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Issue 145 OCTOBER 2016
ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL
FREE
St Teresa of Calcutta Inside this issue: Joseph Champion Williams off to Valladolid
Pause for Hope at the Cathedral
Celebrations for Blessed Dominic
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contents Welcome The phrase ‘a saint in our midst’ took on a new meaning in September with the canonisation of St Teresa of Calcutta. The Missionaries of Charity are rightly praised for their work, no more so than in Liverpool and Mother Teresa visited the city to witness that work at first hand. Our main feature joins with those who celebrated her canonisation and the work of her Sisters. We also reflect on the ‘Pause for Hope’ service which took place in the Metropolitan Cathedral, an ecumenical service for all people affected by cancer, which was initiated by the founder of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, Professor Ray Donnelly, in 1999 and which still brings hope each year. We constantly pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life and this month we profile Joseph Champion Williams who has just left to study at Valladolid. We pray for him as he begins his journey and throughout the coming year he will keep us in touch with life in Valladolid. Today is Rosary Sunday, a reminder of the October devotions and also in our Archdiocese a day of prayer for Nugent. Let us remember their work at this time.
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Main Feature The new Saint Teresa and her Liverpool legacy
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News From around the Archdiocese
From the Archbishop’s Desk One of the responsibilities I inherited on becoming Archbishop of Liverpool is the chair of the trustees of St Cuthbert’s College, Ushaw. Ushaw was the major seminary in the North of England for over two hundred years having moved from Douai in France when it became unsafe due to the revolutionary wars in Europe. Many thousands of priests were trained there, and in more recent years it became an important conference venue and a centre for adult education. It has a wonderful library and many historic artefacts of great interest to the Catholic Church in England and Wales, but the seminary closed a few years ago when the remaining students moved to St Mary’s, Oscott near Birmingham. This could be a gloomy state of affairs, which may speak of the general decline in vocations, and the practice of religion in our present day society and church. But when I visit the college nowadays there is not the slightest hint of decline or depression. The library is being conserved by the librarians of Durham University and is attracting the interest of international scholars as well as the Centre for Catholic Studies at the University, the tea room is busy with day visitors, the cultural programme is bringing classical and modern music to the beautiful chapel and halls, and there is a general sense of pride in our heritage and hope for the future. It is very hard for us to discern the future, that is God’s business, but we can remain faithful to him and the gifts he has given us.
14 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 15 Nugent News The Narey Review 16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese 19 Profile Joseph Champion-Williams ‘Make the jump and He’ll catch you’ 21 Animate Youth Ministry Introducing our Team for 2016/17 25 Cathedral Record Welcome Matthew 26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC 28 Pic Life Coping with troubles, great and small
Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool
29 Join In Family Fun and More Mullarkey 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, Main Feature and Profile © Peter Heneghan Advertising Sales team 0151 709 7567 Publisher CPMM 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS
Copy deadline November issue 14 October 2016 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.
30 Justice and Peace Putting a plan in place for 2016/17
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The new Saint Teresa and her Liverpool legacy Liverpool Archdiocese marks Mother Teresa’s canonisation with special Mass – and her Sisters’ work carries on By Simon Hart ‘In the homeless shelter, they have twenty men in off the streets every night. They are in dormitories. They can have a shower. They are looked after and fed.’ These are the words of a volunteer worker at the Missionaries of Charity’s base in Liverpool city centre who sees, day in and day out, how the legacy of a woman who began life as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje – now the capital of Macedonia, then an outpost of the Ottoman empire – continues to this day in our Archdiocese.
held a Mass of Thanksgiving at St Patrick’s church in Park Place on Monday 5 September. A day earlier, Pope Francis, speaking to more than 120,000 people in St Peter’s Square, had proclaimed the words confirming her sainthood: ‘Beatam Teresiam de Calcutta Sanctam esse decernimus et definimus ac Sanctorum Catalogo adscribimus.’
That woman, the newly canonised Saint Teresa of Calcutta, established the Order of the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 and became revered worldwide for her work for the poor in India.
In Liverpool it was Archbishop Malcolm McMahon who led the celebration. Bishop Vincent Malone, Father John Southworth, parish priest of St Patrick’s, along with Father Peter Morgan and Father Tom Lee were among the concelebrants of a mid-afternoon Mass in a packed church which was followed by a reception in the church hall, where an exhibition of Saint Teresa’s life and works was on display.
Today, 19 years after her death, her sisterhood has 4,500 members worldwide, and six of them reside at their Liverpool convent on Seel Street. To mark Saint Teresa’s canonisation, they
It was significant, on such a day, to note another small but fitting detail. Along with the parishioners and priests and other religious enjoying the buffet in the parish hall were members of the local
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homeless community. Something similar had taken place in Rome where 1,500 homeless people were given seats of honour at the canonisation Mass – and treated to a pizza lunch afterwards. These little acts of mercy illustrate why Saint Teresa’s canonisation was made one of the focal moments of this Year of Mercy. The words of Pope Francis in his homily on 4 September pointed to the need for us all to follow the example of the Church’s newest saint. The Pope said: ‘God is pleased by every act of mercy, because in the brother or sister that we assist, we recognise the face of God which no one can see. Each time we bend down to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we give Jesus something to eat and drink. We clothe, we help, and we visit the Son of God. In a word, we touch the flesh of Christ. ‘We are thus called to translate into concrete acts that which we invoke in prayer and profess in faith. There is no alternative to charity – those who put themselves at the service of others, even when they don’t know it, are those who love God.’ Pope Francis was speaking to a crowd which included hundreds of Missionaries of Charity sisters along with 13 heads of state or government, seventy cardinals, 400 bishops and more than 1,700 priests. Many in the vast crowd were from Albania, reflecting Saint Teresa’s ethnic origin, and from India, where she spent most of her life. The Pope added: ‘Her mission to the urban and existential peripheries remains for us today an eloquent witness to God’s closeness to the poorest of the poor. Today, I pass on this emblematic figure of womanhood and of consecrated life to the whole world of volunteers: may she be your model of holiness. ‘I think, perhaps, we may have some
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feature ‘Her holiness is so near to us, so tender and so fruitful.’
difficulty in calling her “Saint Teresa”. Her holiness is so near to us, so tender and so fruitful that we continue to spontaneously call her “Mother Teresa”. May this tireless worker of mercy help us increasingly to understand that our only criterion for action is gratuitous love, free from every ideology and all obligations, offered freely to everyone without distinction of language, culture, race or religion. ‘Mother Teresa loved to say, “Perhaps I don’t speak their
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feature ‘Mother’ Teresa in Liverpool It was the Beatles, Liverpool’s most famous sons, who told the world ‘All You Need Is Love’, and Saint Teresa proffered a similar message on her first trip to the city in 1979. ‘Liverpool is full of those who hunger for love,’ she said when visiting the Seel Street convent. ‘They may not be poor for the material things of this life, but for love and things of the spirit there’s a great hunger.’ That was the first of several visits made by Saint Teresa, who came to Liverpool again in 1982, 1983 and, for the last time, in June 1996, by when she was a frail 86-year-old. She flew into the city from Ireland just days after the IRA’s bombing of Manchester and offered a prayer for peace. ‘The family that prays together stays together, and we must love each other as God loves us,’ she said. ‘Where there is love, there is peace, joy and happiness.’ She was in a wheelchair having sprained an ankle during her stay in Ireland yet spoke at a public service at St Peter’s Church in Seel Street.
The life of a saint ‘By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus’ – Saint Teresa 1910
– Born in Skopje in family of ethnic Albanians and devout Catholics 1928 – Joined Sisters of Loreto and departed for India, arriving in January 1929 1950 – Founded Missionaries of Charity, four years after moving to Calcutta 1979 – Awarded Nobel Peace Prize 1997 – Died in Calcutta and was given a state funeral 2003 – Beatified by John Paul II after acceptance of first miracle attributed to her 2015 – Second miracle recognised by Pope Francis
‘The work they do in Liverpool is fantastic and it’s all inspired by Mother Teresa.’ 6
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language, but I can smile”. Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those whom we meet along our journey. In this way, we will open up opportunities of joy and hope for our many brothers and sisters who are discouraged and who stand in need of understanding and tenderness”.’ This is a message that will resonate with the sisters from Poland, India and Bangladesh currently following Saint Teresa’s path in Liverpool. And it is a point underlined by Stefan, whose involvement as a volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity allows him to shed a light on the work done today by the small community in Seel Street. ‘The house is right in the middle of the city’s club land,’ he says. ‘They are surrounded in the evening by people drinking and enjoying themselves and they are looking
after homeless men. ‘They are a safety net for social services, they feed quite a number of people and look after families who are disadvantaged. In the summertime they run a camp for children in the area where they educate and feed the children. The work they do in Liverpool is fantastic and it’s all inspired by Mother Teresa.’
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News diary If you’ve got any news from your parish that you’d like featured e-mail us with the details at: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk
St Cuthbert’s new Lindisfarne building On the first day of the new school year, Father Philip Swanson, Chair of Governors and School Chaplain at St Cuthbert’s Catholic Community College, St Helens, blessed seven new classrooms and crucifixes in the newly completed Lindisfarne building. Two student representatives from each tutor group, whose Form Tutor rooms are based in the new classrooms, took part in the ceremony. Senior staff members also joined the celebration. The classrooms are the new home of the business, geography and history departments. This building work project, created seven new state-of-the-art classrooms in the former Lindisfarne House which, from 2003 until 2014 was a hotel offering accommodation to national and
international schools and students. The Lindisfarne building was originally built as part of the ROSLA (Raising of the School Leaving Age) in the early 1970s when the leaving age was raised to 16, hence the school required extra classroom space. The building was originally named Lindisfarne as Saint Cuthbert was the Bishop of Lindisfarne of Holy Island. Working in conjunction with Liverpool Archdiocese Schools Department, work replacing the old-style hotel windows had already been completed in the last financial year on the external phase, work on the larger windows began in January 2015. The internal works were completed by David Aspinall Limited working with architects Cassidy and Ashton. Aside from much improved teaching and
learning areas, the project has also enabled the removal of two large mobile temporary classrooms resulting in much improved, larger outside social areas for students to use at break and lunch. Mrs Catherine Twist, Headteacher said, ‘Our young people are at the heart of all we do at St Cuthbert’s and improving the environment to enhance learning is paramount to raising standards. Feedback from students so far has been very positive and they were delighted to be part of the blessing ceremony’. The opening of the Lindisfarne building has coincided with new leadership at the school with the appointment of new Deputy Headteacher, Mrs C McKeagney joining Headteacher, Mrs Catherine Twist.
Awards Celebration Archdiocesan Diploma in Pastoral Ministry and Leadership in Association with Liverpool Hope University On Friday 16 September fifteen students from parishes across the diocese received their Diplomas at a special celebration Mass in Hope University Chapel. Archbishop McMahon, who presided at the Mass, thanked the students for their three year’s commitment to the course and spoke of the importance of using our gifts and talents in service of our communities and our world. Rev. Dr. Peter McGrail welcomed all who attended on behalf of the Vice Chancellor and spoke of the importance of the programme for the university; the Archdiocesan Diploma incorporates a Certificate of Professional Development awarded by Liverpool Hope. The majority of the teaching is delivered through the Department of Pastoral Formation with occasional input from other specialists in particular fields. The course covers foundational aspects of scripture, catechesis and the Christian Life in the
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context of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and developments since. It offers an opportunity to plan, implement and evaluate a project within their own local context and provides opportunities for participants to acquire new skills in
pastoral ministry and leadership. For further details of the Diploma course please contact Veronica Murphy on 0151 522 1048 or by email V.Murphy@rcaol.co.uk
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news diary Obituary of Monsignor Jack Kennedy Monsignor Jack Kennedy who served as Rector of the Venerable English College, Rome; Head of Divinity at Christ’s College and Parish Priest of Holy Family, Southport, died at the age of 85 on Tuesday 13 September in the 61st year of his priesthood. Monsignor Jack Kennedy was well known in Catholic circles in England and Wales, not least from the period of his rectorship of the Venerable English College in Rome between 1984 and 1991. To a generation of seminarians he provided challenging, yet fair, leadership as he sought to stretch aspiring candidates to the priesthood. Many of those who trained during his period as Rector are now providing invaluable service to the Church in England and Wales. He also served in the Department of Divinity at Christ’s College, Liverpool, a college affiliated at that time to the University of Liverpool and later a constituent part of what we know today as Liverpool Hope University. From 1980 to early 1984 he served as Head of that Department and was therefore very well known to a whole generation of Catholic teachers who in their careers provided such an important component of Catholic life in this country. As well as having a prominent role in the formation of priests and Catholic teachers Monsignor Kennedy was also involved in the early responses of the Catholic Church in England and Wales to the dreadful scourge of child abuse. He was for a number of years the child protection co-ordinator in the archdiocese and he spoke passionately at various meetings of the clergy in Liverpool about the steps that would need to be taken to safeguard children and to deal with allegations of abuse. He was a member of the Nolan Review Committee, the independent body that Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor invited in 2000 to review child protection in the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Monsignor Kennedy was certainly a once-met-never-forgotten kind of person; someone who was filled with joie de vivre. He was an extremely generous and charming host who loved the company of friends and fellow priests. At one turn he might speak eloquently and excitedly about something cultural, a glass of fine wine or his favourite stuffed courgette flowers; at others rather more bluntly about the vagaries of golf. Beneath it all, however, he remained a
dedicated priest still trying to live out the vocation to which God had called him. He always gave himself entirely to whatever he was asked to do over the course of his ministry, Monsignor Jack Kennedy in 1992. The not least to the people portrait, by painter Geraldine of Holy Family, Thompson, hangs in the Venerable Southport, to whom he English College, Rome dedicated the last twenty-one years of his active ministry. John Kennedy was born in Chorley on 31 December 1930, the son of James and Alice Kennedy. His early education took place at Sacred Heart, Chorley, and he studied for the priesthood at St Joseph’s College, Upholland, and the Venerable English College, Rome. He was ordained priest on 25 November 1955 at the Church of the Twelve Apostles, Rome. He had three appointments as assistant priest: firstly at St John’s, Wigan in August 1956, moving to St Austin’s, St Helens in September 1964 and to St Edmund, Waterloo in September 1966. In 1968 he was appointed to the staff of Christ’s College, Liverpool, serving as the Head of the Department of Divinity from 1980 to 1984. In February 1984 he was nominated by the Bishops of England and Wales as Rector of the Venerable English College, Rome, and on 3 April that year he was named by Pope John Paul II as a Prelate of Honour. He returned to the Archdiocese of Liverpool in 1991, when he took up his appointment as parish priest of Holy Family, Southport. This was to be his one and only appointment as parish priest, serving his people until September 2012. In retirement he remained in the Southport area His Funeral Mass was celebrated at Holy Family, Southport, on Monday 26 September by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon with Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor preaching the homily. The Mass was followed by burial at Sacred Heart, Ainsdale.
Obituary of Canon Kevin Mullen Former trustee of the Archdiocese and Parish Priest of St Peter and St Paul, Kirkby and St Mary’s, Chorley, Canon Kevin Mullen died on Sunday 11 September aged 90 and in the 64th year of his priesthood. Kevin Mullen was born in Liverpool on 14 July 1926, the son of James and Kathleen Mullen. He attended St Edward’s College, Liverpool, and studied for the priesthood at St Joseph’s College, Upholland. He was ordained priest by Archbishop Thomas Roberts SJ, Titular Archbishop of Sugdaea, on 30 May 1953 at St Cecilia’s Church, Liverpool. He had three appointments as assistant priest, firstly at Blessed Sacrament, Aintree in August 1953 moving in October 1961 to St Aloysius, Roby and to St Benet, Netherton in September 1969. In
July 1975 he was appointed parish priest of St Peter and St Paul, Kirkby, and it was during his time there that he became a Canon of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter in October 1984. He was appointed parish priest of St Mary’s, Chorley, in August 1989 and he remained there until his retirement in September 2004. During his tenure in Chorley he served both Archbishop Worlock and Archbishop Kelly as a member of the Archbishop’s Council from 1992 until 2004. He retired to the lodge at St Gregory’s, Weldbank, in September 2004 and remained there until increasing frailty necessitated his move to Ince Blundell. His Funeral Mass was celebrated at St Mary’s Church, Chorley, on Friday 16 September followed by burial at St Gregory’s, Weldbank, Chorley.
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Celebrations for Blessed Dominic Archbishop Bernard Longley, the Archbishop of Birmingham, visited the Archdiocese to celebrate Mass for the Feast Day of Blessed Dominic Barberi CP. A packed congregation gathered at St Anne and Blessed Dominic church in Sutton, St Helens, where Blessed Dominic is buried in the Shrine alongside Father Ignatius Spencer and Mother Mary Joseph. Among the congregation was a group of pilgrims from Viterbo, Italy, the birthplace of Blessed Dominic. Priests from the St Helens area concelebrated the Mass together with Father John Kearns CP, Provincial of the Passionist Order, and Father Martin Newell CP who preached. In his homily Father Martin asked that ‘we, as Catholics, follow the Way of the Cross to suffer for what we believe in and what is right and to give witness to the kind of world that God created for us to live in’. Nineteenth Century Passionist Priest, Dominic Barberi, was beatified by Pope Paul VI in Rome in 1963 and the Causes for Sainthood of Father Ignatius Spencer and Mother Mary Joseph were introduced in Rome in 1996.
Archbishop Bernard Longley with pilgrims from Viterbo at the Shrine of Blessed Dominic Barberi
Papal Honour for Mary During Mass at St Joseph’s, Anderton, Archbishop Malcolm presented the medal ‘Bene Merenti’ to Miss Mary Fearnhead in recognition of her long and dedicated service to the parish. Born on 7 January 1921 in Adlington
Mary would walk to Mass every Sunday, her father starting off the Rosary as they opened the garden gate. Mary began working in the sacristy when she was about seventeen years old. As Sacristan for seventy years she cleaned
the church and polished brasses, made and washed altar cloths and linens, and made vestments, being an excellent seamstress. Only in the last five years has she begun to hand over her responsibilities. As a young woman she worked in a factory in the parish, later teaching Domestic Science at St Cuthbert’s Secondary School in Bolton from 1960 until her retirement. She also helped with the teaching of Religious Instruction. Mary became a Reader and one of the parish’s first Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Her home is just at the back of the presbytery and over the years she has been a great help to several priests, especially when they were unwell. She is a great cook and has provided hospitality to priests and to parish guests. Last year Mary reluctantly gave up driving, which means that now she is able to get to Mass only on Sunday. But for many years she was a daily Mass-goer leading the Rosary after Mass and, before Mass, assisting at Morning Prayer of the Church.
Archbishop Malcolm with Mary and Parish Priest Father Ian O’Shea 10
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Redemptorists take their vows On August 15th, two men made a public profession of the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as Members of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known commonly as the Redemptorists. The ceremony took place during Mass at Our Lady of the Annunciation, Bishop Eton, one of two parishes in the Archdiocese staffed by the Redemptorists. Brother Michael Taylor CSsR, aged 52, is a former accountant, and a native of Liverpool. He remembers being an altar boy at Bishop Eton, and was delighted that such an important stage in his life would occur in his home parish. Brother Royston Price CSsR., aged 29, comes from a farming family in Wales, and is a former school librarian. A keen amateur beekeeper, Brother Royston keeps bees on the roof of the monastery in London where he is normally based. The two newly professed have both studied Philosophy for two years at Allen Hall in Westminster, and have just returned from their novitiate year in Canada. In September they will start their studies of Theology at Heythrop College in London.
If you would like to find out more about the Redemptorists, see their website www.redemptorists.co.uk, and if you might be interested in exploring your vocation
with the Redemptorists contact Father Richard Reid CSsR at vocations@redemptorists.co.uk.
Grant awards for four churches Four churches in the Archdiocese of Liverpool will benefit from a total of £232,200 to address urgent roof repairs. The Archdiocese successfully applied for the grant through the Government-funded Listed Places of Worship: Roof Repair Fund. St Anthony of Egypt in Scotland Road will receive £48,600 towards a total project cost of £86,658 for roof repairs and new gutters. Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Toxteth will receive £58,500 out of a total project cost of £103,944 again for roof
St Anthony of Egypt, Scotland Road
repairs and new gutters. Our Lady of Reconciliation in Vauxhall will receive £51,000 out of a total project cost of £90,657 for reroofing of the side aisles and general repairs and Our Lady Immaculate and St Joseph in Prescot is to receive £74,100 out of a total project cost of £131,574 for replacement of the main roof. The grant money is part of a wider funding package of £22.9 million to 401 historic places of worship across the United Kingdom and is administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) on behalf of the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS). The Fund was open to organisations, trusts and congregations of all faiths and denominations with the responsibility of looking after a listed place of worship. To be eligible for funding buildings were required to be listed and used for public worship.
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Pausing for hope at the Cathedral
‘Unique’ and ‘inspiring’. These were two of the words used to describe the Pause for Hope service that took place at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Sunday 11 September. This was the 18th year of Pause for Hope and some 400 people congregated inside the cathedral for the 2016 service, led by Bishop Tom Williams, the Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, along with Rev Dr Crispin Pailing, the Anglican Rector of Liverpool, and Baptist Minister Rev Phil Jump. Professor Ray Donnelly, founder and president of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, established Pause for Hope in 1999 and he noted the support the service received from all the main cancer charities in Liverpool, including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie Cancer Care, North West Cancer Research, the Linda McCartney Centre, the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, St Joseph’s Hospice and the Lyndale Cancer Support Centre.
‘It’s quite unique to bring different cancer charities together for any reason but it’s especially inspiring to see them come together in prayer,’ he said. The aim of Pause for Hope is to ease through prayer the impact of cancer on individuals and the community, and to pray that the day will quickly come when all cancers can be prevented or cured. The main speaker at the service was Professor Chris Holcombe, senior breast cancer surgeon at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Professor Holcombe reflected on why he became a doctor and how his faith had influenced his work. He spoke also about his admiration for patients undergoing cancer surgery and how they inspired him. Patients, carers, doctors, nurses, scientists and those responsible for allocating and managing resources were all involved in the service. There was also music from the Birkenhead
Operatic Society Trust (BOST) and from Dave Flynn and his daughters Danielle and Emily, who sang as the congregation took lighted candles and placed them in front of the altar in memory of a loved one or for a personal intention. Pause for Hope services are held annually in Liverpool, Chester, Manchester and Glasgow with a new service planned for Birmingham in March next year. Professor Donnelly added: ‘The service takes care of a real need experienced by people diagnosed with cancer as well as their families and carers. It helps them to support each other in a prayerful and meaningful way, to see their situation in relation to God’s will for them, to lift their spirits and to give them hope. It’s also an opportunity to pray together that the day will quickly come when all cancers can be prevented or cured. The harder we pray, the sooner that day will come.’ www.pauseforhope.org.uk
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sunday reflections On a liturgical note Which earth has given and human hands have made…. Some years ago our Bishops suggested a series of particular intentions for prayer which would cover the whole year. This cycle of prayer suggests that this is the time of year when we give renewed thanks for the creation around us – a thanksgiving which is often celebrated in the harvest festival. This festival is not just the preserve of the rural parish; in the heart of the town or city too, it is a good thing to be reminded that what we receive each day on our plates does not just appear fully formed (and cooked!) but is the end result of many people’s hard efforts – from the farmer and fisherman to the cook. Increasingly we are being alerted to the fact that we cannot take the world around us for granted and abuse it at our will; the Book of Genesis did indeed give to man and woman the care of the created world, and as one of the prefaces to the Eucharistic Prayer (Sunday, preface 5) puts it: ‘You set humanity over the whole world in all its wonder, to rule in your name over all you have made and forever praise you in your mighty works…’ Pope Francis reminded us in his recent Encyclical Letter (Laudato Si – May
Sunday thoughts The Brexit vote gives a platform to those who would like to close our borders and exclude outsiders. In the United States there is talk of erecting a wall on the border with Mexico. The last person to try that in this country was the Emperor Hadrian. Foreign people are taking our jobs. They don’t speak English. They may be terrorists. But the real reason we don’t like them is because they are not like us. One lady tells me her problem with Pakistanis is the smell of their cooking. ‘Why should we have to put up with that?’ she says. ‘When we bought this house it was a nice area.’ (Sorry, madam – Brexit won’t cure it.) Tribalism has been the curse of humanity from the first morning of creation. On the second Sunday in October we hear the Gospel account of the healing
Canon Philip Gillespie
you be praised O Lord) that we share a ‘common home’ which needs to be respected and cared for. To be a good steward is not only to know how to get the best out of what is entrusted to us but also to remember that what we enjoy today is also held in trust for the generations which follow us. Our Liturgy has always had a deep respect for the creation around us. Just think how the Sacraments make use of natural gifts – bread, water, wine, oil – which by the grace of the Holy Spirit become ways in which God touches our lives at the most fundamental of levels. As the bread and wine are brought forward at Mass, we give thanks that they are both gifts of God in creation and the result of the care and skill of those who have prepared them for human consumption. We ask for the grace never to take for granted the good things which the earth bestows on us, but to give thanks, as we do for every meal. We give you, thanks, Almighty God, for all your benefits which we have received from your bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen
Mgr John Devine OBE
of the ten lepers. Jesus was drawn to outsiders: the blind, the lame, adulterers, tax collectors, even the hated Romans. And He was condemned for the company He kept. ‘Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.’ It was no-man’s land, occupied by lepers who were excluded from contact with others. It was the Calais ‘Jungle’ of its day. ‘They stood some way off and called to Him.’ Jesus cured them. It was as if Jesus changed places with the lepers. They were reintegrated into mainstream society. He was excluded. He felt at home in the borders. In the end they excluded Him once and for all. They took Him outside the city walls and crucified Him.
Weekly Reflections are on the Archdiocesan website at www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/reflection 14
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Good news is for sharing In Israel last June we went to visit the fairly new excavation of Magdala. We met our guide for the afternoon, who was a lovely woman from South Africa. We walked through ancient Magdala down to the new church which sits on the shores of Galilee and is dominated by a huge window and an altar and ambo shaped like a boat. We then went down the steps to a crypt and it was there that we had the most amazing experience. One wall was covered with a mural depicting the Gospel story of the woman who had a haemorrhage and who reached through the crowds and touched Jesus. The picture shows only the feet of the crowd and the woman’s arm reaching through people’s legs towards the Lord. It is breathtaking but so too was the manner of the woman who was guiding us. She began to tell the story in her own words, very beautifully. At the end as she sat cross-legged on the floor, she invited us to be quiet and to bring to the Lord those things that we carried and were ashamed of. In the few moments of quiet that followed, people began to weep and afterwards several said that they would never be the same again. It was a real experience of a touching place where many of us met the risen Christ and experienced His unconditional healing love. I am always surprised by people’s stories of encounters with the Lord in which He cuts through space and time and touches our lives. Often we are not good at naming them but they happen, in times of sorrow and in times of joy. They happen in unexpected places and at strange times and this is our good news for sharing. So how do we know when to share them? I guess it calls for sensitivity and not to do violence to people by imposing on them. Walk alongside others. Share their stories. Live the Gospel through caring, loving and forgiving. When the moment is right – and you will know when that is – share your encounter with the risen Lord. People can disagree with the dogmas and doctrines we believe in, but our experience is real and has the power to change lives. So let your experience of the Lord be your good news for sharing. Father Chris Thomas
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nugent news
The Narey Review The Schools are back! As September has rolled around with its brilliant sunshine and warm days, it is difficult to fathom how quickly the summer break skipped to an end. Sir Martin Narey’s 2016 report on residential child care reviews the quality of children’s homes and makes recommendations for their better use by children’s services. The report reflects the Ofsted social care report in stating that the overwhelming majority of homes are already good or outstanding. It opens by saying ‘that children living in homes in England are treated overwhelmingly well’. Narey reports he was ‘hugely impressed’ and that ‘we can be generally and genuinely confident about the quality of care in children’s homes’. At present, residential care accounts for 12% of all children care placements in England. There are a variety of reasons why children are placed in residential care but over 60% of children are in care due to abuse or neglect. Children living in homes have specific mental, emotional and social needs which need to be addressed. In 2013, 62% had clinically significant mental health difficulties. The Independent Children’s Homes Association (ICHA), sees the report as finally giving children’s homes the status they deserve. Narey notes children’s services should ‘no longer see the homes in which they work as institutions to be used only as a last resort’. He continues: ‘There is a very real and unmet demand for the greater use of children’s homes as part of an initial assessment for older children when first coming into care, and those on the edge of care.’ Commenting on the Review, Dr Phil McCarthy, CEO of CSAN said: ‘We
welcome Sir Martin Narey’s conclusion that the majority of children living in children’s homes in England are treated overwhelmingly well. Children’s homes can serve as great places of stability and personal growth for children who come from dysfunctional family backgrounds. Catholic charities play an important role in providing a safe and secure environment for children. We must do all we can to place collaboration, information sharing and partnership working at the core of our work to ensure children in care are given the best start in life.’ Normandie Wragg, Nugent CEO, said: ‘Nugent was one of the twenty charities visited by the review. We provide high quality residential care for children with behavioural and emotional difficulties. We pride ourselves upon providing a personalised and holistic service to the children we serve. ‘The review tackles many of the misconceptions relating to secure care. I strongly support Narey’s judgement that secure care has the capacity to keep children safe and the evidence highlights secure homes achieve both educational and health outcomes for children. ‘Also, I support Narey’s view that smaller children’s homes doesn’t necessarily mean better. Nugent will continue to work to support the welfare of children in the North West region and I hope the recommendations put forth in the Narey review can build upon the current successes of the care system to ensure every child in care has an opportunity build a better life.’
We welcome back both the teachers, former students and new students that will begin with us this year. It should be a great start to the academic year with plenty of enthusiasm and hope for what the coming months may bring. Although the students have been off, our Property Services Department and IT Department have been working very efficiently to ensure that all essential maintenance and repairs were complete before the children (and teachers) returned. The newly refurbished homes at Nugent House School look particularly handsome with their new decorating. A big thank you to our Property Services team for such a well finished and handsome result. Also a big thank you to the staff and managers who have continued to work with children over the summer, providing excellent activities and care. We have a lot to look forward to at Nugent (yes, we are using our new working name now!), particularly our very own version of ‘Strictly’. We will have dancers and judges and of course, a whole lot of sparkle. I won’t say too much now as I know that we will provide more information in the months and weeks leading up to the event. Watch out for updates! Normandie Wragg Chief Executive – Nugent Care
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what’s on Saturday 1 October ‘Praise the Lord with Music.’ An opportunity to explore how to lead the community in prayer, as church music groups led by Sister Moira Meeghan. You are invited to bring along a favourite hymn or piece of music and your instruments. 10.00 am at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, L22 1RD. Cost £10 (light lunch provided) Details: Tel 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk Mass in honour of Father Ignatius Spencer, CP. 2.00 pm in the Church of St Anne and Blessed Dominic, Monastery Road, St Helens, WA9 3ZD. Preacher: Rev Charles Owen, CP. Sunday 2 October Rosary Sunday. Day of Prayer for Nugent Care. 56th St. Helens Annual Family Rosary Procession led by Bishop Tom Williams and local Civic Dignitaries. 3.00 pm from Church Square in the town centre, to the church of Holy Cross and St. Helen, concluding with solemn Benediction. Liverpool Bach Collective. Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata 45: ‘Es ist dir gesagt, Mensch, was gut ist’ (‘You have been shown, mankind, what good is’) 6.30 pm at St Mary the Virgin, Walton-onthe-Hill Liverpool, L4 6TJ. Singers and Players directed by Philip Duffy. Prayer Meeting led by Emmaus Prayer Community. 7.30 pm at St Patrick’s church, Marshside Road, Southport, PR9 9TJ. Details: Archie Cameron Tel: 01704 224286. Tuesday 4 October Support Group for people living with dementia and their carers. 2.00 pm at Our Lady Help of Christians, Portico Parish Hall, Prescot, L34 2QT. Details: Joan O’Hanlon Tel: 07984 735590. Everyone welcome. Wednesday 5 October Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 7.15 pm at St Edmund of Canterbury, Waterloo, L22 8QF. Preacher : Father Bob Douglas. Thursday 6 October Agape Mass. 8.00 pm at St Mary’s, Prescot Road, Aughton, L39 6TA. Details: Archie Cameron Tel: 01704 224286. Friday 7 October The Sixteen Choral Pilgrimage Concert. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Music by William Byrd and Arvo Pärt led by founder and conductor Harry Christophers CBE. Tickets £16.00 from the national box office Tel: 01904 651485:
‘Renewed Parishes’ - an evening of practical help and support Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation: Wednesday 19 October 2016 7.30 pm How to respond to the challenges in becoming merciful parishes that reach out as evangelising communities. CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) have responded with TV quality resources as DVDs and downloads. Come and check out what is on offer, see for yourself. Hear testimonies from parishes and meet the Director of this charity that exists to support parish priests, catechists, youth workers, group leaders, faith formation and evangelisation teams. Come and join us for what promises to be a great evening with sharing and faith-filled opportunities. Please register your interest by email to moira@irenaeus.co.uk or by post to Sister Moira Meeghan, 32 Great Georges Road, Liverpool, L22 1RD. The Gift – Saturday 4 February 2017 and Saturday 25 February 2017 (attendance on both days essential) Christ the King Parish Club, Queens Drive Liverpool, L15 6YQ. (at the end of the M62) Archbishop Malcolm has invited CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) into the archdiocese to train people involved in faith sharing and evangelisation in the use of their new resource called ‘The Gift’.This is an opportunity to experience an inspiring and practical series aimed at people of all ages to help them encounter the Holy Spirit and empower them to share their faith. The CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) team will lead these two days and Archbishop Malcolm will join us on the second day. It is open to priests, catechists, youth workers, chaplains and anyone interested in evangelisation and faith formation. The aim is that those who attend will feel confident in leading the programme themselves. Please register your interest by email to moira@irenaeus.co.uk or by post to Sister Moira Meeghan, 32 Great Georges Road, Liverpool, L22 1RD. www.ncem.co.uk Further details: http://www.thesixteen.com/page/thechoral-pilgrimage-2016-liverpool Saturday 8 October Car Boot Sale. 8.00 am onwards in the Cathedral Car Park. Pitches £10. Details from Claire Hanlon 0151 709 9222, Ext. 201 or c.hanlon@metcatherdal.org.uk Sunday 9 October Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their dependents. Prayer Meeting led by Emmaus Prayer Community. 7.30 pm at St Patrick’s church, Marshside Road, Southport, PR9 9TJ. Details: Archie Cameron Tel: 01704 224286.
Catholic Pictorial
Sunday 16 October Prayer Meeting led by Emmaus Prayer Community. 7.30 pm at St Patrick’s church, Marshside Road, Southport, PR9 9TJ. Details: Archie Cameron Tel: 01704 224286. Tuesday 18 October Skills Workshop: ways of working with adult groups. 6.30 pm at Holy Rosary Parish Meeting Room, Old Roan, L10 2LG (access via disabled entrance). Cost £10, refreshments provided. Details: Pastoral Formation Department Te;: 0151 522 1040 Email: formation@rcaol.co.uk
Tuesday 11 October Time Out on Tuesdays. 10.00 am at the Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. Open to all who are involved in any form of ministry or service to others, giving time for silence and personal reflection. Offering £10 per person. For further details contact: Sister Winifred. Tel: 0151 722 2271, Email: winniecenacle@mail.com
Wednesday 19 October Bereavement Care Course. A basic course for those wishing to start a Parish Bereavement Care Team or for existing teams to recruit new members. The course will cover the stages of grief, the important skill of listening and how to set up a parish team. 1.30 pm at Holy Rosary Parish Centre, Old Roan, L10 2LG. Cost £10, refreshments provided. Details: Maureen Knight Tel: 0151 522 1046 Email: m.knight@rcaol.co.uk
Wednesday 12 October Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. 7.15 pm at St Edmund of Canterbury, Waterloo, L22 8QF. Preacher: Father
Thursday 20 October Newman Association Talk: ‘A Call to Action’. Speaker: Martin Bennett. 7.30 pm (after 7.00 pm Mass) at St. Helen's
website at www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk/holyweek2016 16
John Cullen.
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october Parish Centre, Alexandra Road, Crosby, L23 7TQ. Details: John Potts Tel:07889 841096. Saturday 22 October UCM Business Meeting. 1.00 pm in the Gibberd Room of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Sunday 23 October World Mission Day Prayer Meeting led by Emmaus Prayer Community. 7.30 pm at St Patrick’s church, Marshside Road, Southport, PR9 9TJ. Details: Archie Cameron Tel: 01704 224286. Wednesday 26 October Day of Retreat: ‘Celtic Saints – Learning from Lindisfarne with St Aidan as guide’. Led by Bishop John Arnold. 10.30
am - 3.30 pm at St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1PH. Cost £20 including a simple lunch. Details: Tel: 01704 875850 Bereavement Care Course. A basic course for those wishing to start a Parish Bereavement Care Team or for existing teams to recruit new members. The course will cover the stages of grief, the important skill of listening and how to set up a parish team. 1.30 pm at Holy Rosary Parish Centre, Old Roan, L10 2LG. Cost £10, refreshments provided. Details: Maureen Knight Tel: 0151 522 1046 Email: m.knight@rcaol.co.uk Saturday 29 October ‘Come and See’ Day organised by the Irenaeus Project. Speakers: Lord Alton of Liverpool and Steve Atherton (Archdiocesan Justice and Peace
Fieldworker). Workshops will also be available. 10.00 am to 5.00 pm at Faith Primary School, Prince Edwin Street, Liverpool L5 3LW. Cost: £10 per person. Please bring lunch but drinks will be provided. Booking forms: email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk or Tel: 0151 949 1199. Quiet Day. 10.00 am at the Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. Time to be quiet, reflect and pray. Offering £10 per person. For further details contact: Sister Winifred. Tel: 0151 722 2271, Email: winniecenacle@mail.com Sunday 30 October Prayer Meeting led by Emmaus Prayer Community. 7.30 pm at St Patrick’s church, Marshside Road, Southport, PR9 9TJ. Details: Archie Cameron Tel: 01704 224286.
Hospice Care Week This week, 3 to 9 October, is Hospice Care Week to raise awareness of the care provided by over 220 hospices across the country. The theme this year is ‘hospice care is…’ and St Joseph’s Hospice would like to ask people what ‘hospice care is’ to you? Every year, St Joseph’s Hospice cares for and supports over 200 people living with a lifelimiting illness in the Merseyside area, as well as their families. As a charity, this care is provided free of charge and is unique to the individual, helping them to live life as fully as possible. Ways of supporting the St Joseph’s Hospice ‘Hearts4Hospice’ campaign include: taking a picture of yourself, your friends, family or work colleagues making heart shapes with your hands and share it on social media with the hashtag #Hearts4Hospice saying what ‘hospice care is’ to you. You could visit one of the Jospice shops and leave a heart in the window sharing what ‘hospice care is’ to you. The Jospice lottery has been renamed the ‘Hearts4Hospice’ draw for one week in celebration of Hospice Care Week you could take part and be in with a chance of winning £1,000. Tickets are £1 in all nine of the Jospice shops. Penny Hamer, Director of Income Generation, said: ‘We have planned some really exciting activity to mark this year’s Hospice Care Week so that we can help to raise awareness of hospices and the specialist care and support they provide to patients and their families. ‘By sharing your own experience of hospice care, either as a patient, relative, friend, volunteer or supporter of hospices, you’re helping us to show others what ‘hospice care is’ and why we’re here so please get involved and support us.’ For more information, visit www.jospice.org.uk
Bishop Tom Williams supporting the ‘Hearts4Hospice’ campaign
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profile
Joseph ChampionWilliams ‘Make the jump and He’ll catch you’ by Patrick Hart It’s real all of a sudden – I’ve been speaking about going to seminary for about two years and it’s now happening. There’s excitement, nervousness, but I’m ready.’ For Joseph Champion-Williams, a ‘big adventure’ began in earnest in midSeptember when the 21-year-old from Liverpool travelled to the Royal English College, Valladolid. In the north-central Spanish city he is embarking upon a propaedeutic year which, in short, represents ‘an introduction to seminary – to prepare you for major seminary if you have discerned that that’s what’s right for you. ‘I feel really privileged to be given this opportunity by the Church, to pray, to focus, to learn more about my faith and what I’m called to,’ added the politics and international relations graduate, who will chart his progress in a monthly article for the Pic. Joe’s move to Valladolid comes almost three years after a life-changing trip to Everest – ‘I just remember being overcome by the beauty of the world and feeling a strong sense of Jesus asking
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me to be a priest in His Church’ – and his subsequent period of discernment dovetailed with his degree and work as a resident tutor at Liverpool Hope University. ‘To now have a year to focus fully on the priesthood should give me more trust and more peace in my decision,’ he said. At the English College (informally, ‘San Albano’), Joe and four fellow students will study the Catechism with the Rector, Monsignor John Pardo, in addition to attending guest lectures and Spanish classes. There will also be the chance ‘to experience a culture of Catholicism’ with trips to places like Avila and Santiago de Compostela. ‘I’ve lived outside home for three years at university, but I’ve never left Liverpool properly so I can’t wait to get out there,’ enthused Joe. The keen Evertonian and former army reservist arrives at this juncture buoyed by his summer experiences of assisting Father James Preston at Saint Charles Borromeo, Aigburth and representing the Archdiocese at World Youth Day. The Krakow trip, he said, confirmed ‘for someone entering training to become a priest’ that there is a future for the
Church. His parish work alongside Father James, the diocesan vocations director, reprised a similar placement of 12 months ago. ‘I came to live in the parish in June 2015 and worked for the summer, then went back to university halls to do pastoral work. I still went to give Holy Communion every week to a lady, and I served Mass every weekend and ran the youth group. Having worked back at St Charles this summer with Father James, I feel completely safe with the idea of Valladolid.’ Indeed Joe cites Father James, as well as spiritual director Monsignor John Walsh, among the ‘many examples of priests who’ve kept me going’, and traces his own vocation back to an ‘innate desire to serve people’ which originally took the form of a wish to join the Armed Forces. ‘I was in the army reserve and that’s how I got the opportunity to go to Nepal but reconnecting with my faith in sixth form and then university, I realised I was called to serve in a different way – through the priesthood. In Nepal I heard Him calling – it’s a big jump, but make the jump and He’ll catch you.’
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youth ministry
Introducing our team for 2016/17 Another year has begun for the Animate Youth Ministries team at Lowe House in St Helens. Regular readers will know that each year the team changes as members move on elsewhere – be it to university, to other youth ministry teams, or into chaplaincy, teaching and any other number of careers. As always, there are some familiar faces still with us, with Father Simon Gore returning as director of youth ministry, Sarah as team leader and Jan as administrator. On this year’s team, we also welcome back Tom and Lauren as our new team co-ordinators who will be planning and leading the retreat days with our schools and parishes. We also have two new members of the gap year team to introduce to you:
The team are excited about the challenges of the year ahead – and the chance to work with so many young people from our high schools and primary schools across the Archdiocese. So far, the team have already worked with year 7 pupils from Hope Academy, Newton-le-Willows; All Hallows, Penwortham; Academy of St Francis of Assisi, Liverpool; St Edward’s, Liverpool; and St Mary’s, Crosby. These retreat days offered the young people involved a chance to get to know one another and focus on what they can bring to the new communities that they are now a part of. If you would like to find out more about our team members or the work we do, please visit our website – www.animateyouth.org. Date for the diary 7 November: Lourdes Youth application forms will be available to download from our website from 9am. Keep in touch Facebook: Animate Youth Ministries Twitter: @AnimateYouth Instagram: @animate_youth
My name is: Benedict Home parish: St Mary’s, Standishgate, Wigan Favourite piece of Scripture: 1 Corinthians 16:13 An interesting fact about me: I used to be in the air cadets and during my time as a cadet I got to parade, fire rifles and fly aircraft! I joined the Animate team because: I really want to show young people that faith isn’t just about sitting on a church bench every Sunday but is rather something amazing and something to cherish. Also I’d love to discover more about my own faith.
My name is: Michael Home parish: St Agnes & St Aiden Favourite piece of Scripture: Psalm 23 An interesting fact about me: I can quote verbatim big chunks from The Inbetweeners series and films. I joined the Animate team because: I want to encourage more young people to explore their faith, and to carry on learning more about who I am as a person and what I believe.
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Much Woolton Catholic Primary School
With Jesus we love, learn and grow
Open Day Thursday 20 October 2016 2-3pm & 5.30-6.30pm All children and parents interested in joining our thriving school community in September 2017, or before, are warmly welcome to view our school. A short presentation will be held at the start of both sessions in the school hall. Mr M White Headteacher Watergate Lane, Liverpool, L25 8QH 0151 428 6114 www.muchwoolton.co.uk
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cathedral
Welcome Matthew Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean This month the final deanery pilgrimages to the Cathedral for the Jubilee year of Mercy take place on the first three Saturdays of the month.
by Dr Christopher McElroy Director of Music, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral This term we have welcomed Mr Matthew Searles to take up the post of Sub-organist here at the Metropolitan Cathedral. Born in 1991, Matthew began his musical education as a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral and went on to study at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he graduated with First Class Honours and the Driver Prize for ‘outstanding musical performance’. As Organ Scholar at Royal Holloway, Matthew worked with the acclaimed Chapel Choir whom he accompanied in regular services, concerts, recordings, broadcasts and tours. These included appearances at St John’s Smith Square, St Martin-in-thefields, live on BBC Radio 3 and on two discs for the Hyperion label. In his final year Matthew played for the ceremony in celebration of the Music Department Regius Professorship, in the Presence of HM the Queen. Matthew has spent the last year studying organ performance at the Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Poitiers in France. We very much look forward to Matthew enhancing the cathedral’s liturgical music through his gifted organ playing. In addition to welcoming Matthew we have also welcomed 18 new probationer choristers (boys and girls) into the Cathedral choir meaning that we now have 65 choristers in total. The opportunity of being a chorister here at the Metropolitan Cathedral is
Matthew Searles, Sub-organist at the Metropolitan Cathedral unparalleled. The experience of living and breathing the church's liturgy and music on a daily basis forms a child for life, and it is no surprise that former choristers have gone on to become, amongst others, priests, MPs, doctors and teachers. October sees the Cathedral host the Friends of Cathedral Music. Founded in 1956 the charity are celebrating their diamond jubilee year with a special conference here in Liverpool. They have in the past been very generous in giving grants to the Cathedral for the purchase of choir stalls and other items. The highlight of the special weekend in Liverpool will be when the joint choirs of Liverpool Cathedral and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral join together to premiere a new work by Sir James MacMillan, commissioned especially to celebrate the FCM’s Diamond jubilee ‘O give thanks unto the Lord.’ To find out more about the FCM, visit their website: www.fcm.org.uk
Southport and Leyland parishes are the first pilgrim group on 1st October. Chorley, Eccleston and Euxton venture into Liverpool on 8th October. Ormskirk and Upholland Deaneries are the final Diocesan pilgrim group on 15th October. The Jubilee Year ends in November so there is still plenty of time for individuals and smaller groups to come and make their own personal pilgrimages if they wish. It has been a joy and a real encouragement to us at the Cathedral to welcome so many people on pilgrimage, many of whom have been great examples of faith and devotion. The events of the weekend of 7th/9th October focus on a celebration of sacred music. The Friends of Cathedral Music celebrate their Diamond Jubilee and they are gathering in Liverpool , sharing time between the two Cathedrals with talks and shared worship. Also on Friday 7th the Sixteen will performing music by William Byrd and Arvo Pärt in the Cathedral as part of their 2016 pilgrimage tour. We will have a full Cathedral for 11.00 am mass on Sunday 16th October as St Edward’s College join with the regular congregation to celebrate the feast of their patron Saint, Edward the Confessor. The month ends with celebrations of All Saints and All Souls. In the last few years we have celebrated High Mass in the main Cathedral at 5.15 pm with the choir singing the Faure Requiem setting on the commemoration of All Souls to remember our deceased loved ones, parishioners and those who have no one to pray for them. You are most welcome to join us.
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Pic extras Mums the Word The ladies of St Wilfred's Union of Catholic Mothers in Widnes have established a baby memorial in St Bede's church. It is dedicated to all stillborn babies, babies who died soon after birth, miscarried babies, aborted babies and babies who have no known grave. The memorial will serve as a quiet focal point and a place of comfort for all affected by these tragedies. Our thanks to all at St Wilfred’s for a wonderful memorial which complements the Diocesan UCM baby memorial in the Metropolitan Cathedral. • The focus of the recent UCM study afternoon at Holy Cross and St Helen parish in St Helens was the Year of Mercy. Father Sean Riley, the parish priest, held a special service which began with us passing through the specially dedicated holy door at Holy Cross and into the beautiful church. We started the holy hour with quiet contemplation followed by a reflection on the themes of mercy in all its forms. The sacrament of Reconciliation was offered and then Benediction, after which we were invited to join the congregation for Holy Mass. We thank Father Sean for a memorable and uplifting afternoon. • As 7 September was the Vigil of Our Lady's Birthday, our September Bimonthly Mass at St Margaret Mary’s was celebrated in her honour. Father David Potter, the UCM spiritual advisor, and Father Julius (visiting from Nigeria) concelebrated with the assistance of Deacon Michael Bennett. Father David reminded us of the joy that Joachim and Ann must have felt at the birth of Mary, a joy which is felt by parents everywhere at the birth of their own children, a wonderful gift from God. He asked us to pray that the day will come when each and every child will be treasured. Date for the diary The UCM business meeting will take place on Saturday 22 October. Among the items on the agenda will be the vote to choose the charities we intend to support this year, with the selection list formed of charities nominated by our foundations.
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News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba
KSC raises funds for children’s cancer support group Every autumn, the members of the Knights of St Columba in south Liverpool embark on a major fundraising effort in the form of the annual Steve Dooley memorial sponsored walk. Last year – as the photo below recalls – the walk raised around £10,000 through the generosity of sponsors, supporters and match funding by Barclays Bank for the Zoe’s Place baby hospice. This year the walk on 25 September took place to raise money for CHICS, the Children’s Cancer Support Group. CHICS was formed by a group of parents in 1986 to provide support and self-help for parents of children with cancer across Merseyside, North Wales and the surrounding areas. This is the area covered by the regional children’s cancer treatment centre based at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. This small group of parents realised they were not alone in their desire to share their experiences, problems and emotions with others in a similar situation. CHICS does not claim to compete with the excellent care, advice and information given by the hospital but aims to complement it wherever possible. The charity is managed on a voluntary basis by parents, relatives
and friends of children with cancer, with the support of the hospital and two paid staff funded by CHICS. It is heavily dependent on donations and fundraising activity. This is an extremely worthy cause and the KSC will hope to match if not exceed last year’s total raised. With the kind permission of parish priests in the south Liverpool area, sponsorship envelopes were given out at churches at weekend Masses leading up to the walk on 25 September and will be collected after Masses in the week ending 1-2 October. We offer our thanks and appreciation to all for their support of this worthy cause. For more information about CHICS, visit www.chics.org.uk or call Eddie Hicks on 0151 523 8886. Websites: www.ksc.org.uk www.kscprov02.weebly.com www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk Email: dpokeane@aol.com
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PIC Life Coping with troubles, great and small There is a mental checklist. Have I locked the car, closed the windows, put on the handbrake, switched off my phone...? Some shortcomings have simple solutions. Others, such as switching off the iron, tumble drier or oven, aren’t quite so easily rectified at a distance. Most of the above niggles have proved to be unfounded, but I know that my checklist and I are not going to be easily parted. Worries do have a knack of arising when they are least welcome and they are especially difficult to deal with in the middle of the night when they can appear so much worse than perhaps they actually are in the bright light of day. Often the person or people about whom we are fretting are most likely to be soundly asleep and oblivious to our concerns for their welfare. There are occasions, however, when the situation causing our worry really is every bit as serious as it seems but there is not a lot that can be done about it at such an unearthly hour. There are usually solutions to be found for most problems but sometimes we can feel as though we are knitting with fog as we attempt to find even a hint of one. On such occasions we have to draw on all our reserves of trust, faith and hope; to breathe in God, and breathe out our fear, and ask Him to take over and sort everything out for us. To ‘let go and to let God’, rather than allow our worries to drain and control, and make us ill.
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for the Year of Mercy “Carry with you the flame of Christ’s merciful love - as St John Paul II said in every sphere of your daily life and to the very ends of the earth. In this mission I am with you with my encouragement and prayers”.
Worth a visit
By Moira Billinge The five minutes before the start of Mass are what I call my ‘fidget time’ – an opportunity for disposing of intrusive distractions.
Quote from Pope Francis
Our worries, as difficult as they may be, are small in comparison with the concerns of the millions of people all over the world who are confronted with the turmoil caused by earthquakes, war, famine, dictatorship and religious oppression. Faced with their problems, our current anxieties would quickly become irrelevant. Our focus would instead switch to survival and our thoughts would centre entirely on finding safety, clean water, food, shelter and medical care. The media bring the faces of the suffering right into our living rooms via our television screens. In times past, we did not see a migrant mother whose toddler has just drowned in the Mediterranean, an earthquake victim whose family home is now a pile of rubble, the decimation of a suicide bombing in Kabul. Oher people’s troubles, unlike now, were truly invisible, at a distance. Word of mouth did not convey the sense of urgency in the same way as a news report showing the full horror of a malnutrition-bloated child. The question is how we should react. Is it just the latest tragedy and yet another addition to such a very long list that numbed senses no longer see the full extent of the devastation unfolding before our eyes? Do we believe the hype and view all migrants with suspicion or do we instead give them the benefit of the doubt for the sake of those who have no option available other than to seek sanctuary on our shores? Do we share our resources grudgingly or with a spirit of generosity? After all, when God created this world, He made it ours to care for and not to covet.
In the second part of her focus on Berlin, Lucy Oliver explores a government building which reflects a desire for transparency in a world where secrecy and surveillance compete for prevalence. Berlin’s Reichstag buildings, and their surroundings in impressive gardens along the River Spree, boast a unique glass dome which is well worth a visit. First completed in 1894, the seat of the German parliament has a fascinating history. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1933 and then, after Germany’s reunification, the German Bundestag decided to use the building once again and the Reichstag was redesigned and expanded by Sir Norman Foster, the British architect. The accessible glass dome is now a landmark of the city of Berlin, a modern beacon of light in a city of old divisions. Visitors can climb the gently sloping dome for 230m – listening to an audiocommentary about the German parliament and the use of the surrounding buildings – and then enjoy spectacular views at the summit. When making plans to visit, you should be prepared to queue with passport identification (for security purposes) to register for your visit and tour time, or alternately visit the website in advance (visit.bundestag.de). Afterwards, enjoy a traditional currywurst or other local fare at the Tiergarten café opposite.
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join in Eating Out
Children’s word search
Hopefully we will have some lovely days during October to visit our beautiful countryside and perhaps enjoy a meal.
This month we remember our newly canonised saint, ‘Mother Teresa’
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Farmers Arms New Lane, Burscough 01704 896021 The Anchor Thurstaston Road, Irby 0151 648 1698 Royal Oak Liverpool Road, Aughton 01695 422121 Fishpool Inn Fishpool Road, Delamere 01606 883277 Farmers Arms Chorley Road, Bispham 01257 464640 Wayfarer and Il Viandante Alder Lane, Parbold 01257 464600
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From Johnny Kennedy The young curate came into the kitchen looking rather upset and said, ‘I’ve just been pulled up by the police’. ‘What have you been up to now?’ ‘I was driving along at what I thought was a reasonable speed when a police car came into view in the rear mirror. As soon as I saw it, I felt like a bank robber and got all flustered.’ ‘Bank robbers don’t get flustered,’ said Father Mullarkey. ‘What?’ said the YC. ‘Nothing,’ said Father Mullarkey. ‘Anyway, he asked if I’d realised I was doing 35 instead of 30. I said yes and then I said no.’ ‘That seems to cover everything,’ said Father Mullarkey. The young curate ploughed on regardless. ‘He said I could count myself lucky I didn’t get a ticket.’ ‘That happened to my Uncle Dan once,’ replied the auld fella. ‘He was pulled up by a policeman who told him he was doing 50 miles an hour. My Uncle Dan said, ‘I can’t be. I’ve only been out ten minutes!'’
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, Dan Antonio, at All Hallows RC High School, Penwortham
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Christmas Cards from Carmel
Anyone interested in receiving the audio copy should contact Dan Antonio on 01772 746121
Again The Carmalite Sisters have produced a really beautiful selection of Christmas Cards for 2016 - the design, quality and prices are truly remarkable. Visit the Monastery at: Maryton Grange, Allerton Road, L18 3NU. Telephone the card office on 0151 724 7102 or Email the Sisters at marytoncards@outlook.com Cards for all occasions are also available in the Monastery shop try to visit if you can.
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justice & peace
Putting a plan in place for 2016/17 By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker The Justice and Peace Commission begins every year with an extended meeting to set the priorities for the 12 months ahead. There is much to be done but we have learned over time that if we try to do everything we end up doing nothing. It is better to focus on trying to do what is achievable. After much discussion, the decision was made to continue with our priorities from last year and to add a third, resulting in the following areas of focus for this coming year: 1) Asylum Seekers & Refugees 2) The environment 3) Inequality Last year, two of the younger Commission members set up social media accounts to promote our work and this has become a ‘Communications group’ to highlight the work of the sub-groups working on these priorities. This includes a dedicated YouTube page, along with various social media accounts (see details below). Update 1): Asylum Seekers & Refugees Because the work with Asylum Seekers & Refugees needs to be done locally in association with local authorities, the Commission is trying to support groups across the diocese. The situation for asylum seekers is not getting any easier: a third of all asylum seekers who arrive in the UK are ‘dispersed’ into the northwest of England. The government is still determined to make the process hostile despite the first of the Syrian Resettlement Programme families having arrived in our area. Note: There is activity in most parts of the diocese and if you are interested or would like to become
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involved, please contact the J&P office so that we can put you in contact with one of the active groups. Update 2): The environment We began September with a resource for groups to use during ‘Creation Time’, which is the period between 1 September and 4 October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi. This resource brought together the Sunday Gospels, challenging stories from at home and overseas, and quotations from ‘Laudato Si’ to help us to be inspired to take more responsibility for the way we live and for how we respond to the state of the world. It has been used in parishes across the diocese. We are following this up by working with Lancaster Diocese’s Faith and Justice Commission to put on a day’s event titled ‘Connecting with Creation’. This day will comprise prayer, talks from specialists, and conversations. We hope that participants will leave the event feeling not just better informed but also clearer about what they can do to make a difference. Note: Information about the ‘Caring for Creation’ day is available on the diocesan website and via the J&P social media accounts. We are keen to encourage home, parish and school to work together on the LiveSimply project. Watch this space!
Update 3): Inequality This is our new priority. We hope to bring together information and suggestions for action to make a difference to the growing inequalities we see around us in educational and employment opportunities, wealth and access to housing Note: Our current involvement is with Feeding Liverpool. Further concerns are grammar schools and the shortage of social housing. • Social media links: www.facebook.com/jpliverpooljp www.twitter.com/liverpooljandp www.instagram.com/liverpooljandp Email: j-p@rcaolp.co.uk
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Stt J S John ohn Bosco ARTS COLLEGE
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29th September 2016 4pm - 8pm