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cathedral Liverpool’s first Auxiliary Bishop by Neil Sayer, Archdiocesan Archivist At the distance of almost a century, it’s difficult to say why Canon Bob Dobson was selected to become Liverpool’s first Auxiliary Bishop. Even his closest friend among his priestly colleagues acknowledged that he was shy, obstinate, naïve, oversensitive and really rather hard on himself. Looking back over his 20 years as a Bishop, the guidance he had given to hundreds of priests, Bishop Dobson with Edwin Lutyens at the Cathedral site in 1931 the service he had given to hundreds of thousands of Whiteside. At this time there was a Lancashire Catholics, he was still inclined to say, ‘I might have done it all a lot better’. Catholic population of nearly 400,000 in the area covered by the Archdiocese. Born in New Orleans in 1867, just as the There were some 50 charitable institutions southern States were recovering from the and 74 convents, and the Archbishop American Civil War, Robert Dobson foresaw ‘the provision of more churches, returned to his ancestral county and spent more schools, and more clergy in the near his early childhood in Lytham. Following future’. He was also preoccupied with the his education at St Edward’s College and three projects that defined his own time as St Joseph’s Seminary, he spent several Archbishop, the fundraising for a new years following his ordination as a priest in Cathedral, the expansion of the Seminary 1891 in the world of academia. At the at Upholland, and the creation of the new specific request of the college Rector, he Diocese of Lancaster. He nominated taught Scripture and Church History at Robert Dobson as his Auxiliary because of Upholland until 1898. Following further ‘his personal qualities and his record of study in Rome, he went on to be a service in the Archdiocese’. professor at Ushaw and then returned to Upholland in a similar capacity. If anything, Following his consecration, Bishop Dobson threw himself into administrative and this early training made him merely pastoral work. He became an enthusiastic suspicious of academic discussion, but it supporter of the Cathedral building project taught him how to be clear and simple in (he is pictured with Edwin Lutyens at the speech and in writing. As Father Alban Cathedral site in 1931) and, though Atkins said of him, ‘his concern was not so appointed Parish Priest at St Clare, much to say what he thought as to make Liverpool, in 1922, and later as chaplain at himself understood’. La Sagesse convent and high school in Brought up in the Fylde, it may have been Grassendale, he tirelessly undertook parish his affinity with the northern extremities of visitations up and down the Archdiocese, what was then part of the Diocese of Liverpool that helped in his appointment as confirming an estimated 100,000 people between 1922 and 1938. Perhaps he Bishop. Between 1907 and 1922 he was wished he still had his motorbike: an early successively Rector of Fleetwood and adopter of the machine during his time at Barrow-in-Furness, and then became Parish Priest at St Peter’s in Lancaster. The Upholland in the early 1900s, he was once newly-consecrated Archbishop of Liverpool, stopped by the police while on holiday in Northumberland. His speed of 23½ miles Frederick Keating, then applied to the an hour had caused them concern. newly-elected Pope Pius XI to seek the When he died in 1942, he was buried in appointment of an Auxiliary Bishop, ‘to the small cemetery at Upholland. Selfenable the Archbishop to cope with the deprecating to the end, he recalled that very heavy demands of the Archdiocese’. ‘Many a priest remarked, when news came He was convinced that the ‘abnormal of my election – “Fancy Bob Dobson being strain’ of leadership had contributed to the made a Bishop”’. death of his predecessor, Archbishop
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Catholic Pictorial
Cathedral Record Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean September within the archdiocese could be summed up as a tale of two Bishops. We begin the month with the ordination of Canon Thomas Neylon as our new Auxiliary Bishop. At the time of writing this we are in the final stages of preparation for the ordination on 3 September. I’m sure it will be a magnificent celebration and we offer our prayers and support for Bishop Neylon in his future episcopal ministry within the archdiocese. Bishop Neylon will be returning to the Cathedral on Sunday 19 September to celebrate the 11.00 am Solemn Mass if you would wish to join him on that Sunday you are very welcome. Also, on Sunday 19th there is a short joint service at Liverpool Cathedral at 3.00 pm to commemorate key workers. We celebrate our Annual Community Mass on Sunday 12 September which not only marks the beginning of the new term but also a return to our regular schedule of Masses and the reopening of the Crypt not just to return to using the Chapel for services but also reopening the Halls for visitors and events. It has been almost 18 months since we last held a service within the Crypt Chapel and we are really looking forward to celebrating Mass there once again. The month ends with another celebration when Bishop Tom Williams is conferred with the Honour of the Freedom of the City at a ceremony in the Town Hall on Thursday 30 September. Part of the ancient privileges of being a Freeman of the City was that he had the right to herd his cattle and sheep through the town centre. Bishop Tom has his Shepherd’s Crook but as far as I know hasn’t any intentions of herding any sheep through the city centre. Congratulations to Bishop Tom on receiving this well-earned honour for the many years that he has ministered in the city of Liverpool both as a Priest and Bishop.
