insight into their work and religious life. On the Friday they will be inviting school groups to meet various religious to learn about the different types of religious life and on the Saturday it will run all day for the general public ending with a vigil Mass in the Cathedral at 6.30 pm celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm. The events are an opportunity for the whole Diocese to support and pray for the many consecrated religious men and women working within our communities and to pray for vocations to the religious life. Also on the evening of 6th February ‘Aid to the Church in Need’ will be holding a prayer Vigil from 7.30 pm until 9.00 pm. Archbishop Malcolm will lead the service. The Archbishop will also preside at the 11.00 am Mass on Sunday 8th for the Annual Diocesan Mass in support of marriage and family life. The following Sunday, 15th February, we welcome Civic leaders and those involved in leadership roles across the various authorities within the Diocese to join us for the Annual Civic Mass at 11.00 am when we pray for our communities and their needs. Thankfully one of the senior staff from the Town Hall comes along to help with all the protocols regarding order of seniority and rank etc. The Rite of Election for adults preparing to be received into the church at Easter takes place on the First Sunday of Lent at 3.00 pm. Archbishop Malcolm will welcome the candidates and accept them for the final part of their faith journey leading to the reception of the sacraments of initiation. If you fancy a final tipple before Lent begins our Cathedral Beer Festival night is in the Crypt on Tuesday 17th February.

Catholic Pictorial

p18-26:covers 23/01/2015 15:28 Page 26

Pic extras

Mums the Word

For the Union of Catholic Mothers, the January bimonthly Mass is always extra special and this year’s was no different. It took place at St Mary’s, Woolton and went ahead thanks to the former parish priest there, Father Pat O’Brien, who came to the rescue by celebrating Mass when neither our chaplain, Fr Mark Madden, nor the parish priest, Fr Tim Buckley, were able to attend. It is a special Mass because each January we present cheques to the charities chosen by our members. This year the cheque for the Priests’ Training Fund – our No1 charity – was presented to Fr James Preston who is the Archdiocese’s new vocations director. Meanwhile, Ged Flynn accepted a cheque on behalf of Papyrus, a charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicides, and Dr Alan Baron received a donation for the Wigan and Leigh Hospice. All three appear in the photograph along with our president, Angela Moore, and other UCM members.The UCM raised funds for a fourth charity, the Alzheimer’s Society, but they were unable to send along a representative to the Mass. Thank you all for your efforts in raising the sum of over £4,000 on top of the money you raise for you own charities. It is now time to start thinking of the charities you wish to nominate for 2015. • Our business meeting will be held on 3 February at the Gibberd room at the Metropolitan Cathedral (7.30pm). With Angela Moore reaching the end of her term of office in April, we need nominations for her replacement as president. We also need nominations for two vice-presidents, a media officer, welfare officer and study officer. I am sure that there are members out there who could successfully fill these roles. • Our next bi-monthly Mass is at St Jerome’s, Formby on 11 March. I look forward to seeing you there. God bless, Ann Hogg, media officer

Catholic Pictorial

News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba

Knights focus on spiritual action Spiritual action will be a priority for the Knights of St Columba in 2015. On the feast of the Holy Family, 28 December, Supreme Knight Brother Charlie McCluskey announced the start of a campaign to create ‘A bouquet of spiritual action’, which will continue until the feast of Saint John Paul II on 22 October.

main aim is to provide one good meal a day to children in schools in poorer countries. Three Wirral KSC councils played their part with a recent Pig Race Night which helped them raise £1,130 for the charity. • With regret we report the death of Stan Hammond, a

A record of prayers, devotional acts and good deeds completed over the 10-month period will be recorded in electronic format on the KSC website and will be collated in a bound book, with the intention of presenting it to the country’s Church hierarchy. The focus will be to gather as families, community groups or as individuals in prayer, worship, meditation and the holy rosary, with a different intention to be chosen each month. For a full list of the intentions and how to contribute prayers or spiritual activities, go to our website www.ksc.org.uk. The Order hopes this initiative will send out a powerful message – and that our country will once again begin to put God back at the heart of our society. • The Knights are also engaged in a two-year campaign to raise funds for the Mary’s Meals charity (www.marysmeals.org.uk). At the end of the first year up to last October, over £45,000 had been donated – the product of many fundraising initiatives both locally and nationally in support of a cause whose

longstanding and dedicated member of Council 493 Anfield. His funeral Mass took place at St Matthew’s, Clubmoor on 8 December and we extend our deepest sympathy to his widow Maureen and to all his family. May he rest in peace. • The Provincial Annual Dinner will be taking place at the Adelphi Hotel on Friday 13 February (7.30 for 8pm) at which Archbishop Malcolm McMahon will be the honoured guest. Websites: www.ksc.org.uk www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com

p27-32:covers 23/01/2015 14:47 Page 27

Assent Liverpool Building Control Unit 5 Deacon Park Moorgate Road, Knowsley Merseyside L33 7RX Tel: 0151 548 6330 Fax: 0151 548 6360 Email: adminliverpool@assentbc.co.uk

In the constantly changing and increasingly complex field of Building Regulation, helpful, practical and accurate guidance is essential in reducing uncertainty and delays, minimising costs and speeding the development process.

Catholic Pictorial

p27-32:covers 23/01/2015 14:47 Page 28

PIC Life Coughs and sneezes spread diseases… even in church! By Moira Billinge The Liverpool historian and academic Ken Pye once told Radio Merseyside listeners about the historical background of the now Anglican church of All Saints in Childwall. It is Liverpool’s oldest church, dating back to Saxon times, with a graveyard said to be over 900 years old. Childwall Valley was once home to a leper colony. The lepers were banned from mixing with the wider population and carried the horrors of social stigma, rejection and isolation, combined with gross disfigurement, increasing disability and, finally, death – possibly after several years of abject suffering and misery. In order for the inhabitants of the colony to have access to Communion and Confession, a special window was incorporated into the church building in Childwall. Called the ‘Leper’s Window’, or ‘Leper’s Squint’, this allowed them to make a confession and also to watch the services taking place. Meanwhile the congregation sat inside, protected from the risk of contracting the dreaded disease. I was reminded of this recently when someone got on to the bench behind me at Mass, streaming with a cold. Hearing the sufferer announce to the person nearby that ‘I’ve had this for two weeks and I can’t get rid of it’ did not fill me with compassion. Instead – and I speak as an ex-midwife – my immediate thought was: ‘And now you are going to pass it on to me. Thanks a bunch, mate!’ After all, just consider that a single sneeze produces more than 40,000 droplets of moisture and millions of germs, propelled over a distance of 32 feet. About half of all common cold viruses are transmitted via the hands, with the rest caught by breathing in infected

Catholic Pictorial

droplets that others have sneezed out (Professor Oxford of St Mary’s Medical School, London). The late Father Patrick Doyle, formerly parish priest of St Michael’s, Liverpool, was a lovely but stern man. In some ways he was ahead of his time in his practical spirituality. Although just a young child, I remember being surprised to hear him say during a Sunday homily: ‘For goodness sake, if you have a cough or cold, please don’t come to church until you are better!’ He went on to request that we keep our germs at home, rather than risk spreading them around in church. During those pre-Vatican II days, this radical instruction contradicted the more common exhortation to attend Mass against all odds (indeed the misery of a bad cold could be offered up as a penance for ‘the conversion of Russia’!). Over the years we have been treated to a variety of adverts, from ‘Coughs and sneezes spread diseases’ to ‘Catch it, bin it, kill it’. During World War II, one advert pointed out that thoughtlessness helped to spread the common cold and other diseases. Admittedly the priority was not to reduce people’s suffering but to cut down absenteeism from work at a time of national crisis – but, unlike smallpox, the common cold is resisting attempts to eradicate it. Of course we do not always recognise a simmering infection until after the germs get into full swing and start partying. When, however, we are knowingly contagious, we have a duty to protect the vulnerable people around us – babies, the elderly, those whose health is already compromised – by not risking the transmission of the bugs. I often wonder what a microbiologist would find in the holy water fonts into which we all dip our hands as we enter and leave church.

My Favourite Prayer God - we have complete trust that you will give us, through the merits of Jesus Christ, all necessary graces in the world and everlasting life in the world to come. Amen From Clare Lymm – parishioner of Saint Teresa’s, Liverpool 11 Please send your favourite prayer to: Barbara, Catholic Pictorial, 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS When sending your favourite prayer please let us have your name and which parish you attend, also your home telephone number which will not be published, without the details we are unable to publish.

Worth a visit

If you are planning a visit to the capital, take a detour to West Smithfield to drink up the history of London’s oldest surviving church, writes Lucy Oliver. Saint Bartholomew the Great was originally founded as an Augustinian Priory and has continually been used as a place of worship since 1123. It was founded by a courtier of King Henry I, Rahere, whose tomb remains in the church. When Rahere fell ill on a pilgrimage to Rome, he vowed to establish a hospital for the poor if he recovered; his prayers were answered and a vision of St Bartholomew directed him to Smithfield where he set up a church, priory and hospital before his death in 1145. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the nave was demolished but under Queen Mary, a house of Dominican friars made the parish their home. The building was later restored under Sir Aston Webb, who also designed the Victoria Memorial and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Today, the building is used as an Anglican and Episcopal church and visitors may recognise the beautiful interior from the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. Refreshments are available at the Cloister café and the nearest Tube stations are Barbican and St Paul’s.

p27-32:covers 23/01/2015 14:47 Page 29

join in Eating Out

Children’s word search The feast day of St Joan De Lestonnac is February 2nd. See our clues to find out more about her.

LESTONNAC

FOUNDRESS

RELIGIOUS

SISTER

O M

BEATIFIED

FRENCH EDUCATOR CISTERCIAN

SUPERIOR CANONISED

Enjoy a Valentine celebration meal with your favourite person at one of our listed restaurants Sapporo Teppanyaki Duke Street, Liverpool 0151 705 3005 Matou Pier Head, Liverpool 0151 236 2928 Pan Am Albert Dock, Liverpool 0151 702 5831 Sultans Palace Victoria Street, Liverpool 0151 227 9020 Bella Italia Ranelagh Street, Liverpool 0151 707 2121 Chung Ku Riverside Drive, Liverpool 0151 726 8191

More Mullarkey From Johnny Kennedy Father Mullarkey and the young curate were watching a TV show about the history of the music hall. There was lots of old black-and-white film showing great stars of the past like Gracie Fields and George Formby, and the auld fella was thrilled to bits when Cavan O’Connor came on. ‘He was me favourite,’ said Father Mullarkey. ‘I saw him loads of times. I even saw him on the Pivvy in Lodge Lane. I used to like Harry Bailey too. He was funny. I think when I was a lad I’d rather have been a music hall comic than a priest.’ ‘You’d have been a good one,’ said the YC. ‘When I was a little lad, me Uncle Mick, who was very religious, said I should never go near the music hall in case I saw something I shouldn’t see.’ ‘And did you?’ ‘Yeah, I saw me Uncle Mick!’

Greeting Cards from the Carmelite Monastery

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

A wonderful selection of greeting cards

Anyone interested in receiving the audio copy should contact Kevin Lonergan Tel: 01772 744148 or 01772 655433 (home).

marytoncards@outlook.com or

are on sale at the Carmelite Monastery, Maryton Grange, Allerton Road, Liverpool Please call the sisters on 0151 724 7102 or email: if you wish visit the card shop 10.00am - 3.00pm Maryton Grange, Allerton Road, Liverpool L18 3NU

Catholic Pictorial

p27-32:covers 23/01/2015 14:47 Page 30

p27-32:covers 23/01/2015 14:47 Page 31

p27-32:covers 23/01/2015 14:48 Page 32