Catholic Pic June 2023

Giving thanks to Bishop Tom Williams

Easter in Lourdes with HCPT

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From the Archbishop’s Desk

People often ask me what the Church will look like in years to come? I try to reply as honestly as I can by saying that I don’t really know any more than they do.

I can no more predict the future than anyone else. But my experience of the Church over the last few years during which we have witnessed falling numbers in our congregations, where we have come through the Covid-19 pandemic and we have experienced the diocesan Synod, I remain hopeful.

I think it was Cardinal Hume who said that the gift of Easter is hope, and how right he was. During Easter week I had a few days in Lourdes with the Merseyside region of the HCPT. Being with those small groups of men and women assisting the young pilgrims with additional needs was a tonic. The group prayed and played together, with their focus firmly on those for whom they were caring. The words of Jesus were tangibly true that if we come together in his name, he would be in our midst. The Spirit of the risen Jesus was lived out in the love and attention for each other that one would hope for in any Christian community.

So, there is the answer to my question. The future will mean smaller groups of people, but they will be centred on Christ, and they will be one in his Spirit. How that will develop is food for thought, and probably for action too.

Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool

Monthly prayer intentions

The Holy Father’s prayer intentions entrusted to his worldwide prayer network for the year 2023

June For the abolition of torture

Let us pray that the international community may commit itself concretely to abolish torture, guaranteeing support to victims and their families.

www.popesprayer.va/

Editor Elizabeth Williams

Editorial Catholic Pictorial Magazine, St Margaret Clitherow Centre, Liverpool Archdiocesan Office, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool L17 1AA

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United with Ukraine

by Simon Hart

For many in Liverpool, memories of the time Eurovision came to town will linger a long while.

The city’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest, at the M&S Bank Arena on the banks of the River Mersey between 9 and 13 May, put Liverpool in the international spotlight.

It also accentuated the focus on Ukraine, the war-torn country whose Eurovision party the United Kingdom was hosting, and whose flag – for one week at least – provided a blue-andyellow colour scheme for swathes of Liverpool’s city centre.

For the Archdiocese of Liverpool, Eurovision was an opportunity to underline the support for Ukraine that has been in place ever since Russia’s invasion of its neighbour in February last year.

Members of the city’s Catholic community took part in a series of ecumenical events organised by Churches Together in the Merseyside Region (CTMR), which took place under the banner ‘Imagine Peace’. These included peace vigils at the Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool Parish Church and Strawberry Field, where a Ukrainian Peace Monument was installed. At the Metropolitan Cathedral, the centrepiece event was a United in Worship service on Wednesday 10 May.

Four days earlier, on Saturday 6, there

was another significant activity with the departure of the latest aid convoy from the archdiocese. To date the archdiocesan #Liverpool4Ukraine appeal has raised £161,500 and this was the fifth journey undertaken to transport aid packages directly to the Ukrainian border for collection by Bishop Hryhoriy (Gregory) Komar, auxiliary bishop of the UkrainianCatholic diocese of Sambir-Drohobych in the Lviv region.

The convoy, which left early that morning from the St Margaret Clitherow Centre on Croxteth Drive, consisted of three vans carrying dried food and building materials. Among the six volunteer drivers was Sharne Kelso, who works for the archdiocese as an office manager of the finance department.

She said: ‘What was quite poignant was it took place during the week immediately before Eurovision, when all eyes were on Liverpool because we were hosting Ukraine’s party. While the focus was on Liverpool, it was important that we took the aid in the opposite direction and went personally with our message that we were very much supporting them.’

The rest of the party comprised Martin Miller, chief operating officer of the archdiocese; Antony McLoughlin, whose wife Helen works for the archdiocese; Mike Sharkey and Ged

Liverpool’s staging of the Eurovision Song Contest was a moment for the archdiocese to underline its ongoing support for Ukraine.

“I felt privileged to be present. I also spoke to a lady who said that to go into the cathedral and see the Church leaders united there brought tears to her eyes.”

Tromp from Greenmount Projects, a building contractor connected to the diocese; and Wendy Doherty head of skills and partnership development at The Brick, a Wigan-based homeless charity.

‘Expression of solidarity’

For Martin Miller this was the second time he had undertaken the six-day journey and he explained that while the archdiocese also sends money directly, these convoys, carrying supplies which are essential on the ground, hold special significance. ‘The reason we do the road trips in particular is they’ve told us that the expression of solidarity from our willingness to travel – the fact we’re willing to go that distance to be with them – has a particular meaning for them. It makes them feel they’re not alone.’

Sharne experienced that same gratitude in her encounters with Ukrainians at the border crossing from Poland into their country. She related: ‘They were asking where we were from and they all instantly recognised Liverpool and were amazed

we’d taken the effort to drive 1,500 miles with the goods we had on board.’

The changing situation in Ukraine meant this was a journey with a fresh logistical challenge. At the border two of the vans were not allowed to cross into Ukraine because of a problem with the vehicles’ documents. While one did enter Ukraine for the planned rendezvous with Bishop Gregory and students from the Holy Spirit Seminary – who transferred the load to their own vehicles – for the other two vans, the transfer took place on the Polish side. ‘They had to find people who were exempt from conscription to return with us,’ explained Martin.

Andrew Quinlan, an Australian lecturer based at the seminary, travelled over with a Polish-speaking student to transfer one set of items; later Bishop Gregory’s driver came across for the other. ‘We unloaded the contents into his van in almost complete darkness,’ said Sharne. ‘It was a different experience from other handovers which happened at the border

location during the day. He had a long drive through the night to make sure the aid got back to the seminary.’

Despite the difficulties faced, Martin said that the archdiocese was eager to continue this level of support for Ukraine. ‘As the archdiocese, we want to maintain this relationship and go on offering support and solidarity to the UkrainianCatholic Church in particular and the people of Ukraine in general.

‘We’ll carry on providing financial support where we can,’ he added. ‘We have to keep monitoring the situation on the ground, because we have to be sure about the wellbeing of anyone taking part. Where we go to is several hundred miles from the ground war but the whole country had been placed on air-raid alert just two hours before we arrived so we have to be conscious of that. We also have to keep under review documentation regulations but the delivery of aid directly to them is something we definitely want to maintain.’

Fr Taras blessed the vans and the drivers before their departure

The six volunteer drivers during their journey

The drivers with Fr Taras Khomych before their departure

Events in Liverpool

Back in Liverpool, the efforts of Churches Together ensured a different form of solidarity for Ukraine via the ‘Eurovision 2023: Imagine Peace’ programme.

From 28 April to 14 May, Liverpool Cathedral displayed ‘Izyum to Liverpool’, a multi-channel video installation by Ukrainian artist Katya Buchatska which showed the long journey of escape by rail from Izyum in eastern Ukraine.

The Metropolitan Cathedral hosted a sculpture by Ukrainian artist Dmyto Iv –titled ‘The Need for Freedom’, it showed a chained but rising woman – and it was also the setting for a Ukrainian Mass on Sunday 30 April. The Eparchial Bishop

of the Ukrainian-Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, Kenneth Nowakowski, presided at this Pontifical Divine Liturgy and Archbishop Malcolm McMahon concelebrated. The liturgy was offered for peace with justice in Ukraine and around the world, and for God’s blessing of the host city ahead of Eurovision.

Come Eurovision week itself, there was the above-mentioned United in Worship event at the cathedral, which featured music from the Salvation Army brass band, New Song Wirral band, and the Joint Choir of Liverpool Cathedral and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

Elisabeth Hachmoeller, ecumenical co-ordinator for CTMR, said: ‘It was important that the Churches took the

opportunity of Eurovision in Liverpool to give a common witness to the unity between them, especially when the theme was “Imagine Peace” as peace without unity is not really peace.’ She thanked Methodist Church leaders for conceiving the idea, which they developed with the Salvation Army.

To underline the impact of the United in Worship service, Elisabeth added: ‘There was a person there who comes to our ecumenical young adults’ group and she came to me and said, “I felt privileged to be present”. I also spoke to a lady who said that to go into the cathedral and see the Church leaders united there brought tears to her eyes.’ In short, a week to remember in so many ways.

The drivers handover the essential aid

Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, presided at this Pontifical Divine Liturgy at the Metropolitan Cathedral

On a liturgical note

In devotion, this month of June is associated with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Solemnity this year falling in the middle of the month on Friday 16th.

It was Pope Pius IX who, in 1856, extended the liturgical celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to the universal Church, but naturally its imagery and appeal go back much further. It was in the Middle Ages that a devotion to the physical heart of Christ, the centre and seat of human emotion and love, became a common theme in the writings of saints such as Bonaventure and Bernard of Clairvaux, Julian of Norwich and Gertrude. Yet we need only read Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, and especially the Gospel of St John, to see how close to the Christian mind and spirituality is the image of Christ’s loving heart, the sign and symbol of the Lord’s self-giving.

We are invited to enter more deeply into the mystery which is the love of God. Love is the heart of the Mystery of the Trinity, love is the example and command of Christ in the Eucharist, love is the content and theme of the particular feast

Sunday thoughts

The recent Coronation service included celebration of the Eucharist. Only the King and Queen received. That seems peculiar for Catholics today.

The Coronation ceremony is an ancient one, established when reception of Holy Communion was rare. At that time, this would have been considered a special privilege for the monarch and his consort, befitting their divine-given status. And so it remains today.

It was in the 13th century that the obligation to receive Holy Communion once a year was introduced. This suggests that the practice had almost disappeared, even among devout Mass-goers. ‘Easter duties’ required reception of Holy Communion on a single occasion within the Easter period. It also required Confession if serious sin prevented you from approaching the altar. Many of those martyred for attending Mass at the time of the Reformation may not have received Holy Communion when they did so. More frequent Communion was encouraged towards the end of the 19th century. Pius X introduced Holy Communion for children at the age of seven. Fasting from midnight was required. In the seminary, we received at early Sunday-morning Mass some hours before the Solemn High Mass.

Canon Philip Gillespie

of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Yet it is always a love which is not content to be inward-looking or selfish but which, of its very nature, wants to be open to others, to be shared with others:

‘My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another.’ (1 John 4:9)

These themes are gathered together in the words of the preface which will be prayed on the feast. The wounded heart of Jesus is the fount of all graces and blessings in the sacramental life of the Church because the Sacraments are given to us that the life of God, and his love in us, may be strengthened and deepened day by day.

‘For raised up on the Cross he gave himself up for us with a wonderful love, and poured out Blood and water from his pierced side, the wellspring of the Church’s Sacraments, so that, won over to the open Heart of the Saviour, all might draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.’

Mgr John Devine OBE

The priest celebrating this latter Mass, who was the only person to receive, had had a lie-in as compensation for missing his breakfast.

The elevation of the host at the consecration was the climax of the Mass and perhaps our primary encounter with the Eucharist. The bell rang to warn us that the sacred moment was approaching. Silence fell. A second bell indicated the end of the consecration and was the signal for a spate of coughing.

Visits to the Blessed Sacrament were encouraged. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was a popular devotion and the annual ‘Quarant’ore’, 40 hours of continuous Exposition, was a key event in every parish. Our current archdiocesan directory began life as ‘the Quarant’ore Guide’. It listed dates for every church in the diocese. In our family, visits to neighbouring churches on their special date were a regular Sunday afternoon outing.

It could be asked whether current practice diminishes my devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Perhaps the feast of Corpus Christi allows me an opportunity to revive it.

The Spirit and forgiveness

At our Come and See conference years ago we invited Gee with us. Her witness was incredible as she led us into the very real mystery of forgiveness.

Gee’s son Anthony was killed in Huyton simply because he had a different skin colour. Gee shared with us the pain of losing her son but then said some extraordinary words. She said of her son’s killers: ‘I have to forgive them. I can’t hate. It’s because we don’t just preach it, we practise it. I forgive them. I have got to forgive them. My family and I still stand by what I believe – forgiveness. It will be difficult but we have got no choice but to live on for Anthony.’

Those words had an incredible effect on everyone gathered. Can we really forgive those who hurt us?

We have just celebrated Easter and Pentecost, two great feasts within the Church. You may remember that after the Resurrection, the disciples were in an upper room, frightened about what the Jews would do to them. Jesus came among them, breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’.

This is John’s Pentecost scene. Everything happens for John on the first day of the week. It’s the kairos moment. The Spirit is given and it’s all about forgiveness. When are we going to believe that we are forgiven? When we allow the Spirit to be breathed on us.

Can you imagine what it would do for us to believe that we have been forgiven in Christ and the freedom that would bring? When we know and believe that we are loved, then our sinfulness no longer matters. The forgiveness of sin is about a relationship of love. Our hope in the Resurrection is that God will be God; He was for Jesus and so will be for us.

The power of forgiveness is given to all disciples. We have limited the experience that John wants us all to have to priesthood, but our sacrament is a celebration of what we live. Without forgiveness there is no real life among the community. How do you forgive? When the Spirit is breathed upon you. Yet are you known for the forgiveness that lies in your heart? What’s your reaction to people who hurt you or those close to you? What about those who commit atrocities against the whole of society?

There is no answer to these questions but the Spirit of God. Allow the Spirit to be breathed into you and let forgiveness reign in your lives. It won’t be an easy journey but it will bring new life.

Father Chris Thomas

Mass of Thanksgiving for ‘loyal’ Bishop Tom

‘It is not the end, it is the beginning of a new chapter. I will be available to help the diocese if needed.’ These were the words of Bishop Tom Williams – or the Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus as he is now known – as he reflected on the Mass of Thanksgiving for his 20 years of Episcopal Ministry, held on Wednesday 17 May.

The Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral came eight weeks after Bishop Tom retired from the office of Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool after reaching the milestone of his 75th birthday.

Present on the altar at the cathedral along with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon included Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald, Bishop Peter Beignall (Wrexham), and Bishop Terence Drainey (Middlesbrough) who had been with Bishop Tom at junior seminary. Also in attendance was the new Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath.

In his homily, Archbishop Malcolm spoke of Bishop Tom’s friendship and loyalty – that admirable quality of sticking by people. And he noted that he was now free from committees and meetings and able to be the bishop he wants to be –namely close to the people. ‘He can focus more on what he enjoys so much – that, is the pastoral ministry of being a priest and bishop,’ said the Archbishop.

On what comes next, Bishop Tom, who received the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2021, said: ‘It’s an open book. I will do what the Archbishop wants me to do – I will do visitations and I will do confirmations. I will respond and do things that are necessary.’

It is more than 50 years since Bishop Tom – who was brought up in in St Sylvester’s parish in Vauxhall – was ordained at the Metropolitan Cathedral on 27 May 1972. His subsequent ministry included spells in the parishes of St Francis of Assisi, Garston; Sacred Heart, Liverpool; Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Liverpool; and St Anthony, Scotland Road.

It was while serving at St Anthony’s that he became chair of Project Jennifer – a local initiative to re-generate the north end of Liverpool which resulted in a £160m new-build housing and retail park which opened in 2017 and is still progressing.

When stepping down as auxiliary bishop in late March, he spoke of his ‘happiest days’ serving as a chaplain in ‘hospitals, schools and prisons’. Other significant contributions to the diocese were his work helping to establish the clergy healthcare scheme and the long service given over many years to the archdiocesan finance committee.

His Mass of Thanksgiving on 17 May was followed by a gathering in the Cathedral crypt at which Archbishop Malcolm presented him with gifts including a box of fine wine.

Speaking the day afterwards, Bishop Tom had a message of gratitude to all who had contributed to a memorable evening: ‘All I want to say is thank you – thank you to the Archbishop and thank you to those who came and those who sent messages who couldn’t come.’

He added: ‘I was overwhelmed and would like to thank people sincerely for being there. It came together very well – people came smiling along and they walked away smiling.’

from the archives

A Pilgrimage not a Picnic

by Neil Sayer, Archdiocesan Archivist

A priest from the Diocese of Liverpool seems to have been among the earliest pilgrims from our area. Father Thomas Collison, born in Ormskirk in 1843, was authorised to say Mass in the Basilica during his visit over several weeks of August and September 1888 (the new Rosary Basilica was nearing completion, opening in the following year). It seems very likely that Father Collison had gone to bathe in the waters, ill health having compelled him to retire the previous year. Sadly, he died in 1890.

This year marks the centenary of the official Archdiocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes, but there had been individual and group pilgrimages before Archbishop Keating led that 1923 Pilgrimage.

In February 1858 a 14-year-old convent-educated French girl was scavenging for firewood near her home in Lourdes. At the Grotto by the River Gave she saw an apparition of Our Lady. During 17 subsequent apparitions the Holy Virgin enjoined Bernadette Soubirous to build a church there, create a fountain at which people could drink and wash themselves, and encourage processions to honour the Immaculate Conception.

Within four years the local Bishop had approved the supernatural nature of the apparitions and authorised the public devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes. From the thousands of spectators at Bernadette’s visits to the Grotto, the pilgrims and processions increased enormously over the next few years. The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was completed in 1872, and by 1880 there were 14 baths fed by spring water in which sick pilgrims were immersed in hopes of a cure.

One of the earliest organised pilgrimages by rail from Liverpool was in 1912. In August that year Father William Hurley OSB, from St Augustine’s, led a pilgrimage of parishioners from the Benedictine Churches in Warrington and Liverpool. Some 107 people set out on the two-day journey to Lourdes, arriving at the Hotel Belle Vue shortly before midnight on 3 August.

Father Hurley’s instructions survive in the programme preserved among the Archdiocesan Archives: “We set forth, not as excursionists, we are out, not for a pic-nic, but for a Pilgrimage … ready to endure in a spirit of true pilgrimage and penance, all the disagreeableness, the inconvenience, and the hardship which such a journey must entail.” Pilgrims were advised to take only one piece of hand luggage, and to pack some soap and an umbrella: “a few shillings worth of French money may be useful”, said Father Hurley.

At the end of the First World War a great service of thanksgiving was held at Lourdes. This took place in November 1919 and the British section of the pilgrimage was led by Cardinal Bourne. It seems, though, that smaller groups of Allied servicemen had already been paying visits of thanksgiving at having survived the conflict. One postcard in our archive collections shows such a group and is dated January 1919. It seems to have been led by one of our diocesan priests (not yet identified) serving as a Chaplain to the Forces,and features an eclectic mix of British and colonial troops.

Military pilgrims to Lourdes, January 1919

An early pilgrim from Liverpool, 1888

Pilgrimage programme 1912

News diary

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Lourdes 2023 with HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust

by Angela O’Brien

Easter in Lourdes 2023 was a ‘very special pilgrimage’ as Merseyside finally led all the liturgies and music after four years of planning and Covid19 delays, as part of the international charity HCPT - The Pilgrimage Trust.

Under the direction of Merseyside Regional Chair, Paul O’Brien, the theme ‘the Good Shepherd’ was chosen as it was felt that it encompassed Merseyside’s welcoming attitude of inclusivity and feeling of belonging.

During the week in Lourdes, Merseyside were involved in the Welcome Mass, Youth Gather, Torchlight Procession, Merseyside Regional Mass, International Trust Mass, and the Blessed Sacrament service and were joined by Archbishop Malcolm McMahon alongside Fr Sean Riley and Fr John Poland. The children loved meeting and speaking to Archbishop Malcom, particularly at mealtimes, sharing HCPT traditions such as stealthily placing a coloured peg on the archbishop’s robes. The archbishop was also made an

‘honorary member’ of Group 133 by being given a fetching bright yellow sweatshirt which he wore immediately.

Merseyside carried the theme in many different ways for example, everyday a member of each Merseyside Group wore a different coloured sheep outfit around Lourdes and the children were encouraged to find ‘the sheep of the day’ and have their photograph taken - Archbishop Malcolm met the yellow sheep and had his picture taken too.

The Youth Gather was led by Fr Kenny Hyde and was well-attended with over 250 young people gathering together. There was a great feeling of togetherness as the young people shared their reasons for being in Lourdes with one remarking ‘each day is like a fever dream, filled with positivity’.

Merseyside also continued to lead the music for the week in Lourdes with a number of highlights such as the Grotto Mass celebrated by Bishop Tom Williams and the torchlight procession.

Over 3,500 HCPTers from over 12 countries attended Trust Mass - the pinnacle of the week for the region. Merseyside chose to represent the parable of the lost sheep as a dramatised animation with classic Scouse humour. Archbishop Malcolm followed the animation firstly by addressing the gathered ‘sheep’ in their own language (‘baa’) and then with an uplifting sermon and the message that ‘everyone is welcome; even if we are lost, we can be found’.

As the unforgettable week came to an end, Merseyside reflected that their theme of being part of a flock could not be more apt - not only were the children given an opportunity to excel but the Merseyside region has been reinvigorated and will be hosting a Reunion Mass on Sunday 4 June at 2:30 pm in St Teresa’s Norris Green - all are welcome. We are proud to have shown the world what the HCPT Merseyside region stand for and we’re sure we won’t be forgotten for a very long time.

Bishop Tom Neylon presents Ann with a Bene Merenti

Bishop Tom Neylon joined the congregation at St Teresa of the Child Jesus, Norris Green to present parishioner Ann Frances Johnston with the Bene Merenti award from Pope Francis.

Ann has worked tirelessly in the parish for many years and has committed herself totally to the community. She can be

found opening the church and setting up for Mass, as well as being a catechist, a counter of the collection, running the piety shop and much more. The award is so well deserved, and the parish hopes Ann will continue her generosity in the years ahead.

Ann was joined at Mass by her family and friends and celebrated with cake and refreshments afterwards.

Restorations in Widnes

St Wilfrid’s parish in Widnes recently celebrated three restoration successes.

Firstly, a set of Victorian paintings preserved from the former parish of St Patrick’s were brought together as a complete collection of twelve and hung in St Michael’s Church. The paintings were saved when St Patrick’s Church was demolished and with the help of the Irish Government and the local area forum they were restored to their former glory.

Parish priest Fr Mark Moran said: “We are delighted to have brought together a unique collection of Victorian religious paintings which can now be seen together for the first time since St Patrick’s was closed and demolished in 1997.”

At the same time, twelve Victorian Stations of the Cross were returned to the church following a lengthy repair and restoration project. After many years of smoke and dust the paintings had lost much of their colour and had previously been covered in a dark varnish; some had had basic repairs and many needed restretching on the canvases. The

money for the restoration was raised by individual donations from parishioners.

Fr Mark added: “The paintings have needed repair and restoration for some time. When we suggested the project to the parishioners the money for the restoration was raised in less than two weeks which is a tremendous indication of the generosity of spirt of the parishioners.”

The third celebration was the siting of Our Lady’s statue in the grounds of St Bede’s Church. The statue was removed from the outside of the church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour prior to its demolition, along with the foundation stone. Both the statue and foundation stone are now preserved in the garden outside of St Bede’s for parishioners and the local community to see.

Fr Mark concluded: “We have had a tremendous response to the resiting of the statue both from parishioners and from the parents and children waiting outside school. Fresh flowers are placed weekly in front of the statue which gives great solace to people.”

Bunny Hop raises funds for Lourdes

We were blessed this year with a lovely sunny day on Good Friday. After what seemed to be an endless winter, it was such a joy to come out of Church late afternoon and greet friends in the sunshine. I always like to go back to church in the evening for Stations of the Cross, and I am lucky a couple of local churches have evening services.

Standing in St Peter and St Paul’s, Crosby as we got to the 6th 7th and 8th stations, my mind started to wander. The three stations are under the most wonderful stained-glass window of Lourdes - Our Lady, St Bernadette, the grotto, the basilicas, and sick pilgrims. Maybe meditating on the stations, and the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus, made me think of the suffering of Bernadette in her lifetime. She was a sickly child. The apparitions of the blessed virgin and not being believed or even laughed at, must have given the young teenage girl mental suffering. Even her days in the convent were difficult ones, and she died at 35 from an extremely painful tumour in her leg.

Suddenly we were at the 14th station and I realised I had been in Lourdes for the last ten minutes. That is what meditation does for you – takes you to a happy place. I know many churches in our archdiocese have shrines to Our Lady of Lourdes, but I do recommend a visit to St Peter and St Paul’s as the window is outstanding.

On bank holiday Monday, we had the Lourdes Bunny Walk. There was rain from the early hours, we were starting the walk from St Gregory’s, Lydiate, where Father Grant Maddock offered Mass. Prayers were answered, as when everyone started to arrive for the walk the rain had stopped. A great

By Pat Murphy

group turned out to support the Lourdes Pilgrimage and were led off on the 5km walk by Monsignor Des Bunny and Father Grant Bunny. Once again prayers were answered and the rain clouds only gathered and burst as the last walkers returned to St Gregory’s Church to collect their chocolate bunny reward. Our Lady of Lourdes once again listened and miracles continue to happen.

The first Liverpool Lourdes Pilgrimage was in 1923. Why not join us this year on our centenary pilgrimage to visit the little village in France where miracles happen every day.

This year’s pilgrimage is from Friday 21 to 28 July. For further details contact info@joewalshtours.com

A Centenary Mass will be celebrated in the Metropolitan Cathedral on Sunday 25 June at 5pm you are all invited.

Fr Mark Moran and Fr Thomas Clarke with the newly restored Stations of the Cross

Helping those in need at Irenaeus

Volunteers at the Irenaeus Outreach Project were delighted when children from St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School in Mawdesley, along with Headteacher Ms Coulthard, brought donated goods to the centre.

The children collected a wide variety of food, household goods and personal items for the food cupboard and they needed several trips to deliver the vast amount of stock they had generously collected. Their efforts made a huge difference to the many people who use this free facility when they are in need.

The cost of living crisis is hitting poorer families so hard that it’s vital to keep the food cupboard well stocked, so the contributions from the school children have been vital in ensuring that they can continue to offer a good selection of items free to those who need this support.

The food cupboard is just one part of the support that the centre provides, offering a warm welcome, refreshments and a chat to many local people and also to some who have recently joined our community from other countries,

especially Turkey, Ukraine, Syria and Poland. The people who come to the centre are always so grateful for the support they receive – one man recently said, ‘This project saved my family’.

The weekly knit and natter group held at the centre recently knitted 50 blankets, 32 cardigans and 56 hats and donated them to the Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Warrington General Hospital.

The Irenaeus centre is open 10am-4pm Monday to Thursday and everyone is welcome to drop in. If you can help to keep the food cupboard well-stocked or can give a donation for stock, they would love to hear from you.

Volunteer with Nugent

Queen of Greens comes to Liverpool and Knowsley Joint knit and crochet in Penwortham

The knitting and crochet group at St Teresa’s, Penwortham has been busy with needles and crochet hooks to knit jumpers and hats for babies in Uganda.

Over 200 items including hats, cardigans, blankets, booties and knitted teddies have been sent oversees after partnering with a midwife who is training medical staff to help lower the mortality rate in mothers and babies during the delivery and after care of their babies.

The group also joined forces with staff and pupils All Hallows High School to knit 8” squares to send to South Africa.

A mobile greengrocers’ delivering fresh fruit and veg to communities hit by food insecurity across Liverpool and Knowsley has been launched in a unique partnership between charities.

Feeding Liverpool, which is leading the city’s Good Food Plan strategy to create a city where ‘everyone can eat good food’ and Feedback Global’s project Alchemic Kitchen have joined forces thanks to funding from Feeding Britain.

The new Queen of Greens bus-shop is a pioneering initiative to boost access to healthy food and help tackle health inequalities. It visits 29 stops each week including schools and health and community centres, including Fazakerley hospital, providing people with better opportunities to shop for nutritious food closer to their home or workplace. It is hoped more stops may be added in the future.

The route takes in neighbourhoods classed as ‘food deserts’, including areas of Everton and Kirkby, where residents have to travel more than a kilometre or walk 15 minutes to reach a supermarket selling ‘green’ produce.

Customers can pay for their shopping with Alexandra Rose vouchers, and Healthy Start vouchers for pregnant women and young families at all stops, as well as cash or card.

The shop runs Monday to Friday and includes stops in Anfield, Walton, Fazakerley, Kensington, Edge Hill, Belle Vale, Toxteth, Kensington, Wavertree, West Derby, Picton, Aigburth, Speke, Garston, Halewood, Aintree, Knotty Ash, Huyton, and Prescot.

The project partners funded the purchase and refurbishment of the former 24-seater Iveco coach, transforming it into a fully kitted out shop.

The bus is operated day-to-day by greengrocer Paul Flannery from Dingle, who has run the ‘Red Apple’ bus as an independent local business for the last ten years, giving him an insight into growing needs serving local communities, particularly through the pandemic.

The bus also carries recipe cards with ideas for healthy meals people can make on a budget, and Paul encourages shoppers to buy in amounts they can afford; and even try a taste of unfamiliar produce before they buy.

Similarly, to a traditional greengrocers, the Queen of Greens bus prioritises stocking local and seasonal produce where possible including produce from farms in Lancashire and Cheshire, with a focus on quality and choice.

A full list of stops is at www.feedingliverpool.org/communityfood-spaces/queen-of-greens-busstop-map/

These will be sent to an organisation in South Africa which has groups of people who sort them into coordinated colours, texture and wool type. Thirty five squares are then stitched together to make blankets ready to distribute to vulnerable children aged between three and nine. These children are mostly orphaned and are being looked after by grandmothers who lovingly stitch the squares together to make beautiful blankets. These can be viewed on-line at knit-a-square.com

what’s on June

Saturday 3 June

‘Come and See’ Day.

10.00 am to 4.00 pm at the Irenaeus Centre, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 1RD. ‘Called to be an scriptural Church.’ Speaker Mary Hardiman. Bring a packed lunch – tea and coffee provided. Suggested donation £10. Details - email: jenny@ irenaeus.co.uk Tel: 0151 949 1199.

Thursday 15 June

Social Action Networking on Environment: Investments as a force for good. 6.30pm, online. This special network event will focus on how Church funds are used in relation to the climate debate.

More details and registration can be found here: https://Archdiocese_ environment_network.eventbrite.com

Saturday 17 June

Meet new Parish Priest of Saint Francis Xavier’s, Fr. Chris McCoy There will be 12 noon Mass with refreshments afterwards and a tour of the Church to mark the 175th anniversary of the Church.

Sunday 18 June Day for Life

Friday 23 June

Sunday 25 June

Celebration Mass for the centenary of the Liverpool Archdiocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage. 5.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Sunday 4 June

Liverpool Bach Collective. Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata 129 ‘Gelobet sei der Herr, mein Gott’. (‘Praised be the Lord my God.’) 6.30 pm at Holy Trinity church, Wavertree, L15 9EQ. Singers and players directed by Philip Duffy. www.liverpoolbach.com Email: liverpoolbach@icloud.com

Sunday 11 June

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

Tuesday 13 June

‘Time out on Tuesday’ at the Cenacle from 10.30 am to 4.00 pm. Suggested offering for the day - £10, bring your own lunch; tea/coffee provided. No booking required. Take a break from your daily routine and have some space to reflect and be still and be refreshed.

Details: Sister Winifred Morley, Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. Tel: 0151 722 2271 Email: morleywinifred6@gmail.com

Wednesday 14 June Good Shepherd Mass. 10:30am at St Mary’s Church, Leyland.

‘Every migrant has a name, a face and a story’ 4-5pm, online: To celebrate Refugee Week, this online event will discuss the principles set out in “Love the Stranger”- a new document from the Bishops’ Conference. Further details and to register, visit: https:// love_the_stranger.eventbrite.com

Liverpool Bach Collective. Johann Sebastian Bach Cantata 111 ‘Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit’. (‘May what my God wants, always be done.’) 7.00 pm at Church of St Nicholas, Mersey Road, Blundellsands, L23 6SS. Singers and Players directed by Philip Duffy. www.liverpoolbach.com Email: liverpoolbach@icloud.com

Wednesday 28 June

Good Shepherd Mass.

11.00 am at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Celebrant: Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP.

Celebration of the Feast of St Irenaeus. Mass at 5.30 pm followed by food and festivities at the Irenaeus Centre, 32 Great Georges Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 1RD.

Thursday 29 June

Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul –Holyday of Obligation

Saturday 24 June

‘Come apart and be still.’

Quiet Saturdays at the Cenacle from 10.30 am to 4.00 pm. Suggested offering for the day - £10, bring your own lunch; tea/coffee provided. No booking required. Details: Sister Winifred Morley, Cenacle, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Liverpool L15 6TW. Tel: 0151 722 2271 Email: morleywinifred6@gmail.com

A summer of singing

by Dr Christopher McElroy Director of Music, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

Cathedral Record

Canon Anthony O’Brien –Cathedral Dean

As you will be aware, the Cathedral café and gift shop has been closed since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak with the buildings requiring major repairs. The first stages of preparation for repair and rebuilding are now about to begin. Throughout June a large section of the Cathedral grounds will be hoarded and transferred into a construction site to enable the first stage of work within the Cathedral garden and Piazza Café to get underway. This will affect some of the access arrangements to the Cathedral with the ramp access through the garden area no longer available. We may have to live with this area being hoarded off and closed to the public for at least the next 18 months while work continues here but there will still be lift and disabled access to the Cathedral throughout this process.

We will have to cope with disturbance and inconvenience to our Cathedral routines for a considerable time and this will incur considerable costs, but we look forward to having some enhanced shop, catering and hospitality features in the future.

With the recent Coronation of King Charles & Queen Camilla, choirs are back in the public eye, and with good reason: there was a huge amount of positive publicity generated by the music at the Coronation sung so powerfully by the choir of Westminster Abbey (joined by girl choristers from Turo and Belfast.)

On Saturday 17 June the cathedral choir will give a concert in Prescot Parish Church as part of the long running Prescot Festival.

The choir will be singing many of the choral works that have become famous through being sung at successive Coronations, such as ‘I was glad’ (Parry) and ‘Zadok the Priest’ (Handel) alongside the aptly named ‘Coronation Mass’ by Mozart. Tickets for this concert can be purchased from www.prescotfestival.co.uk

On Wednesday 28 June we have the annual Good Shepherd Mass here in the

Metropolitan Cathedral. We are currently on course to have a choir of around 1,000 children from Catholic schools across the archdiocese.

As you may imagine, putting together such a choir is a logistical and musical challenge. Archdiocese of Liverpool choral directors Danny Townley and Joe Watson are spearheading this event, negotiating a complicated timetable of rehearsals visits to schools across the archdiocese and then the mammoth task of bringing together 1,000 children to sing as one in the notoriously difficult acoustic of the cathedral on the day of the Mass.

These events are wonderful for welcoming children and their staff from schools across the archdiocese to THEIR cathedral. Truly the cathedral becomes the mother church of the archdiocese when so many of our young people gather together to sing the praises of God’s glory!

This month we have the annual Mass for the Diocesan Union of Catholic Mothers at 2pm on 3 June. Then hot on their heels, the National Association of the Knights of Saint Columba have their Annual Mass on the following Saturday 10 June at 3pm. Archbishop Malcolm will preside at both of these Masses. The National Catholic Education Conference takes place in Liverpool this year on 13/14 June and they will be meeting on the Tuesday in the Crypt concluding with Mass and a dinner for all the participants.

This year is the centenary of the Archdiocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage and prior to this year’s pilgrimage there will be a Mass of celebration at the Cathedral on Sunday 25 June at 5pm. Archbishop Malcolm will preside at this Mass and it is hoped that all who have been connected with the pilgrimage over the years will come along to be part of this celebration.

by Hugh Donleavy

Pastoral ponderings Get involved in Catholic Social Teaching and Social Action

By the time this issue comes out I will have been ordained deacon for a few days, but, I have to confess, I’m actually writing this on the day of the Coronation. I hadn’t been particularly excited to watch it, but I decided it was a significant enough event that I should pay attention.

It was certainly not an everyday ceremony, it almost seemed a bit archaic at times, even refreshingly so. One thing that struck me was how Christian it was, something especially surprising given that our country is now a minority Christian country. There’s something reassuring about the very public reminder that the head of state swears to serve not only the country and its people, but, first of all, God.

Another peculiarity was how symbolic the ceremony is. Although in Church we use a lot of rites and symbols to convey meaning, our society as a whole is less inclined to do so. We tend to be very literalistic and pragmatic. This makes it difficult to understand all these rituals and symbols, which don’t actually do anything. There doesn’t seem to be a point in them. But, again, I think it’s helpful to witness this sort of event, because, like the liturgy, it gives us a way of communicating through signs and actions, rather than just through words.

In other news, the year has gone shockingly quickly – by the time this is published, the exam season will have begun at university, and, for all intents and purposes, the academic year will be over. During my time at Liverpool Hope University, it’s been great to get to know the students, and particularly to be able to accompany one of the students in his reception into the Catholic Church. Hopefully the end of this year won’t be my last contact with the Catholic Society there.

Since this is all done so far in advance, I can’t really comment on how my diaconal ordination has gone. I’m sure everything will go well, but, right now, I’m just very excited for it. In anticipation, this month I’ve started preparing to preach my first homily. Although I’ve given talks before, and practised preaching, I have, of course, never preached a homily, so this is a bit new to me. By next month I’m sure I’ll already have learned a lot about being a deacon…

Pablo Guidi, Catholic Social Action Coordinator

“It’s like a seed growing in the ground,” Jason tells me as we talk in the peaceful gardens within the grounds of Our Lady Mount Carmel, Liverpool Central. “When you work with a traumatised person, the healing takes place under the surface, over a long period of time. “Here at the Refugee Family Support Project, we are able to provide that time and space.”

Jason Ward is a therapist, working with victims of torture or war, who have sought sanctuary in the UK. The archdiocese helps such people by providing space for a therapy garden - a place where people grow and make food together. It is a wonderful example of the Church collaborating for the good of all.

It is this work that echoes Pope Francis’ words, ‘Every migrant has a name, a face and a story’. Pope Francis asks us to look beyond what we see on the surface, and what we hear about refugees in the media. We called to understand the deeper, universal context of Catholic social teaching on migrants and refugees. As he says in Fratelli Tutti we are asked to “acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity”.

It is this type of compassion that is being explored this month during Refugee Week (19 – 25 June 2023).

As part of this week, the archdiocese is hosting a conversation on ‘Love the Stranger’ - a new publication on migrants and refugees by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. We will discuss the principles it sets out, and review how our work with refugees has been lived out and celebrated during Refugee week. The conversation will take place online at 4pm, Friday 23 June.

This conversation leads into a larger archdiocesan event being held on Thursday 6 July, at the St Margaret Clitherow Centre. This Social Action Network Event will bring together policy makers, workers and volunteers involved in social action, to interlink themes, make partnerships, and advocate for change.

In my work over the last seven months as Catholic Social Action Coordinator, I have seen compassion expressed in many different ways – compassion for the cold and hungry, compassion for the earth environment, and compassion for the stranger. Therefore, we would like representation from all parts of the archdiocese to join us and explore issues relating to refugees, cost of living and environment. If you are interested in this day or the previous online event, please contact p.guidi@rcaol.org.uk

Monsignor John Devine

by Simon Hart

Monsignor John Devine turned 75 in May. But this longstanding Pic contributor is in no hurry to hang up his pen. “Well I’m not dead yet!” he says wryly.

John, who celebrates the 50th anniversary of his ordination on 16 June, has been writing for the Pic since 1981. That was the year he embarked on a nine-year adventure as a missionary priest. ‘I was in South America for nine years on LAMP, the Liverpool Archdiocesan Missionary Project, and used to write letters that went to the Pic. When I came back, the Archbishop asked me to do a weekly column. We had an editorial board which I chaired.’

Regular readers of his column will have gleaned a sense of the impact of that time in Peru – ‘a crash course in reality in all sorts of ways,’ as he puts it.

Brought up in Christ the King parish, Childwall, he had studied at Upholland from the age of 12 and, following his ordination at 25, spent eight years in Skelmersdale in team ministry. From there he found himself in the Peruvian coastal town of Chimbote, a place that ‘stank of fish’ for its anchovy processing plants and whose German steelworks ‘belched out orange smoke so thick that some days you had to have your headlights on to drive during the day.

‘In a situation like South America, where you’ve got extremes of poverty and wealth alongside each other, poor people have a clarity of vision,’ he adds. ‘There’s no such thing as moral dilemmas there – it is night and day, rich and poor.’

In the Metropolitan Cathedral today stands a memento of his days in Peru in the life-sized statue of St Martin de Porres made by the late Peruvian sculptor Isabel Benavides, whom John had introduced to Archbishop Derek Worlock. ‘We discovered he’d been at school with her brother. He asked if she’d be prepared to do a sculpture of Martin de Porres for our cathedral. She used as the model a basketball player and we got it cast in bronze and shipped it to Liverpool.’

John himself landed back in Liverpool in 1990 and spent a decade as director at Upholland, by now a very different place. ‘There’d been 48 in my year and it was two-form entry,’ he recalls. ‘They built a new wing at the college because it wasn’t big enough. Then, within a few years, the climate changed.’

And it has continued to change. ‘I was ordained when Vatican II was still new and there was an excitement about that. Then it looked as if pendulum was swinging the other way, though I’ve found Pope Francis a breath of fresh air. I’m biased because he’s from South America.’

He reflects too on the ‘move away from tribal Catholicism’ and altered perceptions about the priesthood. ‘It wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea to be a priest but it was still considered a normal aspiration for a Catholic kid of 12,’ he says of his early vocation.

‘If you did it now you’d be considered an oddity but in those days it wasn’t the case. When priests came and visited our house in Childwall, they always got cake. The priests I knew worked hard and were respected in the community.’

Half a century on from his ordination by Archbishop George Andrew Beck on a warm June afternoon he considers that ‘my role as a priest is to set people free.’ And where his people are today is the Isle of Man. He is parish priest at St Mary of the Isle and St Joseph in Douglas and St Anthony of Padua in Onchan, as well as the area dean. ‘When the sun shines, it’s the most beautiful place in the world,’ he says.

He makes regular visits to Liverpool for his work as episcopal vicar for finance, employing the experience gained in such roles as churches officer for the North-West (2000-2012) and prochancellor and chair of governors at Liverpool Hope University (2008-2017).

Now 75, he will not be relinquishing all his responsibilities just yet but has discussed ‘a staged retirement’ with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon.

Nor, finally, will he be giving up his beloved motorbikes – his preferred mode of transport since his last year at seminary. ‘I was a deacon then and travelled out to Skelmersdale on my bike. It’s rare I’ve been without a bike since though I’ve come down in size. I used to have 1300cc big ones. I’ve now got an 800cc Triumph.

‘A few years ago I went to Turkey. I went on my own through 13 countries and got as far as Istanbul.’ Just one of his many adventures. ‘My life has been a series of adventures … none of them were ever planned!’

Proverbs 16:9

Year 13 and Year 11 students are now facing a new chapter in their lives. For many of them they are finishing their exams and about to enjoy a well-deserved summer break. They will have been considering their next steps and attempting to make plans including career choices.

For some they will not be sure of what they wish to achieve but for others the choice is less certain and is dependent on so many factors. Many of our young people feel the pressure of the having to make “perfect” choices to have a “perfect” lifestyle.

Success and happiness are not linear. As adults we know that there are bumps along the road in the journey of life. Terrible things happen, failures happen for us to achieve true happiness.

I recall from my own school days my absolute desire to become a primary school teacher and I studied hard to achieve this goal. On results day I was disappointed that I did not achieve the top grades that I needed to go to a top performing university that I had set my heart on. I was devastated on that day and deemed myself to be a failure. Family and friends tried so hard to console me, but I would not listen. So, in the end I went for a walk and sat by a lake to spend time composing my thoughts. In the midst of sadness, I remember saying out loud “Lord you have a plan for me, I don’t understand it but I will get on with it”. I picked myself up and the rest as they say is history.

When I was a serving teacher and headteacher I recalled this story to young people many times in lesson and assemblies. It was important to me that they understood that God has a plan for us all and while we may not understand it at times, we must trust in it. Our lives are not dependent on what we achieved when we were aged 16 and 19 in schools. Saint John Paul once said, “In God’s plan nothing happened by chance.”

Please continue to pray for our young people as they embark on a new phase of their life journey.

Joan McCarthy Director of Education Archdiocese of Liverpool

Maricourt students conquer the Italian Alps

A group of students from Maricourt Catholic High School in Maghull spent an incredible week in the Aosta Valley, Italy, during the half term back in February.

After the disappointment of no skiing in recent years due to Covid travel restrictions, staff and students were excited to ski in the resort of Monterosa in Gressoney la Trinite in the Italian Alps.

42 Year 9 and 10 pupils were joined by six accompanying staff led by experienced party leader Andy Marshall.

Andy told the school: “The pupils enjoyed a fantastic week’s skiing in brilliant conditions experiencing a mix of sunny blue sky and cold snow days on the slopes.

“Our group made brilliant progress in their 24 hours of tuition with the local ski school and all experienced at least some ‘Red Run’ skiing by the end of the week”.

Maricourt students enjoyed snowboarding, hot chocolate, karaoke, bingo and a presentation evening as après ski (after skiing) activities. They returned home via a flight from Geneva, tired after a busy week.

Year 10 pupils Hannah and Imogen both gleefully claimed to have enjoyed their “best week ever” upon their return to school, with both girls desperate to go again next year with the friends they’d made on the trip.

Mr Marshall is already well into planning Maricourt’s next trip to the Aosta Valley this coming December with another group of 42 ski beginners.

“The heart of a man plans his steps, but the Lord establishes his steps”

Trio of appointments at ASFA

Miles Rimmer-Tagoe is the new chaplain at the academy and will be working to support the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of students and staff. Miles has a wealth of experience to support the important work underway around the personal development of students.

After May half term, Gus Byrne will become a permanent head of year. He is currently in a supply role at the school and is looking forward to becoming a permanent member of staff. He comments: “I’m excited to take up my role as head of year.

The Academy of St Francis of Assisi (ASFA) has welcomed three new starters to the school team.

Mark Bonnesen has joined the senior leadership team as assistant headteacher. Mark will lead the continuing development of the maths department and support teaching and learning across the school. He comes from Alsop High School where he was the head of maths.

“Working here already on a supply basis has given me great insight into the school community and I’ve got to know many of the wonderful students I will be supporting after half term.”

Ms Jo Leech, headteacher of The Academy of St Francis of Assisi, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Mark, Miles and Gus to the team. They will make great additions to all aspects of the academy as we continue to work towards our core mission of ensuring our students flourish and thrive.”

Local school forms unique partnership with Ukrainian school

Many memories were made in May with Eurovision being hosted in the UK for the first time in over 20 years. One local primary school formed a close bond with a school in Ukraine as they became ‘United by Music’.

Faith Primary Academy in Everton struck up a partnership with a school in Odesa, southwestern Ukraine, called Odessa Lyceum 117. As part of a project with the British Council, the schools collaborated through their love of music and developed a deeper understanding of one another’s cultures. Over a few weeks, the schools wrote to one another, and pupils shared details about school life and the projects they had been working on.

In addition to this, schools from across the city and Ukraine learnt a song called ‘Don’t Judge a Book’. On 12 May, schools came together and took part in a virtual sing-along at a special Eurovision-themed online concert.

The concert was presented in partnership with Resonate, the Music Education Hub for Liverpool and the Liverpool Philharmonic. By learning the song and exploring its themes of friendship, inclusion, diversity and community in partnership, Faith Primary Academy was able to learn more about the rich language, geography and culture of Odessa Lyceum 117.

Speaking about the project, headteacher of Faith Primary Academy, Miss Sarah Williams said: “Music is a huge part of school life here at Faith and we jumped at the chance to get involved in this once in a life-time project.

“Not only have our students been able to express themselves musically but they have also been able to communicate with

a school in Ukraine and find out more about what a school in Europe is like.”

One pupil from Faith Primary Academy commented: “It has been really good getting to know children from Ukraine. They write to us English in and tell us about all the cool things they have been doing in school.”

Faith Primary Academy is a joint Catholic and Church of England school and is proudly part of the All Saints Multi Academy Trust.

John Gibbons, chair of governors at St John Bosco Arts College

The chair of governors plays a vital role within any school. Not only are they responsible for leading effective governance, but they are also the critical friend to a headteacher by offering support and encouragement, and not being afraid to hold them to account.

John Gibbons, chair of governors at St John Bosco Arts College, has been on the governing board at the school for 23 years. He has an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience in education and built an illustrious career as a teacher and headteacher in Liverpool.

Having retired as headteacher of Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School in 1999, John was asked by the then headteacher of Mary Help of Christians High School (before it became St John Bosco Arts College in 1983), Sister Helen, to join the board.

“She had been a colleague and headteacher for many years and I had a lot of respect for her,” John says. “During my periodic visits to the old building, I always felt it was a very special school. I thought if I’m going to be a governor and give something back to schools, this was the one for me.”

At 81 years of age, John has a lot of expertise to offer and has witnessed first-hand the school evolve into what St John Bosco Arts College stands for today.

He comments: “As a Salesian school, our primary aim is to ensure our students are happy and feel safe, and the efforts of the entire staff support that, and as a governor I want to ensure that continues. The ultimate thing is that our students fulfil their potential.

“As a chair of governors for many years, I think we do that quite well – and that’s not being arrogant – we have a good governing board which devotes a huge amount of time to the school. We are able to monitor the overall effectiveness of the school by a full programme of meetings and the governors have a link with each of the various departments within the school.”

For John, it is important that the school is a place where learning can flourish, and the love and affection can be felt all around.

“That’s crucial,” says John. “When you look at the guidance of St John Bosco, that is what he talked about constantly. If the students feel that love and affection, by and large, they will do well.”

Having been a headteacher at Cardinal Heenan for 19 years, John understands the responsibilities that come with such a demanding role. John adds: “It makes me sensitive to the challenges that schools face and I have an insight into what I think was successful. Hopefully I can transfer these skills and collaborate with staff at St John Bosco Arts College.”

Having built a fantastic relationship with the headteacher, Mr Darren Gidman, John’s support is no doubt beyond compare. The good work that takes place under Mr Gidman’s leadership doesn’t go unnoticed by John.

He concludes: “The school really is an incredible place. The students like being there and the staff are forever giving 110%. In the run up to the examinations, they are even holding extra lessons before and after school, and even Saturday and Sunday mornings.”

Ukrainian Ambassador visits city school

Saint Nicholas Catholic Academy hosted a special visit during the week that the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Liverpool.

They were proud to host a visit from the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Mr Vadym Prystaiko and his wife who had travelled from London to be part of the Eurovision celebrations. They were keen to find out how pupils in the city were learning more about Eurovision and Ukraine. A Ukrainian TV crew also came to film the event for people in Ukraine to watch too.

The visit took place on the eve of the Eurovision Song Contest which made it even more special for the children and staff at Saint Nicholas.

On the day there were lots of visitors in the school and these included the new Leader of Liverpool City Council, Liam Robinson. Each class had a fantastic time learning about European national dances as they participated in dance workshops led by a “West End in Schools” dance teacher featuring dances from many European countries. This was funded from a successful bid the school had submitted to Liverpool City Council’s EuroLearn education programme, which was one of a series of projects designed to get the city region involved in Eurovision.

The Ambassador and his wife also watched pupils taking part in a lesson learning about Ukraine, and met a Ukrainian pupil and his parent who had to flee the country last year due to Russia’s invasion and had been invited by the school’s headteacher to be part of the day.

Mr Martin Davies, the school’s headteacher, said:

“Our children and staff really enjoyed our Eurovision day. I was lovely to have an extra special moment on that day to witness our Year 3 Ukrainian pupil and his mother speaking to their own country’s Ambassador in their native tongue and sharing their experiences, yes it was quite an emotional moment but at the same time such a huge privilege to be able provide the opportunity for this meeting to take place for them. Such a valuable experience which will be remembered for a very long time for everyone involved”

Saint Nicholas Catholic Academy is located in the heart of the Liverpool city centre just next to The Metropolitan Cathedral and the city’s universities. It is part of the Saint Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust. The school celebrates diversity and welcomes children and families from all over the world.

St Mary’s College salutes class of 2023

St Mary’s College in Crosby held a special event recently to celebrate the achievements of the ‘class of 2023’, the upper sixth formers who leave the school this summer.

The leavers’ mass, held in the school’s O’Halloran Hall, was attended by family and friends of the students, and was followed by the presentation of awards by former head of sixth form Carole Killen.

Students were honoured for their efforts in a wide range of fields including sport, music, drama, outreach, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and the Combined Cadet Force.

Earlier in the day, they had attended a farewell buffet lunch with their teachers in the sixth form common room.

Commenting on the event, St Mary’s Principal, Mike Kennedy, said: “The leavers’ mass is always an occasion for mixed emotions, and this was very much the case again this year.

“As always, we are sorry to be losing such an outstanding group of young people, but we know they are ready to move on to the next exciting stage of their lives.

“We wish them all every success, and look forward to hearing about their achievements in the future.”

Get Up, Get Out and Make a Difference!

Inspired by Pope Francis, where young people are encouraged to change the world by taking care of others, and by building fraternal communities, the Year 7 chapel team at St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School welcomed students from De La Salle School to share their first ever inter-schools faith group.

The aim of the group is to build relationships with students from other local schools, to collectively and individually explore St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School’s relationship with God, and to put their faith into action together, within their community.

Staff said it was fabulous to see students reaching out to make new friends and share each other’s different experiences of what it means to be modern-day Christians.

Collectively, the students decided to name the group ‘Arise!The Catholic Schools Society’. With the society motto of ‘get up, get out and make a difference!’.

This name and motto were also inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis, who urges young people to arise and go, to get on the move and aim for heights, and to make dreams of peace come true.

Students raise over £500 during hike for the hub!

Students from St Basil’s Catholic Primary School in Widnes raised over £589 for the Ukrainian Family Hub in Warrington after enjoying an afternoon of hiking around the school grounds.

The afternoon started with a presentation from Kate McCarthy-Booth who is the founder of the hub and is also a host for a Ukrainian family.

Kate told students about her experience of hosting a family and shared details about the hub which provides support to Ukrainian families living in the north west, as well as their hosts.

Children got into the spirit of things and wore small items of yellow and/or blue clothing such as socks, hair accessories and hats along with their usual school uniform. During the hike, children from every year group completed laps of the course set out around the school grounds. Along the way they collected facts about the country to show the school is ‘United with Ukraine’.

Kate Dooley from St Basil’s said: “We were so impressed with the response of our families who were more than generous in

donating to the Hub in order to support their amazing work. More than this though, was the genuine desire of our children to make a difference to the lives of others who are experiencing such a difficult time. The event was a true example of living out our school mission and following Jesus. “

has been used to pay for trips, children’s birthday parties and towards funding to purchase a minibus.

More information about the hub can be found at ukrainehubwarrington.co.uk

Kate McCarthy Booth, said: “What a wonderful opportunity to come and speak to the children. The children were wonderful and the whole experience was fantastic. The money raised will be so welcomed and enable us to create memories for so many children, we cannot thank the children and parents of St Basil’s enough for their support. I thought the whole initiative was well thought through and the teaching staff had gone to a huge effort!”

Joan McCarthy, director of education at the Archdiocese of Liverpool, who attended the hike said: “It was absolutely wonderful to see the children from all year groups come together and work so hard to raise funds for the hub. Everyone at St Basil’s should be incredibly proud of themselves.”

The Archdiocese of Liverpool has been supporting the Ukrainian Hub Warrington as part of its #Liverpool4Ukraine appeal and has donated money to the hub which

Wallasey students take once-in-a-lifetime trip to Iceland

St Mary’s Catholic College in Wallasey recently ran two student trips to the picturesque capital of Iceland, Reykjavík.

Students from years 10 to 13 enjoyed a four-day trip to the Northern Lights location. The trips took place during the February half term and allowed 68 students to experience Iceland’s culture.

Ran by the geography department, the trips saw students soak up the iconic sights and experiences. At the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power plant, students learned about geothermal power and sustainable energy in Iceland. After a quick demonstration of cutting-edge carbon capture technology in action, a snowball fight was on the cards.

During a full-day expedition, students enjoyed the thrilling sights of the Golden Circle tour. The Golden Circle tour is one of Iceland’s most popular excursions, home to the site of the first ever parliament. In Reykjavík city centre, students visited the harbour to learn about the importance of the country’s fishing industry and spent time immersing themselves in Icelandic culture.

During their final day, students ventured to the famous Blue Lagoon Thermal Spa, where they spent three hours in the natural geothermal pool.

One student said: “The trip made me feel more respectful toward how lucky we are to live on Earth and how we could change how we use water and electricity.”

Kevin Maddocks, headteacher at St Mary’s Catholic College, said: “Our mission is to ensure all students develop individual excellence, embrace opportunities, and build communities with the Gospel values at its heart.

“This trip is just one of the many initiatives we have introduced to expose our students to new experiences, cultures and opportunities. The trip was a huge success and plans for our next trip are well underway. Well done to our students who were incredibly respectful and represented the college fantastically.”

Education Matters by Satis Education Supporting

with Transition

For most children who experience the UK education system there will be as many as five points of transition, as they progress through their learning journey which takes them from Early Years provision through to Post-16 studies, and out into the big world beyond.

I recently wrote an article on how we can best support our childrens’ mental health and well-being during the exams season. However the end of exams, once the initial euphoria has died down, often brings with it another cause of stress –moving on.

At one time or another (even if it was only during our own school days), we’ve all been part of those conversations with family and friends that start something like, “Isn’t (name) heading up to big school this year?” or “What’s (name) planning on studying at university if they get their grades?” Whilst these next steps can be a great source of excitement, then can also engender high levels of anxiety in some children and young people.

It’s important to prepare all pupils with moving to a new school or phase of education but especially children and young people with:

• additional learning needs

• mental health problems

• behavioural problems

• experience of transient living, such as being in care

• anxiety

• experience of being bullied

If you’re concerned about a child or young person who you think may be struggling, there are signs to look out for which may suggest they are finding transition to their new phase of education difficult:

• struggling to make friends

• not feeling that they belong

• has ongoing difficulties coping with daily routines

• increased number of unauthorised school absences

• challenging or disruptive behaviour

• lower than expected progress or a disinterest in school

The most important thing you can do is remain calm. Always remember, your child’s school or education setting will most definitely have experience of supporting children and young people who are experiencing difficulties with transition. Once you’ve spoken to your child, if they want help then the school or education setting should always be your first port of call. Pastoral and teaching staff are trained to provide support to children during these key transition points, and working in partnership with parents/ carers, will do everything they can to ensure the next stage in a child’s learning journey is even most exciting than the last.

St John Bosco Arts College bid farewell to leavers in a special way

St John Bosco Arts College has said goodbye to Year 11 and 13 leavers during a unique school-wide Mass.

The Mass, a long-held tradition at the Croxteth-based school, brings students from across each year group together to celebrate and reflect. A total of 1,094 students gathered to mark this special occasion.

The Salesian Sisters from the local community also joined the Mass to help celebrate the feast of Mary Help of Christians. The Catholic school has a distinctive Salesian ethos, grounded in support, care and a warm atmosphere.

Fr Tony Frain led the Mass, with readings and bidding prayers from students and a performance from the school choir providing the celebratory soundtrack. Each student across Years 11 and 13 received a pink and white rose respectively. The rose symbolises new beginnings and is a small token for students to remember their time at St John Bosco.

Headteacher, Darren Gidman, shared a congratulatory speech filled with joy and admiration for the school leavers. He shared: “Our whole school community is proud of the hard work and dedication you have shown to your studies, it has been a

pleasure to accompany you on your journey through school and to see you all flourish.”

The Mass ended with a compilation of photographs of Year 11 and 13 students throughout their time at the school, showcasing the wealth of memories within the school walls.

leavers’ Mass together since the pandemic, making it even more special.

St John Bosco prides itself on fostering a school community that shares each other’s success and achievements. The Mass is a perfect example of how they live the school values of Love, Faith, Community, Respect and Hope.

Darren Gidman said: “It has always been important for our school community to share this momentous occasion. It demonstrates that we are a school family that will celebrate their success and achievements through celebration and faith.”

The school-wide leavers’ Mass has been a long-standing tradition starting over 20 years ago. This year’s celebration was the first time the school had celebrated the

Why the summer term is such a whirl

By the time readers of the Pic see this, the summer term at Animate will be in full swing.

The year here is measured in the same way as a school year. The new team start in September and we work to school holiday times, as we work predominantly with school groups.

In September we tend to have a lot of Year 7 day retreats, usually based on a theme of community as schools seek to help the new starters feel at home in their new surroundings and with their new classmates. As we only have so many days free in the term, this period of community-building can last for much of the term for us. The middle term is generally a little quieter. Schools, for whatever reason, tend to avoid having day retreats at this time of year.

Although we still keep ourselves busy with them, they are seldom every day as in the first term. Instead, we tend to use the middle term to do other things. In past years we have offered schools the opportunity for us to go in and lead reconciliation services – linked to the Year of Mercy a few years ago

and since continuing as an offer made to schools each year.

More recently we have used the middle term to visit schools for the introduction to the Sacrament of Confirmation. A school may also ask us to lead a whole school mission in this term – as happened this year with Leyland St Mary’s.

Then the final term hits and it is all of the above happening at once. Schools often use this final term for retreats that end the year for different year groups. We also have primary schools asking for Year 6 transition days. And we have the Faith in Action award ceremony and Lourdes to prepare for. So it is usually the most diverse of all the terms.

Yet I have got to say that, because of this diversity, it is usually my favourite term. Growing up, I could never imagine myself doing the same thing day after day. I know some people like that kind of thing –indeed it’s a recurring conversation

when I meet my mates from home who cannot understand the different jobs we each have now! – but it was never something for me.

With this job in general, life is rarely the same each day. You might have the same school for a week but the group in front of you, even from the same school, can vary tremendously.

On top of that, during this term you can swing from a Year 11 end-of-school-life retreat to a Year 6 primary-school leaving day to a Faith in Action awards ceremony that evening and then the Lourdes staff preparation day the day after.

With so much variety, it can be fun moving from one group to another and tailoring the way you speak and deliver activities from day to day.

In some ways the year does start to feel like it is winding down – you see the days passing and realise that it is coming to a close. But then you also realise that this is, arguably, the busiest time of the year as well.

For all those young people who are drawing to the end of a certain time in their life – be it high school, primary school, Faith in Action year, Confirmation prep – or looking forward to something new like Lourdes, please keep them in your prayers.

Mums the Word

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

KSC raising funds for Colombian street children

Our new Archdiocesan president, Mrs Kathy Buck, was commissioned at our bimonthly Mass on 3 May. It was a beautiful Mass, concelebrated by Father David Potter, Monsignor John Butchard and Father Stephen Lea.

The ladies from Blessed Sacrament foundation hosted the Mass and they celebrated 75 years of the UCM. Also at the Mass, two new members were enrolled.

Afterwards we were invited to the parish centre which had been decorated with bunting and flags to celebrate the King’s Coronation and we enjoyed tea and cake. Please send all your news and photographs from the Coronation celebrations.

• Mrs Sue Bickerstaffe has taken on a new role as treasurer for the UCM’s national committee, and was officially welcomed at the National Council in Swanwick in midMay. We thank Sue for all her hard work and wish her well with this new challenge.

• Our annual Mass takes place at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Saturday 3 June and we look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Archbishop McMahon will be the main celebrant, which is an honour for us.

Our next big event is the annual UCM pilgrimage to Walsingham on 3 July. This is one of the highlights of our calendar and I know you are looking forward to it.

Maria Pimblett media officer

Every three years the Knights of Saint Columba select a national action project as the focus of its fundraising efforts.

The last beneficiary was a home for deprived children in India, the John Foster Memorial Home, for which thousands of pounds were raised. That project has now ended and been replaced by Let the Children Live, a cause described as a charity of last resort for over 500 children living on the streets and in the shanty towns of Medellin, Colombia’s secondbiggest city.

Based at the Casa Walsingham Day Centre in Medellin, the charity – known as Vivan Los Niños in Spanish – was founded in 1992 by Father Peter Walters, an Anglican priest who first became involved with Medellin’s street children in 1982 when they helped him after he became temporarily stranded in the city.

The KSC have set up a GoFundMe page to which donations can be sent and we have a target of £20,000 which we hope to raise over the next two years through various fund-raising events. Anyone wishing to sponsor a child should visit gofund.me/659a1904. A £50 donation would provide lunch and a healthy snack for a child for one month, £25 would pay one child’s bus fare to and from Casa Walsingham for one month and £10 would buy a school pack for one child of school age.

For more information, visit letthechildrenlive.org or contact the charity at the following address: Let the Children Live, PO Box 11, Walsingham, Norfolk, NR22 6EH (Tel 01302 858369).

Websites: www.ksc.org.uk

www.kscprov02.weebly.com

Email: dpokeane@aol.com

Celebrating our Volunteers –Volunteer’s Week 2023

Normandie Wragg Chief Executive Nugent

Jo Henney Interim Chief Executive Nugent

The Caritas Leaders’ Alliance

I am pleased to share that I have recently attended The Caritas Leaders’ Alliance, held on 19 April 2023, in London. This event marked the inauguration of the Caritas Leaders’ Alliance, and I am honoured to be a part of the new movement, formerly known as the Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) Directors’ Forum.

The annual celebration of volunteers takes place during 1 - 7 June and is a time to recognise and celebrate those volunteering their time and skills to help their local communities.

This year’s theme is ‘Celebrate and Inspire’ – which aims to encourage organisations throughout the UK to highlight diversity in volunteering and demonstrate the many ways everyone can get involved with volunteering. Nugent wouldn’t be able to function without our dedicated and brilliant volunteers. Our volunteers are an indispensable and crucial part of the organisation, they provide extra support and help us continue to provide vital support to those who need it the most. Volunteers are not only essential to our organisation but also their communities; in Nugent, they help run the weekly food pantry to help alleviate food poverty and household hunger and provide a judgement-free safe space for everyone.

This includes people like Jane who has been attending the Nugent Pantry every week since it opened in 2021. Jane shared that she struggles with anxiety and her mobility but since coming to the pantry, she has enjoyed chatting with the volunteers. She said: “I love attending the pantry every week because it’s not far for me to travel as it’s in my local community and I can get everything I need. It’s my only chance to see people during the week.”

Our volunteers also help run our charity shops and help us raise vital funds so that we can continue our work across

Merseyside. They also help in our annual appeals whether it’s by helping pack Christmas hampers to distribute joy across our services or being the Easter Bunny and helping bring smiles to those we care for. The contributions of our volunteers are critical to the success of our work.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers for their amazing work and inspire new volunteers to join us! Here at Nugent, we have a wide variety of volunteering opportunities. We support people of all ages so there are opportunities to work with children, young people, adults and older people. Our work is diverse and so are our volunteering positions; from care homes to community-based services, there is something to suit everyone!

We believe that everyone has something valuable to offer, and we welcome individuals from all backgrounds and levels of experience to join us in making a positive difference. So, if you’re looking to make a difference and contribute to something meaningful, why not get in touch and start your volunteering journey with Nugent!

To find out more information about volunteering at Nugent please visit wearenugent. org/careers/volunteer or get in touch with our HR team at HR@wearenugent.org to start volunteering.

The event provided a unique opportunity for leaders across the network to collaborate and generate innovative solutions that can help us achieve our goals and explore how we can tackle poverty, promote justice, and restore dignity. It was inspiring to see so many leaders from across the network sharing their experiences and ideas. By working together, we can create a more unified, collaborative and productive environment to achieve great things and make a meaningful impact in the lives of those we serve.

In July, Nugent, Justice and Peace Commission and the Archdiocese of Liverpool, will be holding a Social Action Network partnership event to bring together policy makers, workers, and volunteers involved in social action, to interlink themes, make partnerships, and advocate for change. The three themes are:

• Asylum and Refugees

• Cost of living

• Environment

It is my passion to support and nurture colleagues and future leaders to realise their potential and be the best they can be; I am therefore proud to share that I have put myself forward to be a mentor for the CSAN Aspiring Leaders scheme.

The programme is designed to support and mentor those who aspire to a leadership role in a Catholic setting. The main aim of the programme is to develop an understanding of Gospelinspired servant leadership and what that looks like in the real world of organisational leadership.

As we work together to address the challenges facing our communities, let us continue to seek out new and innovative ways to make a positive impact. With our collective efforts, we can create a better world for all.

Dialogue and Unity Welcome to Bishop John Perumbalath

Ultan Russell, Archdiocesan Ecumenical Officer

Theology and served as a parish priest in India before moving to England.

Bishop John has chaired the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) and sits on a series of C of E committees at national level. He is married to Jessy, a Mathematics teacher, and they have one daughter, Anugraha, a doctor working in Brisbane, Australia.

In this address to the clergy of the diocese, Bishop John spoke with warmth and enthusiasm as he looked ahead to Pentecost:

Saturday 22 April saw Liverpool Cathedral packed for the installation of the new Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath.

Archbishop Malcolm McMahon and Canon Tony O’Brien attended on behalf of the Archdiocese, with Archbishop Malcolm reading the Gospel.

Our fellow partner Churches were well represented with Reverend Phil Jump, the Northwest Baptist Association regional minister, reading the Epistle, and Rev Dr Shery Anderson, chair of the Liverpool Methodist district, and Major David Taylor, Northwest and Isle of Man divisional commander of the Salvation Army, also in attendance.

Many were moved to see Father Taras Khomych, the Ukrainian-Catholic priest and lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, take part in the processions.

Representatives of the Anglican parishes, sector ministry, schools and the Mothers’ Union were also present along with invited

guests including the Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Merseyside.

The tradition of ecumenical collaboration here on Merseyside, established by Archbishop Derek Worlock and Bishop David Sheppard and continued so meaningfully by Archbishop Malcolm and Bishop Paul Bayes, is set to carry on with Bishop John. He is currently chair of the Churches’ Refugee Network (CRN) of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and is the C of E’s lead bishop on the key committees of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. His first major ecumenical engagement was to preach at the two cathedrals’ Whitsun celebrations.

Born in 1966, Bishop John had previously served as Bishop of Bradwell in the Diocese of Chelmsford from July 2018.

He comes from the ancient Christian community in Kerala, South India. He moved to North India for higher studies and was ordained in the Church of North India in 1994. He has a doctorate in

‘As we are approaching Pentecost, I pray that the same Spirit that moved the Apostles and the first Christians in Jerusalem will lead us to be resilient disciples in these anxious and uncertain times. The Spirit created unity, upsetting the existing superficial order and breaking down the barriers. The Spirit also empowered the disciples, transforming them from being fearful people staying behind closed doors to being confident public witnesses. Then they are sent out to wherever people and nations are, with no limits to God’s reach and love. May the Spirit of God unite us, empower us, and keep sending us out.’

Bishop John knocking on the door as Is the tradition to be admitted To the Cathedral

Archbishop Malcolm, Bishop John and the Bishop of Warrington Bishop Bev Mason