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Mums the Word I hope that many of you have been able to return to Mass in your own parish churches by now, albeit in a very different fashion. It is wonderful to meet fellow members and friends again even if we can’t recognise them behind their masks. Perhaps the resumption of UCM meetings will not be too far behind. Let us pray that we have turned a corner and that cases of coronavirus will continue to fall. Maureen Finnegan, the diocesan president, and the committee have been holding monthly meetings via Zoom (with the aid of children and grandchildren). We are hoping to arrange for the bi-monthly Mass at St George’s on 9 September (7.30pm) to be live-streamed on the internet so that as many members as possible will be able to join in. St George’s are marking the 65th anniversary of the UCM in their parish and although it won’t be the same as all of us being together, I am sure their ladies will have a great celebration. They have all our congratulations and best wishes. Our national president, Margaret McDonald (St Paul’s Parish, Liverpool), had to cancel her proposed national pilgrimage to Banneux in Belgium this month owing to Covid-19. It has been rearranged for 19-25 September next year. It is a UCM tradition for the president to arrange a national pilgrimage during her term of office, so let us hope and pray that things will be back to normal by then. We celebrate Our Lady’s birthday on 8 September and the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham on the 24th. Let us turn to her, our best advocate, and pray for the discovery of a vaccine against the virus. May it soon be found and be offered to all throughout the world. May God bless us all. Madelaine McDonald, media officer
A century of service News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba
Irish bishop follows in St Columba’s footsteps
The bishop of the Irish town of Raphoe, Dr Alan McGuckian, spent two weeks this summer walking a different kind of Camino. Rather than take the trail to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the bishop undertook a 190km walk closer to home, following in the footsteps of St Columba. It is a path that several other walkers have taken this year and their hope is for support at governmental level for an ‘Irish Camino’. An avid walker and jogger, Bishop McGuckian braved the vagaries of the Irish weather to explore the paths once wandered by St Columba who was born in Gartan, County Donegal in AD521. His journey took him across Donegal from Glencolmcille through Ardara and into Dungloe and even the remote island of Tory with its 140 inhabitants. He reflected afterwards that such a walk was an opportunity to lose himself in the beauty and
peace of the countryside, allowing precious time for self-reflection too. Bishop McGuckian is pictured holding his shepherd’s crook at the Cross of St Columba in Gartan, Co Donegal (photo reproduced with the kind permission of the Donegal Daily newspaper). • Sunday 26 July was a great day for the Bennett family with the ordination as a permanent deacon of Michael Bennett, son of KSC council 584 member Joe Bennett, during Mass at St James’ Church, Bootle. On behalf of all Liverpool knights, provincial grand knight Ray Pealing offered congratulations to Michael. “We are sure that his ordination will bring enormous blessings to his dear family, to De La Salle Academy where he teaches, to his parish and indeed our Archdiocese,” he said. Websites: www.ksc.org.uk www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com
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