Catholic Pictorial November 2022 by catholicpic

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Issue 206 November 2021

A celebration of St Oscar Romero INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Remembering our priests who died during the pandemic

Praying for our LAMP Priests

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contents Welcome

Issue 206 November 2021

November is traditionally the month when we remember and pray for those who have died – ‘who have gone before us with the sign of faith’ – and this month our remembrance is particularly poignant. We remember those who died in the two world wars and in other conflicts, particularly on Armistice Day, Thursday 11 November and on Remembrance Sunday, 14 November, but this year we also remember those who died during the pandemic. Archbishop Malcolm will celebrate two Masses at the Cathedral. The first, on Sunday 7 November at 11.00 am, will be for all those who died and in thanksgiving for the medical staff, care workers and family members who accompanied and assisted them in the last moments of their lives. The second, on Friday 12 November at 7.00 pm, will be for our priests who died including Bishop Vincent Malone. In so many cases we were unable to accompany loved ones and friends in their final days and hours or to pray for them in church at a Funeral Mass. In these coming days we are able once again to gather – to pray for, to grieve for and to love those who have gone before us.

From the Archbishop’s Desk The international environment conference, COP 26, which began in Glasgow at the beginning of the month is now coming to a close and we are left with considering how we can meet our responsibilities to improving the environment so that the earth for our children’s children will be safe and healthy. Pope Francis calls the earth our common home and this simple phrase sums up the closeness and the urgency of what lies ahead. Our homes are a place of peace and love, they are where we are safe and nurtured. They are places of refuge and refreshment in what can be turbulent lives for many people. But our home does not exist in isolation from the world around it. When you think about it, the earth provides all that makes our homes what they are. But we must be sure that what is good for us doesn’t transfer a problem elsewhere. For example, in our country we breathe clean air which make the ‘smogs’ I grew up with in London a distant memory, but this is not simply the result of the clean air acts which were passed by government. Much of our dirty manufacturing industry has been transferred to countries in the Far East and their populations suffer from pollution. The earth is truly a common home – what goes on in one place affects somewhere else. We must not feel overwhelmed by the problem; we can all take small steps on this journey to preserving our planet. One thing I am doing is to travel more on public transport, like Pope Francis did in Buenos Aires, so I look forward to seeing you on the buses and trains around the archdiocese.

Editor Peter Heneghan

Copy deadline December 2021 Monday 8 November 2021

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Contents 4

Main Feature Remembering Romero – and his message

News From around the Archdiocese

14 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 15 Nugent Nugent win two awards at the National Children and Young People’s awards 16 What’s On What’s happening in the Archdiocese 18 Profile Father Denis Parry Building a parish from scratch 19 Cathedral Record November – Month of Remembrance 20 Animate Youth Ministry School lessons on community living

Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool

Pictures Cover, Main Feature and Profile: www.nickfairhurstphotographer.com

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.

26 Pic Extras Mums the Word News from the KSC 28 Pic Life Why clashing egos are a cause of harm 30 Dialogue and Unity A passionate supporter of encouraging people to put their faith into action

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Remembering Romero – and his message The reception of a relic of Saint Oscar Romero at the Metropolitan Cathedral on 14 October was an opportunity to draw fresh inspiration from his life’s example. By Simon Hart It was a grainy recording of the voice of a saint and it echoed around Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral. It was the voice of St Oscar Romero and the message, in his native Spanish, was clear. ‘No matad’ came his impassioned instruction – in English, ‘Do not kill’. He went on: ‘No soldier is obliged to obey an order against the Law of God.’ This was Romero, speaking on the eve of his death in 1980. The recording was played towards the end of a special ecumenical service at the cathedral on Thursday 14 October to mark the third anniversary of Romero’s canonisation. Leading the service was Archbishop Malcolm McMahon and during it he received a relic of the saint from Julian Filochowski, chair of the Archbishop Romero Trust. It is hoped that this relic will be exhibited at the cathedral in the future. The service had originally been planned for March last year as the trust wished to recognise the efforts of Liverpool Archdiocese which, with the staging of an annual Mass every year since Romero’s murder, has sought to keep alive the memory of a man who gave his life in the struggle for justice against an oppressive regime in his homeland of El Salvador. Archbishop Malcolm said of the relic, a tiny particle of rib bone, that it offered ‘a

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physical bodily link with a saint who gave his life for his belief in Jesus Christ’. He added that it ‘links us physically with St Oscar but also reminds us most importantly of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.’ There was also a deeply thoughtful reflection from Father Stephen Pritchard, parish priest of Our Lady of the Assumption in Gateacre, who visited El Salvador in early 2020 and met people who had known Romero. Fr Stephen recounted the experience of ‘being profoundly moved in presiding at Sunday Mass in San Salvador Cathedral at Romero’s tomb; of being amazed at seeing not in black and white photos but with my own eyes the hospital chapel of his martyrdom; of standing behind that altar celebrating Mass in the very place where shots rang out.’ It was in the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Providence, a place of care for cancer patients and the terminally ill, that Romero, then 62 years old, was shot dead while celebrating Mass on the evening of 24 March 1980. Romero had lived next door and Fr Stephen explained how ‘in his tiredness, in his worry, in his fear, in his turmoil, he would minister each night to those who were ill and dying’. Fr Stephen visited that same hospital during his visit to San Salvador, El Salvador’s capital city, and anointed a teenage girl dying of cancer. It was an experience, he said, which underlined for

‘The relics of Oscar Romero are truthful witnesses to a courageous life lived in the light of the gospels’ him the link between that place and this – our own Archdiocese which should continue to seek inspiration from Romero’s example. ‘For a moment I could see why Romero chose to live here,’ he said. ‘Yes, Romero, the man of prayer. Yes, Romero, the advocate of justice. Yes, Romero, the pastor and priest. There is a strong thread that runs from El Salvador to Liverpool and from Liverpool to El Salvador. Can this moment today be an opportunity for this cathedral, for Hope University, where Romero is a hall patron, and for the new parish of St Oscar Romero in Waterloo, for a new conversation to begin and a thread to be strengthened in order that Romero may not be a remarkable saint of the past but a continuing inspiration and uncomfortable nudge to us today to advocate against injustice? The challenge is set before us to continue with Christ’s suffering people today, to share in that suffering in every place of injustice.’ Another highlight of the service was the reading of a letter written by Dr Jan Graffius, the curator from Stonyhurst College who has spent 15 years working with the Archbishop Romero Trust on the preservation of the saint’s relics. In her letter, Dr Graffius explained how her initial meeting with Julian Filochowski in 2006 had led to ‘repeated visits to El Salvador to work with some of the most significant and harrowing artefacts I have encountered in my professional life.’ She went on: ‘The relics of Oscar Romero are truthful witnesses to a courageous life lived in the light of the gospels and to violent death in the service of Christ and some of the poorest people on earth. They have a vital role in a country where official distortion and lies were commonplace, and in a world which often struggles to understand integrity, courage, and holiness. Curators rarely get to deal with objects that speak as powerfully as these.’

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Julian Filochowski presents Archbishop Malcolm with the relic. Below: Relic of St Oscar Romero Dr Graffius explained in striking detail the mechanics of her work, including her efforts to rescue a piece of Romero’s rib which had been handed to his brother Gaspar on his death. It was subsequently kept for three decades in a Jemima Puddle-Duck coffee jar filled with surgical spirit, on top of which was placed a miniature replica of the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Part of that rescued rib is now in the Vatican, the other part in an illuminated reliquary attached to the wall of the altar sanctuary adjacent to the spot where Romero was murdered. Dr Graffius’s testimony included also the arresting example of her examination of what, on initial inspection, had looked like mould on the black woollen trousers worn by Romero on the day of his death which, she attested, ‘provided probably the most moving discovery of my career’. She elaborated: ‘The woollen fabric was covered with a white speckled deposit formed into circular pools which, at first sight, appeared to be some kind of mould. Under deeper magnification it became clear these were salt crystals, the residue of a sudden and exceptionally profuse sweat. According to eye witnesses at his last Mass, Romero suddenly flinched having seen the gunmen at the door of

the church. He then stood his ground, awaiting the inevitable bullet. For me, such a revelation was profoundly moving, reminding us that martyrs are also truly human.’ Perhaps most moving of all was the playing of Romero’s appeal to those men

serving in El Salvador’s army, national guard and police force shortly before his assassination. Afterwards, Steve Atherton of the Liverpool Archdiocese Justice and Peace Commission read out the English translation of the saint’s powerful address: ‘Brothers, you are part of our own people. You are killing your own campesino

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Above: Julian Filochowski and Archbishop Malcolm at the statue of St Oscar Romero Right: Father Stephen Pritchard leads a reflection at the service

‘According to eye witnesses at his last Mass, Romero suddenly flinched having seen the gunmen at the door of the church’ 6

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brothers and sisters and against any order a man may give to kill, God’s Law must prevail. Thou shalt not kill. No soldier is obliged to obey an order against the Law of God. The Church defends the rights of God, the Law of God and the dignity of the human person and therefore cannot remain silent in the face of such great

abominations. In the name of God then, and in the name of his suffering people whose laments rise up each day more tumultuously towards heaven, I beg you, I beseech you, I order you, in the name of God stop the repression.’ The next day, we were reminded, Romero was shot dead yet his example lives on.

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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

Young People invited to meet with Regional Church Leaders

If you are between 18 and 35 you are invited to to an evening with Merseyside’s Church Leaders with an opportunity to meet other young Christians sharing in conversation, friendship and refreshments. Churches Together in the Merseyside Region (CTMR) brings together a gathering of young adults over 18 with different experiences from right across our traditions. They have invited their Church Leaders and would be delighted to welcome other young adults to this open forum. The meeting is on Monday 13 December from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the Liverpool ONE, Quaker Meeting House, 22 School Lane, L1 3BT. To take part in the event please contact Elisabeth at the CTMR office Tel 07394 075951 (WhatsApp is fine) or email office@ctmr.org.uk To leave a voice message please call: 0151 709 0125. It will be an opportunity to ask the Church Leaders any questions you may have and have a dialogue with all present in a friendly and informal atmosphere together with a prayerful reflection.

Welcome Jenny

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself - Jenny Maguire recently appointed as Liverpool Cursillo Lay Director and to welcome Bishop Tom Williams as our recently appointed Liverpool Spiritual Director. It’s been a busy first six months as we open up from the pandemic but as we approach 50 Years of Cursillo in England and Wales we would love to hear from anyone who has made their Cursillo. If you would like to know more about Cursillo or would be interested in sharing your experiences, you can email liverpool-Cursillo@live.co.uk or tel: 07947 271037.

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news diary

Obituary of Rev Brendan Rice Joseph Brendan Rice was born on 11 July 1942 in Liverpool, the son of John and Mary Rice (née Malone). He was baptised by Father Thomas Mangan at St Michael’s, West Derby Road, Liverpool, on 26 July 1942. He attended St Joseph’s School and St Anselm’s College, both in Birkenhead. When he was eight years old he wrote an essay entitled ‘What I want to be when I grow up’. His conclusion was that he wanted either to be a priest or a lion tamer. Upon leaving school he initially took neither option, but began work as a brewer’s clerk, eventually gaining promotion within the company at a new brewery in Runcorn. His journeys to work took him past a church that had Mass at a convenient time and he began to attend Mass daily. Not surprisingly thoughts about a priestly vocation began to surface and he approached Father Kevin O’Connor, the curate in his home parish of St

Michael’s, who told him that he had often thought of that possibility himself. Brendan began training for the priesthood at Ushaw College in September 1976. He was ordained priest at St Michael’s, Liverpool, on 18 July 1981. Following ordination he was appointed as assistant priest at St Alban’s, Warrington, where he was to remain for seven years. He then served briefly in the North Liverpool Team ministry based at St Sylvester’s, Liverpool. In August 1989 he received his first appointment as parish priest as he moved to Saints Peter and Paul, Kirkby. After nine years he returned to the city in September 1998 to take up an appointment as parish priest at St Oswald’s, Old Swan. Four years later he took on additional responsibility for the parishes of St Brendan and St Cuthbert in Old Swan. In September 2007 he left parish

ministry to become part of the Irenaeus Project – a project set up in the archdiocese to help people recognise the presence of God in their lives by providing opportunities for prayer and reflection. He spent eight happy years engaged in the work of parish missions and retreats, days of reflection, spiritual direction and many other activities promoting spiritual development. Following his retirement in 2015, due to ill health, he moved to Rockmount Close, Woolton. In the last few years he loved his chaplaincy role with the Notre Dame Sisters and being near to his family. He died suddenly on Friday 17 September 2021 aged 79 years and in the 41st year of his priesthood. Blessed with an extrovert personality, he loved people and was never happier than telling stories and laughing at his own jokes. He delighted in meeting new friends and keeping in touch with old ones. Brendan had a particular rapport with young people. His irreverent sense of humour and his willingness to listen to their stories without judgment or condemnation made him very special to them. Underlying his outgoing personality lay a deep wisdom and he was much sought after as a spiritual guide. He will be much missed by those who knew and loved him. Father Stephen Pritchard remembers his work with Animate Youth Ministries, ‘I first got to know Brendan as a young person of 16. He was a mentor, guide and friend. I lived with him in St Oswald’s and he came to live with me and the Animate Team at Lowe House. He had an amazing gift with young people, whether in Lourdes, at World Youth Day or through Animate. He would often say, “I don’t know why these young people keep in touch with me?” But was always delighted when they did. A group of young people in Cologne raised £100 in tribute to Brendan after learning that he had died. He continued today doing what he did for me decades before.’ Father Brendan’s body was received into St Michael’s Church, West Derby Road, on Monday 4 October with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm. His Funeral Mass was celebrated by Bishop Tom Neylon on Tuesday 5 October at St Oswald’s Church, Old Swan prior to burial at Yew Tree Cemetery, West Derby, Liverpool.

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Pastoral Letter The following Pastoral Letter was read in all churches of the archdiocese on the Solemnity of All Saints, Sunday 31 October 2021. Dear Friends, ‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.’ (Genesis 1.31) Over the past few years, we have all been made aware of extreme weather events like the wildfires in California, Australia and even Siberia. In our own country we see increasing incidents of flooding and coastal erosion, and there has been very destructive flooding in countries such as Germany, China and India. Other events of concern have been the recent earthquake in Haiti and many parts of the world are suffering the effects of drought. Food shortages due to crop failures, like wheat in Canada, threaten all of us. The recent report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change makes it clear that we cannot deny the link of all these events to global warming and that the warming is due to human action. Records of temperature kept from 18802020 show that the seven highest yearly temperatures have all occurred since 2014. The concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, as of July 2021, is the highest it has been in human history. So what is happening to that beautiful world, celebrated so powerfully in the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis? In his powerful encyclical, Laudato Si, Pope Francis suggests that ‘we have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth.’ He suggests that ‘we have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will.’ There can be no doubt that in our modern world many have come to see ourselves as entitled to ever increasing consumption and satisfaction. Yet not only are we destroying God’s world by such actions, but others are paying the price. The global south is already experiencing the most intense impacts of climate change despite being the least responsible for it. Eleven percent of the world’s population is currently vulnerable to climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, heat waves, extreme weather events and sealevel rise. There can be no doubt that as Christians we are called to act, to moderate our behaviour and to extend compassion to those in other parts of the world suffering because of our actions. On the final day of this month world leaders will gather in Glasgow for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference which will continue until 12 November. Among the key issues to be discussed at the conference will be worldwide deforestation, mounting carbon emissions, an immediate halt to all new fossil fuel projects and overall elimination of dependence on fossil fuels. Rich nations must give extra financial support to poorer countries to enable them to achieve these goals. For in the words of Pope Francis, in Fratelli Tutti, ‘We need to think of ourselves more and more as a single family dwelling in a common home’ There is no doubt that if governments, and particularly the governments of the wealthiest nations, could be persuaded to act, real progress could be made. For this to happen we need to put pressure on our own UK government, which has the role of chairing the conference. There are several ways to do this. These might include writing to your MPs and local politicians to make your views known or taking

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part in the Global Day of Action on Climate Change next Saturday. However, we all have a personal responsibility in these matters not just governments and the truth is that each and every one of us has some responsibility for the desecration of our beautiful earth and each and every one of us can do something about it. There are a whole range of actions which you might consider, for example: • • • • •

Using public transport, walking or cycling rather than car use Cutting down on the amount of meat you eat Avoiding single use plastic as much as you can Buying locally produced food if possible Recycling waste.

I would urge parishes and schools to work towards the Cafod Live Simply Award, which asks us to Live Simply, Sustainably and in Solidarity with the Poor and includes a number of these kinds of actions at both the individual and the parish or school level. Let us remember our responsibility: Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26) May God bless you and your families. Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool

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news diary Little Amal highlights the plights of refugees In October the Amal Puppet Walk visited the United Kingdom. The walk by ‘Little Amal’ a 3.5-metre-tall puppet of a young refugee girl began in July and since that time events have taken place from the Syria-Turkey border through to the UK. Amal (the Arabic word for ‘hope’) represented displaced children throughout the world, many separated from their families. Children who, just like Amal, have fled war and persecution and need access to education and essential support to rebuild their lives. Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director of The Walk said, ‘It is because the attention of the world is elsewhere right now that it is more important than ever to reignite the conversation about the refugee crisis and to change the narrative around it. Yes, SFX Parishioners Peter Reynolds, Judith Callaghan, Debbie Reynolds with parish priest refugees need food and blankets, but they Father Denis Blackledge SJ and Little Amal also need dignity and a voice. The purpose of The Walk is to highlight the local MPs, outlining the key concerns parishioners how the proposed new potential of the refugee, not just their dire Nationality and Borders Bill would overhaul involved with the proposed Bill. Copies of circumstances. Little Amal is 3.5 metres the appeal were printed out, to be the UK asylum system, to make it as tall because we want the world to grow distributed at the end of Sunday Mass. difficult as possible to get asylum in the big enough to greet her. We want her to The group also highlighted the JRS UK UK. The Bill would deny many refugees inspire us to think big and to act bigger.’ publication ‘Being Human in the Asylum the chance to seek sanctuary here, Although Little Amal was not able to visit System’, a report laying out the principles criminalise many who try to do so, and Liverpool her progress was followed by St for a just and person-centred system isolate refugees in harmful out-of-town Francis Xavier parishioners who gathered based on Catholic Social Teaching. institutions. on Saturday 24 October for a bacon butty A letter of appeal was tabled to be sent to breakfast to share their understanding of the Cardinal Vincent Nichols welcomes Little Amal suggested changes to the Picture © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk Nationality and Borders Bill. Thanks to the Jesuit Fund for Social Justice they were able to ‘baptise’ their new Smart TV, and follow the footsteps of Little Amal. The Walk of this amazing public puppet project, a Handspring Puppet Company production for Good Chance, caused quite a stir all along the way from Syria. It helped to awaken conversation on the harrowing conditions undergone by children and adults as refugees, and the multiple reasons for their terrible ordeal. It also gave the Liverpool group the opportunity to share ideas on how they can welcome the stranger by recording them on ‘Orange Hearts’ – the symbol of ‘Together with Refugees’. Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK) informed

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KSC Supreme Conference held in Liverpool At the beginning of October, the Knights of St Columba held their Supreme Conference in Liverpool. The conference is normally held in Glasgow where the KSC was founded over 100 years ago, but this year came to Liverpool in honour of the fact that the city is the home of the first council and province in England. Saturday evening saw the Supreme Banquet attended by members of the Order nationwide, their families and guests. The conference concluded with Sunday Mass in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, a former National Adviser to the Order. Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, also attended the meeting and concelebrated at the Mass. In his homily Archbishop Malcolm said that we should aim to ‘live in harmony with creation’; he went on to say, ‘the work which we do as Christians and you as Knights of St Columba is actually in line with this understanding of God’s will – He sent His Son to us to restore unity and harmony to creation’. After the homily of the Mass the Ceremony of Installation took place for the new

Archbishop Malcolm and KSC members

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Knights outside St George’s Hall where the 1920 Catholic Congress was held

Supreme Officers and Board of Directors of the Knights of St Columba. At the end of the Mass the new Supreme Knight, Harry Welsh, spoke to thank

Archbishop Malcolm and Archbishop Bernard and to thank the Liverpool Province of the KSC for their work in organising and hosting the conference.

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Welcome back to St Anne’s, Ormskirk by Irene Slack (St Anne’s PPC) To welcome everyone back to St Anne’s Church after the temporary closure due to the pandemic, parishioners, families, friends and neighbours were invited to a community event on Saturday 11 September. Held in the parish grounds, the day started at 12.00 noon with an open air Mass on the bowling green, attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of West Lancashire. We remembered the Golden and Silver Jubilees of Father Godric Timney OSB and Deacon Des Bill and many events it was not possible to celebrate during lockdown. We recalled too, the kindness of people during the recent lockdowns. The Mass was followed by a ‘bring your own picnic’ and then, from about 1.00 pm the fun events began. Decorated stalls were on the meadow and music from the Swivellers entertained. Five-a-side football coaching was available and those who fancied their skills on go-carts could try them out. There was a free tombola and the opportunity to roast marshmallows proved popular. The environment stall

gave children the chance to build a bughouse and enter competitions including a quiz on the Tree Trail. The Church of St Anne is a lovely place and tours had been arranged. It gave an opportunity to see the church which had been decorated with special flower arrangements and to find out more of its history. Tea and coffee was available in the Parish Centre where there were exhibitions of photographs of times past in St Anne’s Church and Ormskirk and also flower arranging displays. The celebrations continued on Sunday 12 September with a Welcome Back Mass

attended by the Deputy Mayor and Consort. This was followed by a lunch for parishioners in the Pastoral Centre and finally the Parish AGM. By 5.00 pm, the many helpers were able to put their feet up for a well-earned rest. The weekend was declared a great success and the priests and clergy would like to express their appreciation and thanks to those who helped with the planning and implementation of the event. After a year of lockdowns, lots of events are now planned for St Anne’s in the coming year. Parishioners and friends who enjoyed the weekend are looking forward to more celebrations in 2022.

St Patrick’s to take part in new empathy project by Katie Parry St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, Liverpool, have been looking for volunteers for an upcoming project, which aims to teach primary students about empathy. The Roots of Empathy programme was founded in 1996 in Canada, and has since expanded globally. It launched in England in 2012. This month, it has been spreading to Merseyside. Now, St Patrick’s are looking to join the number of global schools who have partnered up with the organisation. Katie Cohen, UK manager at Roots of Empathy, said: “We are pleased to be working with the Youth Endowment Fund to bring the award winning Roots of Empathy programme to Merseyside. “Over the next three years we will be working with local schools, volunteer instructors and local families to support children with their emotional literacy. “At the heart of our programme is a local family with a young baby, our ‘Tiny Teachers’. “They help children gain a deeper understanding of emotions. Research on the programme shows that this raises levels of empathy, as well as kind, caring and sharing behaviours, plus reduces violent behaviour.” The programme is set to start in November, and will take place over the course of a school year. Year Five students at St Patrick’s will take part. A baby with one or both parents will visit a classroom every month with a Roots of Empathy instructor. The instructor will guide pupils as they observe the relationship between the baby and one or both parents. Each visit will last 30 minutes.

A Roots of Empathy instructor will also visit classes before and after each family visit to reinforce teachings. Overall, there will be nine family visits. Along with the visits from the instructor before and after the sessions, this means there will be 27 classroom visits across the school year from Roots of Empathy. The aim of the project is to coach children into recognising and connecting with the vulnerability and humanity of a baby. Children will observe the loving relationship between a parent and infant to give them a model of responsible parenting. Emotional literacy will develop as children begin to identify and label the baby’s feelings, and reflect on and understand their own feelings. This will then help children begin to understand other people’s feelings and emotions.

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Masses of Remembrance November is the month of Remembrance and this year Archbishop Malcolm will celebrate two Masses for those who have died during the pandemic and in thanksgiving for those who cared for them. On Sunday 7 November Archbishop Malcolm will celebrate the 11.00 am Mass in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King for all those who have died in the pandemic, and in thanks for the medical staff, care workers and family members who have accompanied and assisted them in the last moments of their lives. This date has been suggested by the Bishops’ Conference, and similar Masses will be taking place in cathedrals across England and Wales. On Friday 12 November at 7.00 pm the Archbishop will again celebrate Mass in the Metropolitan Cathedral for all our priests who have died since the beginning of the pandemic, he writes: ‘I am aware that many of us could not be present at their funerals due to Covid restrictions. Indeed, while united in prayer and

perhaps live streaming for these occasions, the inability to be physically present, I am sure, only served to compound the sense of loss, as it has for so many others across the world during the various lockdowns. It is therefore important that we come together to remember and pray for our priests who have died during this period, including for Bishop Vincent Malone. His funeral was dignified and prayerful, but the starkness of laying him to rest with only a few of us there, and with all the other limitations on what we could do, is a contrast to what would have taken place had the world been different in May 2020, for a bishop who had a very special place at the heart of our archdiocese. ‘All those priests who have died during the pandemic, of Covid or other causes, have given a life of service to the People of God, and it is only right that we remember and give thanks for their contribution, and pray for their eternal peace.’

We will remember:

Rev Joseph Weston

30 April 2020

Rev Bernard Eager

29 June 2020

Rev Anthony Garrett

03 September 2020

Monsignor Austin Hunt

06 October 2020

Rev Desmond Power

30 October 2020

Rev Michael Youell

30 November 2020

Rev James Clarkson

02 January 2021

Rev James Matthews

16 January 2021

Rev Gerard Britt

20 January 2021

Rev Peter Fox

24 February 2021

Canon Albert Shaw

25 May 2021

Rev Brendan Rice

17 September 2021

Bishop Vincent Malone Bishop of Abora and Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool Born in Liverpool 11 September 1931 Ordained at St Oswald’s, Old Swan 18 September 1955 Ordained Titular Bishop of Abora and Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool by Archbishop Derek Worlock in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King 3 July 1989 Died 18 May 2020

Members of Religious Orders Rev Owen Grant MHM

03 April 2020

Rev John Sweeney MHM

09 April 2020

Rev Brian Russell CSsR

17 February 2021

Rev Anthony Johnson CSsR

26 June 2021

Rev Martin Gay CSsR

06 August 2021

Rev Joseph Duggan SJ

24 August 2021

Rev Joseph Holmes MHM

30 September 2021

Grant, we pray O Lord, that the souls of your servants and priests, whom you honoured with sacred office while they lived in this world may exult for ever in the glorious home of heaven. 14

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Normandie Wragg Chief Executive Nugent

Nugent win two awards at the National Children and Young People’s awards On Friday 22 October, staff and staff teams from Nugent, who were finalists in the National Children and Young People’s awards, travelled to Birmingham to be recognised for their work and their contribution to children’s services. We had four finalists/teams and on the night, we

had winners in the Registered Manager category, and the Fostering and Adoption category. Registered Manager award Dr Kate Herod, Head of Secure Children’s Services at St Catherine’s in St Helens, won the national Registered Manager

award. Originally, I nominated her for Registered Manager, North, however the judges were so blown away by her interview that they created a whole new award category just for her. I nominated Kate because of the amazing outcomes for children as a result of the professionalism and dedication of her hard-working team. Fostering and Adoption Award Right at the end of National Adoption Week, Jo Lloyd and the Nugent Adoption team, also at St Catherine’s in St Helens, won the Fostering and Adoption award. Our Adoption team is very special. I nominated this team because families that are created with the help of our specialist adoption team, create relationships long after families are created and this means, even greater life chances for children. Adding Jo to the Adoption team has created an excellent synergy between the team and the organisation and I anticipate that this team will be knocking on outstanding in their upcoming inspection. Nugent has always helped people in need. Normally we support over 6000 individuals every year. During the pandemic, we helped over 8000. Your continued support of our important work is always appreciated, whether that is a thank you to one of our staff or volunteers, or support at our events.

‘Good Food City’ Colin and Lorna from our CARITAS team along with volunteers from Epsom Street Community Centre, were invited to attend the Liverpool Good Food Plan Launch on Thursday, 7 October 2021 at St. George’s Everton. The development of the first part of the plan involved a wide range of organisations and people across Liverpool and Nugent had been involved in the initial listening project focus groups. The focus groups explored resident’s experiences of accessing food in their communities and what being a Good Food city could look like to them. Liverpool’s Good Food Plan is a plan that will address key issues related to the food we eat in Liverpool; including: food insecurity; access to and take-up of healthy, nutritious food; the impact the food we eat is having on our planet and the practices by which the food we eat is produced. It connects to and builds on existing work in the city and nationally, including Liverpool’s City Plan, Liverpool’s Pandemic Pledges, the Poverty Action Group and the Food Insecurity Task Force, Food Power, Liverpool’s Healthy Weight Declaration and Feeding Britain. The plan is born from the belief that together, we can create a city where everyone can eat Good Food, no matter who they are and where they live. We believe that we can not only reduce the critical levels of hunger and food insecurity that have been accentuated by the pandemic, but that we can use this pivotal moment in history to work together and change our food system to become a true

‘Good Food City’ and end the need for food banks. Good Food means different things to different people. We want to continue to involve a wide range of people and organisations in the city to define what Good Food means to them and bring that shared vision to reality together. We see this time as a pivotal moment in history; a time of significant change and challenge and a real need to work together to create real change. We know that doing the same thing that we did before is not an option and we are working towards a brighter future, where everyone in Liverpool has an equitable chance at reaping the benefits of eating Good Food. It’s time for us to come together to bring our vision of ‘Good Food’ to life.

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what’s on Tuesday 2 November Requiem Mass for All Souls Day. 5.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King with the Cathedral Choir singing music from Faure’s Requiem. Those attending are welcome to bring photos of loved ones who they wish to pray for which can be placed on the sanctuary during Mass. Wednesday 3 November Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception offered for peace in the world 7.00 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool L4 1QL. Celebrant: Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald MAfr Thursday 4 November ‘He sent me to give Good News to the Poor.’ Reflections on Luke’s Gospel. Irenaeus Zoom Scripture Morning at 10.30 am. To book email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk No charge – donations welcome. Diaconate information evening 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm (refreshments from 7.00 pm) at English Martyrs Parish Hall, School Lane, Litherland, Liverpool L21 7LX. As we prepare to receive our Synod Pastoral Plan, which will set out concrete actions to change our ways of working, so that our Church becomes more inclusive, more welcoming and more engaged with those on the margins, the ministry of deacons will continue to evolve alongside the presbyteral ministry in the service of the priesthood of all the baptised. If you would like to hear how this is working out and you feel this may be your calling too, please join

Archbishop Malcolm and the diaconate team in an evening meeting for men who may be wondering if they are called to serve as deacons and what the formation involves. Wives and supporting priests or deacons are also welcome. If you are interested in the diaconate but unable to attend this evening, please email diaconate@rcaol.org.uk for more information. Friday 5 November Friday lunchtime Mass 1.05 pm at Liverpool Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Old Churchyard, Chapel Street, L2 8TZ. Sunday 7 November Mass for all those who have died in the pandemic, and in thanks for the medical staff, care workers and family members who have accompanied and assisted them in the last moments of their lives 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Newman Circle Celebration Lunch and Talk on the Second Anniversary of Canonisation of St John Henry Newman West Lancs Golf Club at 12.30 pm for 1.00 pm. Cost £20. Contact John Potts on 07889 841096 Tuesday 9 November Time Out on Tuesdays 10.00 am to 4.00 pm at the Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. An opportunity for quiet time, away from the daily rush of life. Please wear a face covering indoors. Offering £10 per person (bring your own lunch). For further details contact: Sister Winifred. Tel: 0151 722 2271, Email: winniecenacle@mail.com Wednesday 10 November Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception offered for peace in the world

7.00 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool L4 1QL. Celebrant: Father Richard Ebo

Conference on Food Insecurity and the launch of the ‘Good Food Plan’ for Merseyside 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm at the Metropolitan Cathedral. Keynote Speaker: Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust. Tickets free through Eventbrite. Thursday 11 November ‘He sent me to give Good News to the Poor.’ Reflections on Luke’s Gospel. Irenaeus Zoom Scripture Morning at 10.30 am. To book email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk No charge – donations welcome. Friday 12 November Friday lunchtime Mass 1.05 pm at Liverpool Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Old Churchyard, Chapel Street, L2 8TZ. Mass for all our priests who have died since the beginning of the pandemic. 7.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Sunday 14 November Remembrance Sunday Solemn Mass 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Liverpool Bach Collective Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata 116: ‘Du Friedefürst, Herr Jesu Christ.’ (‘O Prince of Peace, Lord Jesus Christ.’) 6.30 pm at St David’s Church, Rocky Lane/Queen’s Drive, Childwall,

Website at www.liverpoolcatholic.org.uk 16

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november Liverpool L16 1JA. Singers and Players directed by Philip Duffy. www.liverpoolbach.com Email: liverpoolbach@icloud.com Tuesday 16 November Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter Mass 12.15 pm in the Blessed sacrament Chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Wednesday 17 November Mass for the Annual Novena In honour of the Immaculate Conception offered for peace in the world 7.00 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool L4 1QL. Celebrant: Father Eamonn Mulcahy CSSp Thursday 18 November to Sunday 21 November Cursillo 3-day weekend A residential short course in Christianity at St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1PH. For details visit: www.liverpool-cursillo.co.uk Tel: 07947 271037. All are welcome to attend the Celebration Closing Mass at 2.30 pm on Sunday 21 November.

Thursday 25 November Classical Guitar Concert by John O’Connell 12.00 noon – 1.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Admission free. Friday 26 November Friday lunchtime Mass 1.05 pm at Liverpool Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Old Churchyard, Chapel Street, L2 8TZ. Saturday 27 November Quiet Day 10.30 am to 4.00 pm at the Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. Time to be quiet, reflect and pray. Tea and Coffee provided (bring your own lunch). No booking required. Please wear a face covering indoors. For further details contact: Sister Winifred. Tel: 0151 722 2271, Email: winniecenacle@mail.com Sunday 28 November First Sunday of Advent Launch of Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan Solemn Mass for the First Sunday of Advent 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP.

Thursday 18 November ‘He sent me to give Good News to the Poor.’ Reflections on Luke’s Gospel. Irenaeus Zoom Scripture Morning at 10.30 am. To book email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk No charge – donations welcome. Newman Circle Talk: ‘A Priest for the Vikings.’ Speaker: Monsignor Peter Fleetwood, Parish Priest of the Faroe Islands. 7.30 pm at St Helen's Parish Centre, Alexandra Road, Crosby, L23 7TQ. Details: John Potts Tel: 07889 841096 Friday 19 November Friday lunchtime Mass 1.05 pm at Liverpool Parish Church of Our Lady and St Nicholas, Old Churchyard, Chapel Street, L2 8TZ. Sunday 21 November Feast of Christ the King – Patronal Feast of the Cathedral Solemn Mass 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. Wednesday 24 November Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception offered for peace in the world 7.00 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool L4 1QL. Celebrant: Father Sixtus Adejo CSSp

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profile

Father Denis Parry

Building a parish from scratch - by Simon Hart Anybody wondering about the merits of missionary work in the 21st century should spend an hour with Father Denis Parry. A Liverpool Archdiocesan priest, Father Denis can tell them about the day he turned up in the Peruvian diocese of Carabyllo, on the northern fringes of Lima, with the task of creating a new parish ... from scratch. ‘I knew nobody, I had no land, no house, no nothing, so I began by celebrating Mass first of all on some waste ground,’ he begins. ‘That was August 2006 and word got round to people so first they’d bring out their stools and by December, on some wasteland, people built a chapel of bamboo sticks.’ It was the first step in a process which concludes next month with the opening of the parish church of Our Lady of Guadeloupe. Milestones along the way include the building of a parish house, completed in 2013, and Father Denis adds: ‘We began to use the basement of the house as a temporary chapel and then, in 2015, began work on building the church which is due to be consecrated on 12 December, feast of Our Lady of Guadeloupe.’ It is evidence of the ongoing

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significance of the Liverpool Archdiocesan Missionary Project (LAMP), set up in 1979, which used to send priests to Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru but now focuses on Peru alone. Father Denis is one of three Liverpool priests there along with Fr Joe Bibby, based in the diocese of Sicuani high up in the Andes, and Fr Simon Cadwallader, now returned to his old parish in Lima. This month brings a rare chance for all three to come together at a retreat yet they are united by their work in ‘connecting our diocese with the poorest of the poor’. In the case of Father Denis, next summer marks 25 years since his departure for South America to fulfil a boyhood dream. ‘It was always in me. I felt the call to be a missionary priest when I was a little boy. I remember when a missionary priest came to my school to talk about the work they did, and that was the first time it appealed to me.’ Now 73, he actually spent 20 years working as an auditor for the brewer Whitbread before responding to his vocation. After two years as permanent deacon at St Mary’s, Lowe House, he began training for the priesthood in 1991 and was ordained in 1994, at 46. A visit

to South America in 1996 – while serving as assistant priest in the parish of St Sylvester – told him ‘that is where I wanted to go. I came home and asked Archbishop Patrick Kelly and he let me go.’ The intervening years have brought challenges – notably the loss of an eye to cancer – yet a life that began in the now demolished Gerard Gardens, off Scotland Road, has never been dull, not least for the task of founding a parish spanning 20 miles and holding some 35,000 people. ‘Working on the missions has been a great blessing for me,’ he reflects. And important too. Donations from Liverpool Archdiocese – notably the parishes of St Mary’s, Lowe House, in St Helens and St Jude’s in Wigan – have accelerated a process that ‘would never have been possible for people in that area. To build a church would have taken 50 years. They wouldn’t have had the money available. But my mission is to also give the people the responsibility – I’ve always said we priests come and go but the Church will be for your children, your grandchildren, and people have responded. I couldn’t say how fulfilling I’ve found it.’

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cathedral

Remembering the Polish sacrifice Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean

by Neil Sayer, Archdiocesan Archivist The names in the Ormskirk graveyard gave me pause for thought: Korzeniowski, Terlecki, Pichlinski. Poles, clearly, the memorial stones adorned with the national eagle, but how had they come to rest here in the well-tended graves at an ancient Benedictine church? It was the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 that tipped the United Kingdom into conflict with Hitler’s Germany. Fine words butter no parsnips and given the constraints of time and distance neither we nor our French allies were able to give much assistance to Poland’s defence; quite the contrary, as it turned out. With the Soviet Union also invading Poland from the east, the country’s armed forces were unable to resist for longer than a few weeks. Nevertheless, their faith and courage were widely admired. Both before and after the Polish surrender, Poles in large numbers were fleeing abroad to continue the fight. Circuitous journeys through Romania and around the Mediterranean led many, especially airmen, to France, where they were often co-opted into ad hoc units to face further German aggression. Several ships of the Polish Navy sailed to find sanctuary in British ports, where they too made valuable contributions to the Allied

war effort. Following the fall of France in June 1940, many Poles found their way to relative safety in Britain. The Polish government in exile in London agreed to form a Polish army, navy and air force under British operational command. Polish forces then took part in the Battle of Britain, the Atlantic convoys, and were in combat in north Africa and Italy, in north west Europe from Dieppe to D-Day, at Arnhem and in the march on Germany that helped to end the war. By 1944 there were almost 200,000 men serving in the Polish armed forces in the west, and the Poles overall would have formed the fourth-largest Allied army of the war. Nearly 27,000 of them lost their lives in action. And in Ormskirk, from late 1944 into the post-war summer of 1945, the Polish 4th Military Hospital occupied the teacher training college. Edge Hill College had been evacuated to Yorkshire early in the war, and the site was requisitioned for military use. On the site of what is now Edge Hill University, Polish troops who were wounded or ill were treated by their own doctors and nurses. Some died there, and the graveyard of St Anne’s Church includes 26 Polish Catholics ranging in age from 22 to 56. They might not have seen their homeland in 5 or 6 years. They are all together in a group, a corner of an English field that is forever Poland.

November is our traditional time for praying for the dead and this year we will have a number of memorial Masses to remember all those who died over the last 18 months. We are conscious that many people will not have been able to mourn the passing of loved ones and friends with the usual funeral rites – November offers us an opportunity to come together to pray for and remember them. Following the Feast of All Saints on the first weekend of November we will have a number of Masses on the Feast of all Souls. The evening Mass on 2nd November at 5.00 pm will be celebrated at the High Altar with the Cathedral Choir singing music from Faure’s Requiem. Those attending are welcome to bring photos of loved ones who they wish to pray for which can be placed on the sanctuary during Mass. Archbishop Malcolm will offer Mass at 11.00 am in the Cathedral the following Sunday for all who died throughout the Covid Pandemic. We will also have a special Mass for Bishop Malone and the other diocesan and religious priests who died during this period on Friday 12 November at 7.00 pm – all priests who wish to attend are welcome to concelebrate. The Cathedral along with many of our parishes have been working in partnership with other churches and our local communities running food banks and local community food markets. On Wednesday 10 November from 7.00 to 8.30 pm at the Cathedral there will be a Conference on Food Insecurity and the launch of the ‘Good Food Plan’ for Merseyside. The keynote speaker will be Emma Revie, Chief Executive of the Trussell Trust. Tickets are free through Eventbrite. The Chapter of Canons will be meeting for the first time in two years on 16 November and will concelebrate Mass at 12.15pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Archbishop Malcolm will be joining us for our Feast Day of Christ the King on Sunday 21st and for the First Sunday of Advent on 28th November.

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youth ministry

School lessons on community living Animate Youth Ministries’ day retreats with Year 7 pupils have prompted reflections on what it means to be part of a faith community – and how to make an impact. Elizabeth Martin explains more. The first half of the autumn term was a busy time for Animate. We have now returned to our normal routine of working, without the restrictions that the pandemic brought upon us for so long. Since September, therefore, we have worked already with several different high schools in the Diocese and, in particular, have led a number of day retreats for Year 7 pupils. We began the term by working with youngsters at All Hallows, Penwortham, where we focused on the theme of ‘letting your light shine’ by thinking about the gifts that God has given to each of us, and how we can share these gifts with the world and contribute to our community in a positive way. Next, with St Peter and Paul’s, Widnes, we reflected on how we are all part of one body – that is, one community. We considered how St Peter and St Paul were very

different men with different personalities and talents, but both had a massive impact on the Church in their different ways. We too each have the ability to serve our community in our own unique way. Without diversity, our community would not be as strong. With the pupils of St Gregory’s in Warrington, we reflected on how we can all ‘stand up and be counted’, and that we should not be afraid to stand up for what is right and for what we believe in. We considered how faith can guide us to make the right decisions in life. In the final week before the half-term break, we worked with pupils at Hope Academy, Newton-le-Willows, where we encouraged the Year 7s to consider how it is possible to live out their school’s values of ambition, courage and respect in their daily

lives. We reflected on how ambition can be a positive characteristic, if we have a drive to truly become the best version of ourselves and the people that God has created us to be. We can see in the Bible that God commands us to be ‘strong and courageous … for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9), and we can also play a role in encouraging each other to be courageous. Finally, we should always treat everyone with respect, by trying to live out the ‘golden rule’ of treating others in the way that we would like to be treated ourselves. The retreats led by Animate in these different schools during the past halfterm may all have had a slightly different focus, but one thing that they had in common was the core value of what it means to be a part of a faith community for the young people making a new start at high school, and how each child has the opportunity to make a positive impact. Each has been created by God for their own unique purpose, and has the potential to let their light shine in the world. • We have now opened applications for next summer’s Liverpool Archdiocesan Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes. For the 2022 pilgrimage we have launched an online application system, and you can apply via liverpoollourdesyouth.co.uk. • We have also restarted the Faith in Action award. You can register by going to: https://www.animateyouth.org/faithin-action/faith-in-action-2020-21/

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education news

ASFA comes together for Feast Day

The Academy of St Francis of Assisi (ASFA) school community recently came together for Patron Saint, St Francis of Assisi’s Feast Day. Due to the pandemic, the staff and students were unable to commemorate the day properly last year, but this time around everyone was able to celebrate the life and teachings of St Francis. The theme was L.O.V.E which represents ‘Living Our Values Everyday.’ The academy’s new Year 11 student leadership team introduced the theme of L.O.V.E and how these values help to

achieve success in a joyful environment. Throughout the lockdown, the Year 8 Small Learning Community developed a strong relationship with the academy’s chaplaincy when most of this dynamic class still attended school. Now they have become seasoned professionals, presenting collective worship and singing at the Feast Day celebration. The students performed a song by Chris Tomlin called ‘LOVE’ which contains the phrase ‘Okwagala kwe’. ‘Okwagala’ means ‘love (to each other)’ in Luganda a language spoken in Uganda, Africa.

This was the perfect anthem to underpin the Feast Day message and by the second verse the whole academy was singing along in support. Phil Johnson, Academy Chaplain said: “It was wonderful to hear the whole school demonstrating their joy for being reunited and singing in celebration for being back together. “A huge well done to our Small Learning Community for singing in front of the rest of the school – I am incredibly proud of them.”

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education news Churches Together ‘Be Creative’ Competition at Faith Primary School St Peter’s Church of England Church and Saint Francis Xavier’s Roman Catholic Church work with Faith Primary School on a number of parish community events and celebrations. During the Season of Creation weeks, the children compiled a series of prayers, thankfulness and promotional posters with inspirational quotations on how we can care for creation and one another. The Ignatian gardeners at St Francis Xavier Church had the hard task of picking a few winners and were struck by the profound simplicity challenging lifestyle changes, encouraging campaigning, and praying with one another. Debbie Reynolds, Pastoral Assistant at SFX Church said, ‘The children showed great creativity in their artwork and their words will be shared with the parish community as we highlight the importance of COP26 in the next few weeks – small changes together can make a big difference.’

Huyton primary school pupil wins Black History Month competition October marked the start of Black History Month – an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate the many contributions made by black people in Britain over many generations. To start the month off, Merseyside Police were joined by Cllr Margaret Harvey and Cllr Shelley Powell to reveal to Sebastian Garvey-North (age 9), a pupil St Anne’s Catholic Primary School in Huyton, his

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design on the side of a Police vehicle, which won the Merseyside Police Black History Month design competition. In May, pupils across Merseyside were asked by Merseyside Police to design a poster celebrating Black History Month. Children from across the region were invited to get creative and respond to the theme of ‘making a difference’, exploring figures who have made a difference from the past, present or in their own

communities. Sebastian’s design, featuring England and Manchester United player Marcus Rashford, was chosen by senior officers in Merseyside Police, local authority partners, International Slavery Museum and the Anthony Walker Foundation. Liam Anderson, headteacher at St Anne’s Catholic Primary School said: “What a wonderful start to Black History Month. We’re so proud of Sebastian, to see his work displayed so prominently is fantastic. His classmates were also very impressed by Sebastian’s achievements, and we will all be sure to keep an eye out for his design and wave at officers as they drive past.” Sergeant Azizur Rahman, local policing, who organised the art competition, said: “We received some fantastic entries, and this competition offered a great opportunity for pupils to learn about Black History Month and to celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture. “It was important that this competition engaged with young people and helped them to understand why Black History is so important in challenging negative stereotypes so we can make a positive and potentially life-changing impact within our communities.”

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education news

St Helen’s schools collect donations for local charity By Katie Parry Pupils and staff at St Helen’s primary schools have collected donations to support a local charity. 15 local schools took part in the donations, and all together collected over a tonne of food donations for the charity, Teardrops. The donations were collected for the harvest appeal, and also for world homelessness day and world mental health day. Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School took part in collecting donations. Miss Walsh, deputy headteacher at Holy Spirit, said children, staff and families donated very generously throughout the half term. Miss Walsh said: “It is a charity that has helped our school community Holy Spirit throughout the pandemic and it is our way of saying thank you. “Each class was given a special rainbow box, which they have made shine the brightest by placing their donations in it each week. “We have certainly lived out our school mission statement ‘Live, Love, Learn’’. “Together we will soar new heights’ through our children thinking of others throughout the past half term by donating to the Harvest appeal. “Last Friday we had a Brighten up for Harvest and Go Green Day to celebrate our Harvest, and reminded the children that they really have shone the brightest this harvest by giving so generously to Teardrops. “Their donations will make lots of people in our local community shine too, as it will help them have a warm meal. “We are a very proud Catholic school who try and live out our faith in everything that we do.” Holy Cross’ head girl, Katie Halpin-Belfield, and head boy, Cole Mayor, gave all their donations to Teardrops last Wednesday with their headteacher, Mrs Ravey. Mrs Harrison, RE lead at St Bartholomew’s Catholic Primary School, was very impressed by how many food donations they received from pupils and staff at the school for Teardrops. She said: “I reckon it must have filled about 20 big shoppers. “There was loads. We were just blown away by the generosity. “We do it around harvest time every year.

We do our harvest celebration where we talk about the abundance of food and thank you for the farmers. “But then equally we slip it on the other side that there are people who haven’t got enough to eat. “It’s living out that Catholic life, looking for those who aren’t as fortunate and our school are amazing at that. “Our students embrace whatever cause it’s for, and they always go above and beyond to live out that mission at being that loving family, which we are.” Holy Cross Catholic Primary School also took part in the collections. Mrs Slater, PSHE leader at Holy Cross R C Primary School, was very proud of the families and pupils at the school for their donations. She said: “Teardrops got in touch with us and said there’s a link between homelessness and mental health. “In order to raise awareness for mental health day they were reaching out to the community to see if any schools were willing to donate. “So, we said to the children they can come in in their own clothes, and in exchange for doing that, they can either bring a £1 donation in for the charity or they can bring in an item of nonperishable food.” Mrs Slater said the school received a few hundred donations, and also raised around £40 in money. The school also added to that by donating some shoes. Mrs Slater said: “There were a lot and to be honest, our families aren’t the most well off. The school is in an area of high deprivation. But our families do always come up. They are so willing to donate. “We just think it’s really important for our children to recognise their role in a wider society. “It’s a Catholic school. Our ethos is to love others and treat each other as we would like to be treated. “We recognise that other people aren’t as fortunate as us and it’s part of our Catholic duty and our Christian duty to look out for our brothers and sisters and just make sure we can help where we can if we’re in a position to be able to do so.” “Our children are fantastic. They make us proud every single day with their behaviour in school, their attitude towards

learning, but most importantly, with the love and respect that they show to each other. “We have so many visitors that come into school and our pupils are always commended on how beautiful their manners are and how polite and courteous they are to the visitors. “Our children just make us proud all the time. They’re so kind and caring and so thoughtful. They always think of others, they’re always thinking how they can help others.” The food donations raised by the schools will help homeless people, as well as vulnerable individuals, families and anyone facing poverty or who is at risk of homelessness. Teardrops charity in St Helens run a cafe three nights a week, providing a hot meal and drinks to rough sleepers, sofa surfers, people in hostels and also people in their own home who are at risk of homelessness. Nick Dyer, hub manager at Teardrops, said they currently cook for around 50-60 people on those nights, and distribute any donated food they get to local families in various hostels around the borough. Teardrops support around 450 people per week. They are open Monday to Friday and also provide clothing, rucksacks, sleeping bags, blankets, footwear and toiletries. Mr Dyer said Teardrops also support four local primary schools in the most deprived areas of St Helens with 12 trays of food each month to support school pantries. This ensures at least 30 families in each of the four schools do not go without. Teardrops also run courses for adults around confidence and assertiveness and have tailored school workshops discussing all topics related to homelessness including drug awareness, county lines, gang and knife culture and first aid skills. Mr Dyer said the donations they received from the 15 local schools this autumn is “far beyond what they expected”. He said: “We are always amazed by the generosity of the local community, without which we could not continue the work we do as effectively.”

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education news

Catholic schools shortlisted in this year’s Educate Awards 14 Liverpool Archdiocesan schools have been named in the Educate Awards 2021 shortlist. • The Academy of St Francis of Assisi, Liverpool and Maricourt Catholic High School, Sefton have been shortlisted for the The Communication Award • St Vincent’s School, Liverpool has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Commitment to the Environment Award • Maricourt Catholic High School, Sefton has been shortlisted for the Careers & Enterprise Award • Maricourt Catholic High School, Sefton and St Bede’s Catholic High School, Ormskirk have been shortlisted for the Community Partnership Award • Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Liverpool and St Bede’s Catholic High School, Ormskirk have been shortlisted for the Mental Health & Wellbeing Award • St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School, Sefton has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Primary School Award • Jen McGee from St Bede’s Catholic High School, Ormskirk has been shortlisted for the Teacher of the Year Award • Mike Anderson from St Julie’s High School, Liverpool has been shortlisted for the School Support Star of the Year Award • Our Lady and St Swithin’s Catholic Primary School, Liverpool has been shortlisted as Most Inspirational Alternative Provision by a School Award

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• Christ the King Catholic Primary School, Liverpool has been shortlisted as Most Inspirational Primary School Award • The Academy of St Francis of Assisi, Liverpool have been shortlisted for the WOW Recognition Award After receiving hundreds of entries, over 75 schools and colleges from the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire, many from Catholic schools and colleges, have been named in this year’s shortlist. These have included: • The Barlow RC High School, Manchester shortlisted for the Careers & Enterprise Award • Cardinal Langley RC High School, Rochdale shortlisted for the SEND Provision Award • St James’ Catholic High School, Stockport shortlisted for the Outstanding Commitment to Sport in Secondary School Award • Cathy Redford of The Barlow RC High School, Manchester shortlisted for the School Governor of the Year Award • St Michael’s Catholic Primary School, Cheshire shortlisted for the WOW recognition Award The awards showcase the work of schools and colleges, which are delivering outstanding education and helping students achieve their full potential. With over 21 categories, the shortlist recognises inspiring teachers, dedicated support staff

and strategic leadership teams. The awards, in partnership with Copyrite Systems and Ricoh, is the largest education awards in the region and will take place at the iconic Liverpool Cathedral on Friday 19 November. This year marks its tenth anniversary and it is set to be extra special after 2020’s ceremony was held virtually due to the pandemic. Kim O’Brien, founder of the Educate Awards, said: “A huge well done to the schools and colleges who have made this year’s shortlist. “After a difficult 18 or so months, it is extremely important that we recognise the amazing schools and colleges which have supported students, families, staff and the wider communities during the pandemic. The calibre of entries was absolutely incredible and deciding on the shortlist was a really difficult process. “As 2020’s ceremony didn’t take place in its usual format, we are excited to be planning a spectacular event which makes up for last year. Kim added: “We are really looking forward to celebrating with everyone” Associate sponsors of the Educate Awards 2021 include: All About STEM, Angel Solutions, CER, CPMM Media Group, Hidden Strength, LCR Careers Hub, Liverpool John Moores University, LSSP, Progress Careers, SupplyWell and Winstanley College.

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education news A busy time at St Bartholomew’s, Rainhill Children from St Bartholomew’s Catholic Primary School in Rainhill have been busy this term as the Reception children were welcomed into their new school family by parish priest Father Phil Swanson and their buddies in Year 6 with a welcome Mass which was a wonderful opportunity to bring the two year groups together as they face an important year ahead. Father Phil explained that for the Reception children it was a chance to think about what lies ahead within the parish and school community and for Year 6 it was a chance to celebrate nearing the end of their time at St Bartholomew’s School. Children also met with Father Phil and St Helens Councillor Donna Greaves to receive their school badges of responsibility. The School Council and Head Pupil elections were held at the start of the year and the newly appointed children were delighted to meet with both Father Phil and Councillor Greaves to learn about their own important roles within the community. Mrs Bingham, who leads the school council, reported that she was very proud of the effort all children put into completing the application process and was delighted with the standard of the applications received.

St Teresa’s lead the way to a cleaner, greener world In a bid to discover more ahead of the UN’s Climate Change Conference (COP26), Year 4 pupils from St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, Upholland explored Pope Francis’ encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ and took part in Cafod’s Eyes of the World campaign, before creating their very own climate emergency videos. In June 2020, the students put their faith into action by taking on the John Muir Conservation Award – a challenging but inspiring call to explore and care for our natural world. To complete the award, deputy headteacher Catherine Phillips took her class to local beauty hotspot, The Beacon Country Park, where they spent time learning about conservation and caring for the environment. Miss Phillips said: ‘On one of our walks to The Beacon, the children were horrified at the amount of litter they saw, so the following week, we took litter pickers with us and picked up a whole bag of litter. ‘I then lent out my two litter pickers to children during the following week, who went out with their families in their own time to do some litter picking of their own. ‘By the time we did our fourth and final visit, there wasn’t a single piece of litter to be seen - the children were so proud of the impact they had made.’

Inspired by the success of their Beacon visits, the pupils continued their mission by calling on local businesses to get involved, and even began to lobby key politicians such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson and environment minister George Eustice to take action on climate change. She said: ‘Campaigning for climate justice and caring for our common home is something our school and students are profoundly passionate about. The

inspiration they found from exploring Pope Francis’ ‘Laudato Si’ and taking part in Cafod’s Eyes of the World campaign has ignited a real mission in our pupils and it’s wonderful to see the impact they are making on our local community. ‘Ahead of COP26, we hope our small voices will join a giant call for change, to raise awareness of the environmental emergency our world is facing, and to provide hope for a future based on sustainability and justice.’

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Pic extras

Mums the Word How wonderful to be almost normal again. We had our first bi-monthly Mass at St Margaret Mary’s parish in September which was celebrated by our chaplain, Father David Potter. It was attended by most foundations and was a very moving Mass with beautiful music provided by the music ministry. We met for refreshments in the parish centre afterwards and everyone enjoyed catching up with old friends. This has been a busy period for our diocesan committee. Apart from monthly meetings, we went to the Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire, for a national meeting on the weekend of 8-9 October. It started off on quite a negative note with some members feeling that the Union of Catholic Mothers has had its day and that the time may have come to end it or change it. On a positive note, though, three ladies came forward and volunteered to be national officers. We also voted in a new national president in Mrs Joan Hodge and a national secretary in Mrs Cath Lydon. I came away confident that the UCM does have a future – and the fact that we will be enrolling five new members at our next bi-monthly Mass provides further cause for optimism. • Our next bi-monthly Mass will take place at All Saints, Anfield, on 10 November, starting at 7.30pm. We have still not confirmed a Mass for January. • And finally, a £25 deposit for the 2022 UCM pilgrimage to Walsingham is now due. Any members who wish to cancel their deposit should note that £15 will be retained. Maria Pimblett, media officer

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A century of service News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba

Liverpool stages Knights’ conference After much planning and preparation, the Order’s annual supreme conference went ahead successfully in Liverpool between 1 and 3 October at the Liner Hotel on Lord Nelson Street. To mark the historical significance of Liverpool acting as host, one of the first events of the conference involved a group of delegates crossing Lime Street to the St George’s Hall concourse opposite. It was just over a century ago that two senior representatives of the order, then recently founded in Glasgow, decided to address the 1920 Catholic Congress held at St George’s Hall with the hope of getting the Order established in England. Their efforts bore fruit and the first English council and province were created in Liverpool, with other councils soon following across Merseyside and beyond. The first session of the conference started on the afternoon of Friday 1st and featured the election of Brother Harry Welsh as the new supreme knight, replacing Bro Bertie Grogan who had held the position for four years. That evening, following dinner, delegates and their wives and guests were entertained to an exhibition of Irish dancing. On Saturday 2nd there were three conference sessions staged between 8.45am and 5pm during which the remainder of the supreme council members were elected and other important business transacted. During those Saturday sessions, the wives and friends of the delegates were taken by coach on a conducted tour of Liverpool’s two cathedrals. Saturday concluded with a banquet attended by members of the Order nationwide, their wives, friends and families, and distinguished guests. There were a number of presentations made at the banquet including one for Meritorious Service to our own provincial grand knight,

Ray Pealing, whose profile appeared in the September edition of the Pic. Bro Ray and his planning team worked extremely hard to make the conference a great success and he sees this award as a tribute to the whole of the team. He is pictured (above) receiving the award from Bro Bertie Grogan. Another award which merits special mention is the presentation of a cheque for £10,000 to Sheila Hargreaves, administrator of the John Foster Memorial Home in Kamamour village, Southern India – an institution dedicated to the education and wellbeing of poor and deprived children which the Order has supported over the last three years as part of its national action programme. She received her cheque from newly elected Supreme Knight Bro Harry Welsh. The conference concluded with Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Sunday 3rd, at which Archbishop Malcolm McMahon was the chief celebrant and where the newly elected members of the supreme council and board of directors were installed. Next year’s annual supreme conference will take place in Jersey. Websites: www.ksc.org.uk www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com

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PIC Life Why clashing egos are a cause of harm By Moira Billinge The wind and the sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the sun said: ‘I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger.’ So the sun retired behind a cloud, and the wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew, the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round himself, till at last the wind had to give up in despair. Then the sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on. The moral of Aesop’s fable is ‘kindness achieves more than severity’.

I was enthralled by this fable at the age of seven. At face value it had all the ingredients to delight a child – culminating in a villain receiving his comeuppance as kindness and gentleness overcame brute force. Looking back on the story now with the experience of life and hindsight, I have come to believe that both the sun and the wind were manipulators to some extent. If the traveller had not taken his cloak off because of the heat, how long would the sun have continued to shine on him? How much more intense would it have had to become to produce the desired effect if he had insisted on keeping it on? He was, after all, only removing his cloak because the sun had made him so very uncomfortable. If we need somebody to understand our position or opinion and want them to meet us even halfway, then they are not

likely to listen if we become aggressive and start shouting at them. And if they are less able to deal with confrontation and back down under the onslaught, unresolved issues could well be left to fester in the background and probably make a bad situation worse. Perhaps mutual empathy, respect and listening might have prevented the problem in the first place or at least helped towards resolving the difficulty. Both the sun and the wind were unjust in their treatment of the unsuspecting man, who became the unwitting and innocent victim of their selfishness and greed. Determined to prove which was stronger, bigger and better than the other, they used the traveller for their own ends, ignoring his rights and their duty of care. In today’s world it is the innocent who are too often trapped between the conflicting egos of the self-centred. Wars are declared and fought, often with great violence and bloodshed. Far too many are needlessly hurt, killed and bereaved. When peace finally comes to Syria, will history judge the conflict to have been worth the tens of thousands of deaths, hundreds of thousands of injured, millions of refugees and the destruction of some of the world’s greatest and most irreplaceable historical treasures? When traumatised and shattered families can rebuild their lives, will they be grateful for the conflict and hardship forced upon them? Will they not, rather, wish that they might have been left alone in the security of their homes and villages?

Worth a visit - Harrogate The town of Harrogate in Yorkshire is well known for its quaint streets, historic houses and landscaped gardens, writes Lucy Oliver. The Royal Pump Room is among its most celebrated Grade II-listed buildings, now converted from a spa-water pump house to the town’s museum. In the 19th century, Harrogate’s affluent population and gentrified visitors from further afield visited the Pump Room to ‘take the waters’, drinking the spa water with its distinct sulphur smell for the believed medicinal properties and health benefits. At the height of its popularity, the spa was attracting 15,000 people in the summer months and esteemed guests even included Tsarina Alexandra of Russia in 1911. Visitors today can enjoy a well tour at this museum, learn more about Harrogate’s history and see temporary exhibitions such as ‘Make Do and Mend’ which explores the impact of World War Two on fashion. As we count down to Christmas, consider a visit between Friday 3rd and Sunday 12th December to enjoy the popular Christmas market and,

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of course, don’t leave without a stroll through the Stray, Harrogate’s central park, and a visit to Betty’s Tea Rooms for sandwiches, cake and light refreshments.

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sunday reflections On a liturgical note

Canon Philip Gillespie

November can be a dark month, when we begin to take into our hearts (and our bones!) that the longer evenings and warm days of summer and autumn are well passed and that, with the fading of the leaves on the trees, the winter is upon us. Even as the colour of nature around us changes from the green of vibrant growth to the russet and gold of hibernation, the Liturgy seems to add to our despair by presenting us with thoughts of death and departure on the Feast of the Holy Souls on 2 November – a sense of sombre remembrance picked up again on the 14th as the nation keeps its annual silence and the poppies fall once more. Remembrance is also in the mind of the Catholic community in England and Wales as on Sunday 7 November the Bishops’ Conference have asked for Masses to be said in all Diocesan cathedrals for those who have died in the pandemic, and in thanks for the medical staff, care workers and family members who accompanied and assisted them in the last moments of their lives. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon will preside at the 11am Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral on that day and at another special Mass at the cathedral on Friday 12 November, at 7pm, for all our priests who died during the pandemic. All that said, November opens with the solemn remembrance not of the power

of darkness and decay, but of the triumph of light – the true Light of the World, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Solemnity of All Saints is also known as All Hallows, therefore making the last day of October All Hallows’ Eve – which became Hallow’een. It is a feast that speaks of light, happiness and peace, and of that blessedness which is the fruit of a close following of the way of Christ and of His Gospel. It not only invites us to reflect and be truly grateful for all those saints of God from past generations (some have been canonised by the Church, others not); it is also a challenge and an invitation to us to be those saints in our modern world. And not the ‘plaster saints’ or holier-than-thou figurines that run the risk of putting us off rather than attracting us to the Way of Christ. No, we are called to be those people who actually believe the words that Saint John spoke in the Second Reading on the Feast of All Saints: ‘Think of the love the Father has lavished on us.’ And once we have thought, then we live accordingly. As the old saying goes, ‘It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.’ May you light a candle of Christ-like goodness in your parish, community and family in these next weeks.

Sunday thoughts

Mgr John Devine OBE

On the Isle of Man, we have been celebrating our annual novena to Mary, Untier of Knots. Bishop Tom Neylon opened the first night of the novena and it was great to have him with us so soon after his ordination. Father Colum Kelly led another evening. A friend from seminary days, he is a priest of the Diocese of Leeds. His theme for the evening was ‘Untying the Knots of Uncertainty’. Colum drew on his experience as a chaplain with the Apostleship of the Sea at the massive container port of Immingham. He spoke of the uncertainty and insecurity of the lives of seafarers visiting the port. They are away from home for months or more, uncertain when they will next see their families or when and how much they will be paid. Their working conditions can be a form of slavery. Colum went on to suggest that we all live with uncertainty: when we face diagnosis of a life-threatening disease; redundancy at work; in the erratic

behaviour of a family member suffering from an addiction. He shared his own experience of Mary, Untier of Knots, and how he had promoted the devotion in his ministry. This was Colum’s first visit to the Isle of Man. We talked into the night as we caught up on almost 100 years of priesthood between us. He explained how one seafarer was killed in the docks in a particularly harrowing way. His crewmates, thousands of miles from home, were distraught. Colum spent the day with them as they shared their grief. The captain said to Colum, ‘Look, I don’t know what a chaplain’s for or what a chaplain does, but I’m glad you’re here.’ That is a wonderful tribute to Colum’s dedication and perseverance. It is not a bad description of the priest’s role, whatever the setting. The Church needs more priests like Colum.

Weekly Reflections are on the Archdiocesan website at www.liverpoolcatholicresources.com

Free to serve Several years ago I was speaking at a conference in Limerick. When it was over, I took a detour to call in at Glendalough. I was enjoying the silence when a man came and asked if he could sit for a while. He then got some food out, asking if I would like to share it with him. I accepted a sandwich and we sat in silence for a while. Then he said to me: ‘I often come here to pray for strength.’ It transpired that his heart was completely immersed in the Gospel. He had made a lot of money and then taken early retirement wondering what to do with the rest of his life. While walking in the Wicklow Hills, the words from Luke’s Gospel came into his mind: ‘He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.’ He knew then that his life would be spent serving the poor. As we talked, I realised I had met someone who was very free because of his experience of Christ. When we experience the freedom that is in Christ, it uncovers the lack of substance that much of the world lives by – the need for power and possession of material goods. Yet psychologists tell us that one of the main drives within the human psyche is for power. As a Church we seem to be far more into power structures than the empowering of people. It is easier to tell people what to do than let them become the people that God wants them to be in case that threatens the power structures we put in place. When are we going to learn the lesson that for those of us who follow Jesus, power over others is not the way? We are not to build our own little kingdoms where we wield our authority, and everyone jumps to. We are to be people who love and serve one another and this means being open and inclusive and encouraging people to share their giftedness. Most of the opposition to Pope Francis comes from his desire to rid the Church of the scourge of clericalism and to see us become a more open, serving community. The Church is to be that place where each individual is respected regardless of what they are or who they are, where all of us are called to fulfil our potential and use our gifts to build up the Kingdom of God. We are to be an alternative to the world’s power system, to show that fullness of life does not depend on controlling people or having power over them but on following the Jesus way of loving service. That service which, at times, can be hard because it means letting go of our own needs and desires for power and control, but service in which our potential for life and love is fulfilled. Father Chris Thomas

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Dialogue and Unity A passionate supporter of encouraging people to put their faith into action Steve Atherton who served as Archdiocesan Justice and Peace Field Worker for 16 years until Autumn 2020 was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in her 2021 Birthday Honours List. Christine Allen, Director of Cafod said ‘Steve has been a passionate supporter of encouraging people to put their faith into action at both the local and global levels, being someone who very much puts into practice a “think global, act local” commitment. Archbishop Malcolm said, ‘Steve has been an exemplary officer developing resource materials, organising stimulating lectures and conferences plus supporting a range of social action work in the archdiocese’. Married to Anne, Steve has lived in Wigan bringing up five children who seemed to have got the justice and peace bug from him including one who gives legal advice to asylum seekers and refugees, another who worked for Faiths4 Change and another who is an arboriculturist. Steve attended Christ’s College and taught for over thirty years. Disaffected by the Church for some years in his twenties he came back partly due to Cafod –‘what the Church is really about’ Steve said – his wife, and two insightful parish priests (Canon Campbell and Father Tillotson). It was a logical step for Steve to link up with the Archdiocesan Justice and Peace Commission becoming its Chair and 17 years ago when a new worker was to be appointed, he applied thinking he would do it for five years and the rest is history. Steve has been passionate about working ecumenically and has been chair of Churches in Partnership in North Wigan as has his wife. His energy brought great life to the Commission and its work widened and deepened. He was also active as a committee member for many years on the National Justice and Peace Network. Steve underlines that openness to work ecumenically with other faiths and all those of goodwill essential for our Catholic outreach on issues of social inclusion, international aid and wider. Steve was active in MARCAP (Merseyside and Region Church Action on Poverty) including organising poverty hearings to challenge all sectors of society on the gross inequality that exists. MARCAP

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merged into Feeding Liverpool which arranges a series of events to bring practitioners together and provide up to date information around local poverty. The environment was another vital area to mobilise parishes and schools. Steve was pivotal in getting Catholic involvement in Faiths4Change, the interfaith environmental action agency the brainchild of Bishop James Jones and supported by Monsignor John Devine. Steve with the Justice and Peace Commission produced a user-friendly guide to ‘Laudato Si’ which has been used throughout the UK and wider. Concerned that often adult Catholics have little opportunity for reflecting and developing their faith, he was instrumental in producing the Faith and Life Course to challenge lay Catholics to broaden their faith and strengthen links with all in their local communities. The course is used extensively in Dublin Archdiocese and Wrexham. Related to this has been encouraging the use of training programmes produced by Together for the Common Good founded by Jenny Sinclair to continue the vision of the SheppardWorlock years. Another area where Steve became strategically engaged was with asylum seekers and refugees. Working within the context of Churches Together in the Merseyside Region (CTMR) a guide for Churches called ‘Welcoming the Stranger’ was produced which has been used

widely over the country and follow up materials have been developed. Steve also assisted in following Pope Francis’ call for parishes to support and adopt refugees and asylum seekers notably via the Syrian Resettlement Programme. Other initiatives have included: … getting parishes and individuals to send Christmas cards to the churches in Palestine … hosting a series of pictures by Zohar, an Israeli artist who is distressed by the reality of everyday life being faced by Palestinians in the occupied territories ... having the Pax Christi Peace Icon displayed in churches and convents … being a keen supporter of efforts to have Archbishop Oscar Romero canonised … he is particularly pleased to have helped the archdiocese adopt an environmental policy ... in all of this Steve has underlined partnership with everyone and Justice and Peace Liverpool has a standard and recognition others envy. Locally Steve was involved with two significant Wigan Boroughwide initiatives. First The Brick an initiative of the Methodists with homeless people which has included the appointment of a Chaplain with financial backing from the Archdiocese and secondly SWAP (Support Wigan Arrivals Project) Wigan’s key project on asylum seekers and refugees. He is continuing working with these as well as being a committed member of the Archdiocesan Commission for Dialogue and Unity alongside his wife.

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