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Main Feature
The power of connection
by Simon Hart
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Canons have a highly significant role to play in the life of the diocese, as Archbishop Malcolm underlined when welcoming four new members to Liverpool’s chapter of canons in November.
Archbishop Malcolm
‘There is a truth which most people find when they serve people that it is actually better to serve than to be served. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. This role of canon is basically an example of the fundamental service of the Church.’
Archbishop Malcolm McMahon offered this reflection on Tuesday 8 November as he celebrated Mass for the Installation of Canons at the Metropolitan Cathedral. The chapter of canons is a body which helps to connect the Archbishop and the cathedral with the broader diocese and, fittingly, the four newcomers to this body came from different areas of the Archdiocese. The quartet were Canon John Gorman, parish priest of Our Lady’s, Bryn and St Oswald’s and St Wilfrid’s, Ashton-in-Makerfield; Canon Dave Heywood, parish priest of Blessed James Bell Parish in Warrington; Canon Kevin McLoughlin, parish priest of Holy Family, Southport; and Canon Conor StaintonPolland, parish priest of St Matthew’s, Clubmoor and St Cecilia’s, Tuebrook.
The last-named of the four, Canon Conor, admitted to being ‘speechless’ when he was offered the role by Archbishop Malcolm in September. Yet he was appreciative of the opportunity – and sought to convey the usefulness of the role of a canon. ‘Being a canon is reminding us all that rules and relationships are what make us part of the Church,’ he explained. ‘It’s their responsibility to gather and maintain that life of prayer in the mother Church of the diocese. As well as administrative responsibilities, the canons take this beyond the Cathedral to the parishes and areas of the diocese where they function normally as parish priests. There is a fundamental role of unity with the Archbishop across his diocese.’
Canon Conor’s reference to ‘a rule of prayer, a rule of unity, a rule of responsibility’ chimed with the words of the Archbishop during the homily he gave during the Mass of Installation. The day’s Gospel was Luke 17:7-10 which touches on service and includes the following line: ‘Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty”.’ Archbishop Malcolm mused on this point when he said: ‘’We can see that even Jesus wants to see a certain regularity and order. He doesn’t want the master to be so merciful and kind that he disrupts the general order of things; people have their jobs to do, everyone has their place. The name canon speaks of regularity … and the order of things in the life of the Church.’ It would be fair to say that the new canons of the diocese were not expecting to be offered this new role. Indeed their appointment was the cue to gain a clearer understanding of the importance of the work of the chapter of canons, a 16-strong body whose responsibilities include consulting the papal nuncio over the appointment of new bishops. Archbishop Malcolm put it succinctly when he affirmed: ‘They provide to me their wisdom and their advice and that’s something I greatly value.’ New canons’ reflections
Canon Dave Heywood came back to the Archbishop’s homily when he explained to the Pic the connection of the chapter of canons with the Metropolitan Cathedral. He said: ‘I have to admit that I’m not really a fan of titles and regalia, but the Archbishop addressed this in the Mass. In former times, canons would oversee the liturgy in cathedrals. While this now tends to be done by others, they still have a special connection with the Cathedral – meeting to pray the Divine Office and celebrate Mass there every other month. The chapter is also a body that the Archbishop can consult just as he can consult lay men and women in his new advisory body. So it’s helping us to embrace a new Synodal way of working in the Archdiocese.’
Canon John Gorman offered his own reflection on the connection with the Cathedral when he said: ‘I was very conscious of the historical background of what a chapter in a cathedral is. You can
go back to medieval times to a group of priests that provide the liturgy. We don’t do that in modern terms but it’s very much the case that we are there to provide the prayer for the community, if you like, where the Cathedral is concerned.’
He went on to discuss the additional layers of responsibility as he explained: ‘We have a responsibility for our parishes but it also means we have responsibility at a diocesan level as well. For us, it’s bringing through to the centre the experience and the outlook of the whole of the diocese from all parts. The four of us who were installed are from all different parts of the diocese which is bringing all of that together into the heart of the diocese, which is the Cathedral. You could say the chapter is there as a source of advice for the Archbishop. You have priests from other parts of the diocese bringing their experience and outlook to matters that cover the whole of the diocese.’
Returning to the Mass of Installation, Canon Kevin McLoughlin said that while it was a significant occasion, it was ‘more simple and homely’ than a Mass of Ordination. ‘Naturally being in the Metropolitan Cathedral it was just as grand as any other major celebration, but I welcomed the feel of a more intimate parish occasion,’ he remarked. And he went on to provide details of the ceremonial aspect of the occasion. ‘During the installation Mass each new canon, having made his commitment to the Archbishop and the chapter, was vested by the Archbishop in a tippet, a purple shoulder cape which identifies you as a member of the chapter. This was a moving moment which filled me with a sense of pride but not for myself as much as for my late parents and my deceased brother Thomas and all those whom I felt were sharing this lovely celebration with us in heaven.’
For Canon Kevin, like his fellow newcomers to the chapter, his appointment has brought a deeper appreciation of the role – and an eagerness to contribute fully. “To say that I was extremely surprised when I received a phone call from Archbishop Malcolm explaining that he’d like me to become a canon would be a huge understatement,’ he said. ‘Although I knew that canons were an integral part of the Archdiocese, I must confess to not knowing very much about their role. I’ve since come to appreciate the contribution the canons make, not least in their commitment to the Cathedral chapter and also in their prayerful and practical support of the Archbishop. Following a 22-year career in retail management prior to my 25 years of priesthood, I hope to bring some valuable experience which will contribute in a positive way to our future deliberations and discussions within the Cathedral chapter.’ We wish him and his fellow new canons well in this new challenge.
