Catholic Pic April 2001

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Issue 199 April 2021

‘With the Church in prayer at home’

Easter joy INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Synod recommendations announced

200th anniversary at St Patrick’s

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contents Welcome

Issue 199 April 2021

Easter always brings hope and especially so this year. Last year our country, and most of the world, had just gone into lockdown, when Holy Week and Easter came we were not able to celebrate as usual; we were not even able to go to church. This year is different – yes, we still have restrictions, but we can go to church to remember the great events of Holy Week and celebrate the feast of Easter – the greatest of them all. Easter brings joy and hope – new life after the suffering and darkness of Good Friday, it is right that our country should cautiously return to some kind of normality, but we can now pray with joy and hope for the future as well as remembering in love those who have died and suffered during the pandemic.

This month we publish the recommendations for our Synod, again a sign of hope for the future as we pray ‘together on the road becoming the Church we are called to be’. We also join with parishioners from St Patrick’s in Liverpool as they celebrate the 200th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of their church – a proud history.

‘With the Church in prayer at home’

A happy and blessed Easter to all.

From the Archbishop’s Desk In Liverpool we use olive oil from Palestine for the holy oils which are blessed and the Chrism which is consecrated during the Chrism Mass in Holy Week. Olive oil has healing properties, and I am old enough to remember when it was only available for purchase in a chemist’s shop. We are reminded of this property when it is blessed as the Oil of the Sick, but it was also used by athletes to tone their muscles and that is why we use it as the Oil of Baptism so that new Christians may be strengthened to run the race the to end.

Chrism, as the name suggests is used in baptism and confirmation to make us more like Christ. These are the sacramental uses of olive oil but there is a more ancient understanding, particularly of the olive branch, which is as a symbol for peace.

By using olive oil from Palestine we are expressing solidarity with Palestinians that they may live in peace with their Israeli neighbours in the Holy Land. Often the olive trees are several hundred years old, and there is one near Bethlehem which is reputed to have been planted over two thousand years ago. Olives from that tree would have been harvested in the time of Jesus. The use of Palestinian olive oil helps us to reach across space to our brothers and sisters in Palestine and to stretch back through the centuries to the time when our Lord walked on this earth. But the gift of peace which is symbolised by the olive branch since the time of Noah still eludes us.

Editorial Catholic Pictorial Magazine Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool L17 1AA Tel: 0151 522 1007 Email: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk

Advertising Sales team 0151 709 7567 sales@cpmmmedia.com Copy deadlines May 2021 Thursday 8 April 2021

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Main Feature Synod recommendations announced

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News From around the Archdiocese

15 Nugent Continuing the Legacy 18 Profile Lady Anne Dodd ‘The Squire of Knotty Ash and his Lady’ 25 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 25 Cathedral Record Lockdown – an opportunity to learn more 26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC 27 Animate Youth Ministry Light of faith still shining in these challenging times

Most Rev Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool

Editor Peter Heneghan

Contents

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28 Pic Life Gethsemane and the plight of the insomniac 30 Dialogue and Unity Building Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Partnerships Liverpool and Köln

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Synod recommendations announced

‘The richness of the recommendations which have come out of this Synod process we are journeying on together is great to see.’

Archdiocesan Synod 2020 members have begun reflecting on the list of recommendations that they must vote on in June.

Synod Recommendations

The Archdiocese of Liverpool’s Synod 2020 process has moved another step forward with the release, on 14 March, of the list of recommendations for members to vote on.

The list comprises 19 recommendations covering a broad range of topics including evangelisation, spiritual formation, governance and synodality, property, and the place of the Church in today’s world. These recommendations, to be voted on by Synod members in June, are now available to view along with resources to aid discussion and discernment.

To help Synod members in their discernment ahead of June the recommendations come with a book that offers prayers, theological reflections and questions for both individual reflection and also discussion groups wishing to meet online.

‘How do we become the Church that God wants us to be’ is the question that Archbishop Malcolm McMahon invited the Archdiocese to focus on. The latest stage of formulating a response involved the collecting of written proposals from all over the Archdiocese, with Synod members then indicating which of these they were most drawn to. It was from this that the 19 recommendations were developed.

Around 500 Synod members will vote on these recommendations on 19 June and Archbishop Malcolm said: ‘The richness of the recommendations which have come out of this Synod process we are journeying on together is great to see. They demonstrate the commitment shown by Synod members, and indeed 4

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the whole Archdiocese, particularly in what has been a very challenging year. I am very grateful for everyone’s continued participation, discernment, and prayer.’

Through the whole process, Synod members have been running events, holding discernment meetings and engaging with people. It has been an exciting process of consultation and discernment and resulted in over 25,000 submissions in the earlier listening phase, and over 3,500 practical proposals put forward more recently. This process of listening that has taken place throughout the Archdiocese has helped us all to better understand where the Spirit is leading us.

Father Philip Inch, one of the Synod moderators, said: ‘The Synod journey has unfolded in circumstances that we could not have anticipated, but it has made us more sure than ever of the rightness of this process and of the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding the Church in the Archdiocese of Liverpool.’

Archbishop Malcolm inaugurated Synod 2020 in February 2019, and while its role is advisory, the Archbishop has convened a pastoral planning group to aid him in developing a pastoral plan that responds to the results of the Synod which will be published in the Autumn. ‘The 19 recommendations, which will be voted on, will give the Archbishop a clear steer as he presents his pastoral plan to the Archdiocese’, Father Philip adds. ‘So many voices have contributed and still continue to contribute. We are confident that “together on the road” we will “become the Church God is calling us to be”.’

1) Evangelisation We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan heed the call of the Church to be courageous in guiding all Catholics to deepen their relationship with Jesus, and to engage in our mission to help make Jesus known and loved in our world.

2) Lay Ministry We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan must include honouring the many vocations of all the baptised, women and men alike. This will also include a strong commitment to lay ministry including training employed ministers, supporting volunteer ministers, and coordinating their work alongside the clergy.

3) Ministry We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a strong commitment to ordained ministry, including a programme of support and formation for priests, deacons, and seminarians, and coordination of their work alongside lay ministers.

4) A More Inclusive Church A. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include action on the part of both parish and archdiocese to announce the welcome we offer to everyone.

B. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include dialogue with those who feel excluded, in order to develop initiatives so that the whole Church can reflect on what it means to be more inclusive.

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5) Ecumenism We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a commitment for parishes and schools to develop education about ecumenism which would lead to concrete actions with ecumenical partners.

6) Young People and Young Adults We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a plan to assist parishes in understanding, meeting, forming and welcoming young people and young adults, and developing locally employed and volunteer youth ministers to work with young people and young adults.

7) Faith Formation and Adult Education We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include resources dedicated to adult faith formation offered both in-person and online, at archdiocesan and deanery levels.

8) Catholic Schools A. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a comprehensive review of how we hand on and nurture the Catholic faith within the school context.

B. We, the people of the Archdiocese,

recommend that the pastoral plan include the promotion, support, and strengthening of chaplaincy in all our secondary schools, colleges, and further education institutions.

to deepen faith, and where the parish would play its part in accompanying all who seek ‘life to the full’ within the Catholic Church.

C. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include the creation of two or three models of home/school/parish partnership at both the primary and secondary school levels, which can be developed and shared among all the parishes and schools.

C. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan warmly encourage all Catholics to grow in confidence in the grace of their baptism, taking the initiative to meet with others (using pandemic learning experiences) to share scripture, faith, and prayer.

9) Children and Young People’s Faith Formation We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a programme of formation through which parents (assisted by parish catechists and Catholic schools) can become the primary educators of their children.

11) Sunday Liturgy and the Other Sacraments A. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan acknowledge the primary place of the Sunday Liturgy in the life and mission of the Church.

10) Spiritual Formation A. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a provision to help parishes develop spiritual formation opportunities at the local and deanery level.

B. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan propose liturgical formation for both laity and clergy so that the Sunday Liturgy is worthy and central in all we do in both the manner of its celebration and in the mission it engenders.

B. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan encourage the process of developing ‘accompaniment parishes’ in which family members would accompany one another

C. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan provide a way for us to review how we are celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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12) Catholic Social Teaching and Creation Care A. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include fostering a renewed understanding of Catholic Social Teaching across the whole Archdiocese.

B. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include the establishment of a ‘creation care team’ that will assist parishes, deaneries, and schools in taking concrete steps to care for the environment.

‘We are confident that “together on the road” we will “become the Church God is calling us to be”.’

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13) Love of Neighbour We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include training for parish volunteers who can accompany those most in need; giving special attention to those who are housebound, sick, or immigrants, and to those who are members of cultural and ethnic minorities.

14) Community Building We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include support for small group or family-based gatherings for social activity, study, and shared prayer.

15) Communications and Media We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a commitment to resourcing the promotion, training, and equipping of parish leaders in communication for evangelisation, mission, and community building. This should include model programmes of communication, proper use and recording of data, technology advice, and outreach plans that parishes can adopt.

16) Governance and Synodality A. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include a strengthening of collaborative and synodal leadership at local and Diocesan level with a sustained commitment to accountability, transparency, and inclusivity.

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feature B. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan as part of our growing commitment to synodality, develop a process that ensures women are equal, valued, visible and heard.

17) Property A. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan include establishing a working group of clergy and lay people, along with ecumenical and community partners, to study our current portfolio of properties asking how they can best support our mission.

B. We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan develop strategies to accompany communities as they discern the future use of parish properties.

18) Parishes and Deaneries We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan be bold and creative in renewing parish and deanery structures. We want our structures to be at the service of our mission, and we are aware that we must adapt parish structures to meet

the needs of our age and plan to share resources across parish boundaries.

19) The Church in the Modern World We, the people of the Archdiocese, recommend that the pastoral plan invite and support all the people of the Church to take a leading role to creatively shape the ‘new normal’ in our society and culture that will emerge after the current pandemic.

The book offering prayers, theological reflections and questions to aid either individual reflection or local discussion groups that can be held online is available from: The Synod Office, St Mark’s Presbytery, Penmann Crescent, Halewood, Liverpool, L26 0UG. The cost is £3 for one book or £15 for five books or £28 for 10 (inclusive of postage costs). Please make cheques payable to ‘The Archdiocese of Liverpool’. Copies will also be available from Pauline Books and Media when they re-open in Liverpool.

The full list of recommendations and resources can be found online at: http://synod2020.co.uk.

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News diary If you’ve got any news from your parish that you’d like featured e-mail us with the details at: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk

Wigan celebrates St Patrick St Patrick’s Church in Wigan recently celebrated its patronal feast on 17 March. In the days leading up to the Solemnity, parishioners created and prayed a Novena to their patron both at home, in the church and on the church Facebook page.

In previous years, St Patrick’s Primary School has held a procession with parishioners into church. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, this wasn’t possible this year so Father Ian O’Shea, Parish Priest, delivered a remote collective worship for the children which was watched and enjoyed in classes.

Throughout the day, the children learned about their patron saint and celebrated with cake and treats. In church, Father O’Shea offered an evening Mass for the St

Patrick’s community, which saw the church at its full current capacity. Parishioners and visitors commented on the beautiful music that was played during the Mass, particularly ‘Mná na hÉireann’ at the Offertory.

St Patrick’s statue was placed in the sanctuary and creatively adorned with flowers by the church’s wonderfully talented team of florists. Also on display was a large banner of St Patrick which, in years gone by, had been carried in Whit Walk processions through the streets of Wigan. Before the distribution of holy communion, Father gave a blessing from the altar which captured the spirit and mission of the Saint. For the Feast, special prayer cards were designed and printed and at the end of the Mass were

Fr Ian O’Shea with St Patrick’s statue distributed with an image – painted by American artist, Cecilia Lawrence – of a young St Patrick.

In recent years, St Patrick’s Church has enjoyed a notable transformation and, as parishioners left the church to their patronal hymn of ‘Hail, Glorious St Patrick’, its lyrics never seemed more appropriate: ‘Its warmth undiminished; undying its light’. It is hoped that in 2022 the full programme of celebrations can go ahead.

To see the pictures of the celebrations and to watch Father O’Shea’s collective worship, visit St Patrick’s Facebook page.

Search for: ‘St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Wigan’.

Obituary of Mother Francesca of the Annunciation Mother Maria Francesca of the Annunciation PCC, who formerly headed the Ty Mam Duw Poor Clare Colettines in Hawarden, North Wales, died of Covid on 13 March.

Hildegard Magdalen Hohmann was born in Limburg, Germany on 17 August 1935.

Her childhood was outlined by a totalitarian government and a world war.

As a small child it was her job to run to the air-raid shelter to secure a place. One of her earliest conscious memories was of men and women in the fire-bombing, burning to death in the streets like human torches.

Mother Francesca’s home was the church, where she waited each day for her grandfather to collect her. She went a year early to senior school as one of only seventeen girls in a boy’s school. The Catholic Youth movement rescued her from the temptation to leave God behind; she was convinced that she had to

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contribute to a new world.

Since her parents would not give consent for her to become a religious sister, she studied German Literature at Frankfurt University and worked at a Jewish Restitution Centre, entering the Palottine sisters immediately after her twenty-first birthday. The Palottines sent her to Britain to complete her studies, this time in Classics, at Hull University.

Encountering the Poor Clare Colettines in

Notting Hill, she joined their family and was made Novice Mistress immediately after her Solemn Profession. In 1982 she was invited to re-found the Poor Clares in Hawarden North Wales, inheriting, five acres of weeds and a dilapidated building.

She was a pioneer in creative living, giving a second Franciscan spring to those who had followed her and those who joined her later.

Involved in media work, academic translations and new music, alongside the daily life of a cloistered community, she led a retreat centre to which thousands of people came for over thirty years, many of them from Liverpool. In 2018, frailer in health and retired from office she moved to an inner-city monastery in Nottingham situated in a parish community.

Mother Francesca caught the Covid virus whilst in Queen’s Hospital, Nottingham and died peacefully while her Sisters said the Angelus.

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news diary

Restored artwork unveiled at St Oswald’s

By Paul Hurst An important piece of British art from 1935 has been restored to its original state, ensuring its preservation for decades to come.

‘The life of St Joseph’ is kept at St Oswald’s church in Ashton in Makerfield and it was originally mounted and painted onto a wooden altar-piece by William Simmonds. His artwork includes wood carvings and puppets alongside sculptures popular in the ‘arts and crafts’ style. This work is more unusual in that it has elements of both three-dimensional carving and flat painting and as such, its preservation carries importance beyond

its religious significance.

The restoration was carried out by Italian art specialist, Silvano Cioci-Faux and the intricate conservation work took around two weeks. Silvano said, ‘This work is very demanding because even before I can restore any agerelated damage, I have to clean the entire artwork, only then can I begin to fix and preserve parts as needed.

Because I am working so closely to the surface, I can see details such as individual brush strokes, I can even see if it’s painted from the left or right hand.

I do feel as though I get closer to the artists themselves, and of course in this case, also to God’.

Parish Priest, Father John Gorman said,

‘2021 has been declared as the year of St Joseph by Pope Francis and we wanted to mark this occasion by preserving this magnificent artwork for years to come.

St Joseph is sometimes overlooked in the narrative of Jesus but his example of nurture and protection of both Jesus and Mary can help inspire us today to treasure things of faith in our hearts too, especially in these difficult times.

The work Silvano has done means that not just our parishioners but also any visitors to our church can come and enjoy this magnificent work of art but also seek the intersession of St Joseph himself’, The church is open for visitors and also private prayer from 10.00 am until 12.00 noon on most weekdays and Mass from St Josephs Chapel including the altarpiece was uploaded to the Church’s Youtube Channel (rcchurchesashton) on Friday 19 March to mark the feast day of St Joseph.

Obituary of Deacon Gerald Marsh Deacon Gerald Marsh who served in Our Lady, Help of Christians parish, Portico, died on Tuesday 2 February.

John Gerald Marsh was born on 15 October 1926, the Feast of Saint Teresa of Avila, which was a source of great pride to him. Always known as Gerald, he was educated at Lowe House and West Park Grammar School, St Helens.

His teacher training from 1944 to 1946 took place at Saint Mary‘s, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham. One of his many interests was Rugby Union and he represented his Grammar School, College and the Royal Medical Corps during his national service.

Family life was important to Gerald. He and his wife Patricia had one son, John, to whom he was devoted. Gerald was ordained Deacon in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King on 30 June 1991 and he served faithfully and happily in the parish of our Lady Help of Christians, Portico, continuing to assist in the parish after his retirement as Deacon. After a long and fruitful life he died aged 94 years on 2 February 2021, the Feast of the Presentation.

Archbishop Malcolm celebrated the Funeral Mass for Gerald on Thursday 5 March at Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Portico, in line with Covid restrictions. The Mass was followed by interment at St Helens Cemetery.

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news diary ASFA brings its school community together through collective worship Since the second lockdown, the Academy of St Francis Assisi’s Chaplaincy team have found creative ways to adapt form time reflections for students watching online at home.

Weekly reflections took the form of ten-minute creative homemade films with ASFA’s Chaplain, Phil Johnson, covering themes including kindness, forgiveness, perseverance and hope.

Year group engagement and buy into in the regular reflections was extremely high and again reinforces the positive outlook of students at ASFA. Students articulated that the sessions contributed to better mental health and a real sense of connection during time away from school.

Upon their returned to school, students have taken an active role in leading during our time of Lent including actively engaging in acts of kindness, to their peers.

Chaplain Phil Johnson said: “Reflective songs are being performed again by our students, this is a huge part of our cultural identity at ASFA and it deepens our students understanding of Christian themes within collective worship.

“I would like to thank everyone who has watched the videos and also taken part. It really helps us come together during this difficult time.”

Pieces of eight

By Neil Sayer Archdiocesan Archivist Concerns have been expressed in several newspapers as to the fate of a mosaic in a church in the Diocese of Salford, so it seems a good moment to take another look at a local piece by the same artist that was likewise under threat over 30 years ago. The mosaic ‘Pentecost’ is now in the Unity Chapel at our Cathedral, but it was originally installed at the church of the Holy Ghost in Ford. It was quite a feat to dismantle it and re-erect it in the Cathedral.

The artist was George Mayer-Marton, born in Hungary in 1897. He worked in Vienna between the wars but was compelled to flee with just a pound in his pocket when Hitler’s troops marched into Austria, a ‘degenerate artist’ according to Nazi definitions. Britain welcomed him as a refugee, and though some of his family perished during the Holocaust, he became a naturalised British citizen in 1947. He became well-known and respected for landscapes in watercolour and more abstract paintings in oil. In 1952 he was appointed as a lecturer at Liverpool College of Art, where he established a School of Mosaic Art to pass on techniques he himself had learned in Italy some years before. From about 1955 he carried out a series of 10

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mural commissions in Lancashire and Cheshire, mainly for churches and schools. Though an impressive enough legacy of work, he would certainly have achieved much more but for his early death from leukaemia in 1960.

When Holy Ghost Church was built in the mid-1950s, Mayer-Marton was engaged to create a large mosaic for the wall behind the High Altar. The church, however, proved too large for its congregation and too expensive to maintain, and only some 30 years later the decision was taken to demolish it and build anew. The mosaic was seen as an important artwork, but given that it was composed of thousands of specifically placed tesserae, how could it be removed, and where should it go?

The Liverpool artist Robin Riley, who had trained with Mayer-Marton, came up with a technically complex solution for its removal. In November 1988 he created a sectional mould and frame to hold the pieces of the mosaic in their exact position. It was then possible for Robin and his son Simon to remove it from the wall, take it to the artist’s studio for conservation, and fabricate a new backing for it. Unfortunately, the new (and renamed) church of the Holy Spirit was too small to display such an imposing artwork. According to the wishes of George Mayer-Marton’s trustees and family, the mosaic was then re-erected in

the Cathedral, where the modernist style seemed to offer a sympathetic home. A ceremony of dedication was performed

by Archbishop Worlock on 13 May 1989.

Archaeological excavations of Roman mosaics have since used similar techniques, but they seem to take rather longer than the seven months ours did.

We must hope the church of the Holy Rosary in Oldham will find a similarly imaginative way to preserve the important Mayer-Marton Crucifixion mosaic, which has been at risk since the church closed in 2017.

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news diary Obituary of Rev Peter Fox Father Peter Fox former parish priest of Our Lady of Walsingham, Netherton; St John Fisher, Widnes and St Luke the Evangelist, Whiston died on 24 February aged 76 and in the 52nd year of his priesthood.

Peter Michael Fox was born at Park House Nursing Home, Waterloo, Liverpool, on 23 May 1944, the eldest of three children born to John and Rita Fox (née Deasy) and baptised at St Edmund’s, Waterloo, on 3 June 1944. When he was seven, his mother died and his father later remarried, so that in time he also had a stepbrother and sister. He received his early education at St Edmund’s Primary School, Waterloo, The Mount, Blundellsands, and St Mary’s College, Crosby. Aged 12, he entered the seminary at Ushaw to begin

his training for the priesthood. He was ordained priest at St Joseph’s, Blundellsands, on 8 March 1969.

Following ordination he served in a number of parishes across the archdiocese as assistant priest and in a number of different capacities: at St Aloysius, Roby from September 1969; St Joseph, Chorley from May 1976; Christ the King, Liverpool from November 1980; St Mary’s, Highfield Street, Liverpool from September 1981, during which time he served briefly as chaplain to Liverpool Polytechnic; the Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool from September 1983, where he was the leader of the team of chaplains at the Royal Liverpool Hospital.

In April 1986 he received his first

appointment as parish priest, when he was appointed at Our Lady of Walsingham, Netherton. He moved in September 1991 to St John Fisher, Widnes, where he would remain for the next twenty years. Between 2000 and 2007 he also had the additional responsibility of St Marie’s, Widnes. His final appointment began in September 2011, when he was appointed parish priest at St Luke’s, Whiston.

Father Peter was a man devoted to his priestly ministry and to prayer, serving faithfully those to whom he was sent to minister: in parishes, especially among the sick; in the hospitals where he served as chaplain, latterly at Whiston and previously at the Royal; in the schools of his parishes; and as chaplain to the Guild of Catholic Doctors and to Council No. 18 of the Knights of St Columba. He accompanied many pilgrimages to Lourdes with Hosanna House, to Walsingham and to the Holy Land.

He had many interests with which to fill his moments of leisure. He was an avid supporter of Everton Football Club, a life member at Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club, he loved music and playing the guitar, and he enjoyed the challenge of the cryptic crossword in ‘The Times’ each day. Above all, he enjoyed the company of his brother priests, especially on his golfing days and at the many Sunday lunches he enjoyed at St Anne’s, Ormskirk.

Whilst he was a student at Ushaw, Peter was diagnosed with a severe form of type 1 diabetes, something which he had to live with for the rest of his life. To better manage his health condition, Peter was assisted in his work from 1989 by Sister Eileen Moore of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Clare. She remained in this role until his death.

Father Peter had been preparing for his impending retirement in May after more than fifty years of active priestly ministry.

Sadly, on the very day of his sudden death, Wednesday 24 February, he had been due to visit his retirement flat in Maghull.

Father Peter on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee in 2019

His Funeral Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Malcolm on Monday 15 March at St Luke the Evangelist Church, Whiston, prior to burial in the cemetery at St Peter and St Paul, Crosby.

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news diary

Barclays boost for hospice as lottery appeal is launched St Joseph’s Hospice in Thornton has secured a £100,000 grant from Barclays as part of the bank’s Covid-19 Community Aid package.

For the hospice, the grant provides a welcome financial boost at a time when its income streams have been hurt by the impact of the pandemic. According to chief executive Mike Parr, there has been ‘a huge cut in the £3million we have to raise each year to keep the hospice running’ – hence his deep gratitude for the funds received. ‘We’re incredibly grateful to Barclays for this very generous donation which has made an enormous difference to our patients and their families,’ he said.

Barclays launched its £100m Community Aid Package last year to support charities that are helping people and communities affected by Covid-19. At St Joseph’s, the grant has helped fund end-of-life nursing care for patients and compassionate care and support for their families. ‘We’re continuing to ensure that our patients with complex palliative care needs can access the care they require and deserve,’ explained Parr.

The funding, which has also been used to support staff well-being, is timely owing to the impact that Covid-19 has had on both the hospice’s regular fundraising activities and the income generated by its 11 charity shops which have been closed for large parts of the past year.

Julie Rimmer, site president at Barclays Liverpool Contact Centre, said: ‘By reaching those most in need of support, local charities such as St Joseph’s Hospice have played a vital role in this crisis to date, and no doubt they will do going forward.’

Meanwhile, St Joseph’s is seeking to expand an existing revenue stream by appealing to the local community to sign up for its weekly lottery. To mark the lottery’s 20th anniversary, hospice staff have set a target of recruiting 4,000 new members to take the total number of people who play to 10,000.

The lottery has a £1,000 weekly jackpot, as well as other cash prizes and Maxine Armstrong, head of fundraising, said: ‘Our

lottery is such an important part of our fundraising strategy. It only costs £1 per week to play but it’s so valuable because it provides us with a regular income which enables us to plan and budget for the future as well as provide hospice care for our community right now.

‘During our very special 20th anniversary year, we’ve set ourselves the target of increasing the membership of our lottery to 10,000 people so, if you’d like to support a valuable local charity, please consider joining our lottery.’

• To join the St. Joseph’s Hospice Lottery, download a membership form from www.jospice.org.uk. Alternatively, call 0151 932 6025 or email lotteryoffice@jospice.org.uk.

Liverpool Seafarers Centre calls for more funding A rise in reported suicides among seafarers has led Liverpool Seafarers Centre (LSC) to call for greater investment in shoreside support.

The ecumenical charity, which has centres in Crosby and Eastham, has reiterated calls for the United Kingdom to follow New Zealand’s lead by pursuing legislation to use government cash to fund seafarers centres in its ports.

It chief executive, John Wilson, was responding to ‘worrying reports’ of an increase in crew members taking their own lives during 2020 as he declared it ‘more vital than ever that we invest in shoreside support for these essential workers’. The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) says the number of reported suicides, and instances of seafarers calling with suicidal thoughts, has ‘roughly doubled’ from about 12 in a normal year to 25 since March 2020.

Underlining the difficulties many seafarers have faced amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Wilson added: ‘Cut off from their families for prolonged periods of time, living in cramped conditions, many have told us of their struggles with poor mental health, highlighting a need for greater support.

‘In New Zealand, prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced in 2020 she was pursuing legislation to use government cash to fund 12

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seafarers’ centres in the country’s ports, revealing the importance she placed on those transporting essential supplies. We support this move and believe the UK should make following this example a priority.’

In New Zealand the country’s charity-operated port facilities were often lacking the essential welfare facilities that LSC, for instance, is able to provide. Wilson explained: ‘Our centres provide a home from home for seafarers docked in the city, giving them a place to rest and socialise on land, offering access to wi-fi and internetenabled SIM cards for contacting home, and providing transport during non-Covid times to allow seafarers to enjoy their shore leave.

‘We visit vessels to integrate with the crew, offering a listening ear to help combat isolation and loneliness and act as a mediator between seafarers and their employers, should this be required. Yet not every port has these services.’

LSC receives funding from shipping lines via a voluntary levy paid by those operating in the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Ship Canal. Wilson said that if such a levy were made mandatory, it could result in a vast improvement in the support infrastructure – and perhaps ‘be the difference between life or death for some of this valuable workforce. One suicide is one too many, which we must avoid at all costs.’

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FEAST OF DIVINE MERCY

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Sunday 11th April 2021 “The soul that will go to Confession (within the octave of the feast) and receive Holy Communion on the Feast day, shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment”

St Faustina confirms Our Lord’s command to her ‘If I cannot show mercy, by deeds or words, I can always do so, by prayer.

My prayer reaches out even there, where I cannot reach out physically.’

Archdiocese venues celebrating the Feast of Divine Mercy - start time Holy Family Cronton 1.30pm Exposition, Rosary, Confession, Devotions, Mass 4 pm (Peter who previously ran the Divine Mercy shop in London Road) St John’s Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool See church bulletin as they hope to run a service (restrictions permitting) St Clares, Arundel Avenue, Liverpool 3.00pm Devotions, Exposition, Confessions Our Lady of Assumption Hedgefield Road, Gateacre, Liverpool 2pm Blessing of Image, Rosary, Reading from ‘Diary’, Chaplet. Veneration of Image. Finish 3pm St Mary’s Broadfield Drive, Leyland 2.45pm Chaplet, Talk, Confessions, followed by Mass 4.00pm St Mary’s Chorley PR7 2SR 3.00pm Chaplet, Talk, Confessions St Mary’s, Standishgate, Wigan 3.00pm Devotions, Confessions Mass at St John’s Church 4.30pm Our Lady Star of the Sea, Ramsey, Isle of Man 2.30pm Confessions, Devotions For people who either cannot go to a Divine Mercy service or would like to know more about the devotion, watch the American EWTN Catholic TV Channel programs on Divine Mercy Sunday.

On computer For program listing: www.ewtn.com/tv/schedule/europe For Live streaming: www.ewtn.com/tv/extra-watchlive/europe For TV watching: Sky TV (subscription) and Sky Freesat (non-subscription) With an Amazon Fire TV device With a RoKu device. Google Chromecast or Apple TV device

FOR FULL INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET EWTN www.ewtn.co.uk/get-ewtn

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sunday reflections On a liturgical note May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.

The entrance of the newly lit Easter Candle into a darkened church is symbolic of the darkness of our society and our world which needs a light to guide it, to illumine and show the way. How can we understand ‘the light of Christ’? We might say that it is the teaching and wisdom of the Gospel, the ability of Jesus to ‘enlighten the eyes of the blind’ but surely it is first and foremost the encounter with the risen Jesus which transforms my life – and not only transforms, but challenges. It challenges me to a daily remembrance that the light which burns brightly on the lampstand of my life is not for me alone; it is meant to be for the good and for the benefit of others.

During the Easter Season we will read almost exclusively from the Acts of the Apostles – a book which almost merits the subtitle ‘what happened next’. It is the story of

Sunday thoughts People ask how it feels to be celebrating Mass in an empty church. It’s given me a fresh appreciation of what is meant by the ‘Communion of Saints’.

There’s a man in Brazil suffering from cancer who joins our Mass via livestream. He and his family consider me to be their parish priest. Glen from Sydney, Australia, emailed. I was back in the presbytery having cleared up after Mass. He told me I’d forgotten to blow out the candles. I’ve never met either of them.

Distances shrink during lockdown and separation from family, friends and parishioners also levels out the distinction between the living and the dead. The Eucharistic prayers remind us that we pray each Mass in company with the Church throughout the world; with those who have gone before us as well as the heavenly hosts of angels and saints. We gather around the same altar. We sit together at the heavenly table of the

Canon Philip Gillespie

those who took that first message, ‘He is Risen’, and let it so direct and enliven their lives that they have become for us all the foundation on which we build. It is a story of the faithfulness of women and men strengthened by the Holy Spirit, the coming to faith of households and individuals but above all the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Himself who promised, ‘I am with you always, indeed to the end of the days’ (Matthew 28:20).

The return of the white vestments, the flowers and the Alleluias are external manifestations of the deep joy of the Easter message – but, of course, they will remain only on the level of the external unless they reflect the deep internal joy of the Gospel. So let us nurture and deepen our meetings with the Risen Christ though prayer and the sacraments so that we can all the better be the light-bearer to the communities in which we live.

Mgr John Devine OBE

Eucharist. We recite with them the ‘Glory to God’ and the ‘Holy, Holy’. We join with them in the ‘Our Father’.

Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue describes the Communion of Saints as a ‘circle of eternity’. He writes: ‘I believe that our friends among the dead really mind us and look out for us … They are now in a place where there is no more shadow, darkness, loneliness, isolation, or pain. They are home.

They are with God from whom they came … In the eternal world, all is one. In spiritual space there is no distance. In eternal time there is no segmentation into today, yesterday, or tomorrow … I believe that this is what eternal life means: it is a life where all that we seek – goodness, unity, beauty — are no longer distant from us but are now completely present with us.’

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

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This is Holy Week Whenever I hear the Easter story it always strikes me that it’s not just a 2,000-year-old story. It’s a story expressed in the ordinary lives of people. Whenever we share with one another and give ourselves to another we celebrate Holy Thursday. Every death we experience in our lives is a Good Friday experience. Every resurrection within us and among us is Easter Day. Every year the Church invites us to reflect on the story of the washing of the feet on the evening of Holy Thursday. John, in chapter 13 of the Gospel, gives us the significance of Eucharist, that we are to become what we receive. We are to become Jesus for the world.

Eucharist was never meant to be an individual soul-saving technique, collecting graces so that we can get to heaven. It was always meant to draw us deeply into relationship with Jesus and with others. Every time we break bread, we identify with everyone who is broken. Every time we drink from the cup, we identify with those who share themselves with another.

This day is followed by Good Friday, a day when we celebrate every moment that we have died within, every moment of rejection, pain, isolation and disappointment, and every hope and dream that has been crushed. We see it all in the broken, bruised body of the lamb hanging on the cross. That is how great the love of Jesus is, so great that he absorbed into Himself every moment of death that has ever existed or will ever exist and loved it into wholeness. This isn’t some sort of appeasement to an angry God but a complete giving of Godself. God is not angry. God is love.

That love raised Jesus from death and made him the icon for all humanity. The resurrection story is the eternal sign of hope. It reminds us that love is victorious. Jesus, the power of love made flesh, has burst through any darkness to unleash God’s love on the world. In John’s Gospel the story begins with the empty tomb to which Peter and John run. John arrives first to show us it's love that will understand the resurrection. He doesn’t need to go in, he knows.

The empty tomb is not proof of resurrection.

The only proof of resurrection is the personal experience of the risen Jesus. The insight of love is what reveals the resurrection. On Easter Day, we celebrate the victory of love and we pray that our hearts be open to that power.

Then it will flow through us into the lives of others so that they too might know that love is victorious. All of this is why this week is holy because it transforms the mundane, even death into life and gives every moment of our lives meaning.

Father Chris Thomas

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Continuing the legacy After such an interesting and challenging time, we embark on a milestone; our 140th year supporting people who are the most vulnerable in our communities.

How it all began In 1881 our founder, Father James Nugent set up the Liverpool Catholic Children’s Protection Society, a charitable organisation that campaigned for child welfare, relief from poverty and social reform. Father, later Monsignor Nugent, was a Roman Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. He was a passionate social reformer, appalled by the state of the homeless living in the squalor of Victorian England; he dedicated his life to the education and rescue of destitute children and adults.

In 1854, Father Nugent arranged a meeting of leading citizens and churchmen in Liverpool Town Hall. His rallying cry was, ‘Save the boy.’ His concern was the plight of the thousands of homeless children who survived in squalor only by begging or stealing.

Father Nugent’s importance to the generations of Liverpool people who followed him is immense. He saw the deprivation suffered by the people of the city and did something to help by highlighting the issues facing them and encouraging those with power, money and influence to help.

We continue his work to this day, offering support and care for children, young people, families and adults who are vulnerable and at risk in our community.

• Nugent continues to serve as the social welfare arm of the Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.

• Nugent remains a charity. We invest all that we have (and are) into serving our beneficiaries.

• Nugent’s residential services provide secure, caring and supported living environments for children, young people, people with disabilities and the elderly.

• Nugent’s specialist school provides adaptable education and care for children and young people with complex needs.

• Nugent’s Schools Social Work Service provides help with issues that prevent children/young people from reaching their physical, emotional and educational potential.

• Nugent Adoption supports and develops forever families.

• Nugent’s community services have been, for many years, at the forefront of personalised, outcome-focused support for individuals in need, community groups and those living with disabilities.

• Nugent works tirelessly to support and empower those in need to pursue brighter futures via a variety of initiatives including

our ‘New Beginnings’ programme which provides help and support to individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

• Nugent works at a grassroots level to deliver a wide variety of poverty alleviating activities across the region. We strive to generate interest, awareness and understanding of issues around poverty and social welfare and the impact of this on our wider communities.

• Nugent is part of the Community Sponsorship of Refugees programme, with over 100 volunteers from our parishes supporting families to resettle in the area.

Normandie Wragg, Nugent CEO, says, ‘It is with great humility that I look back at our founder’s incredible work. We have reached this remarkable milestone because of Father Nugent’s great vision - as well as the dedicated leadership of some extraordinary men and women through the past 14 decades. I feel excited and extremely privileged to be building on Nugent’s legacy of service and success towards an even more powerful and impactful future.

As we look at our history, I am mindful that life is still difficult for many in our region with more than two in three children living in poverty in parts of Merseyside. In Toxteth 69% of children are living in poverty and 37% of Liverpool City Region’s neighbourhoods fall in the top 10% of the most employment-deprived areas nationally.

Father Nugent inspires us all to work with the utmost respect and compassion for the people we support and to strive to lead our sector as dedicated and highly knowledgeable experts in the delivery of profound and life changing care, support and education to those in need of help and guidance.’

The coronavirus pandemic has proved the most significant challenge that Nugent has faced since its founding by Father Nugent in 1881. We are extremely proud of the dedication and compassion that Nugent staff and volunteers have shown during these unprecedented times.

As we move through and beyond the pandemic, we are confident that we have the team and infrastructure in place to continue to support our beneficiaries and adapt to meet the changing needs of children, young people and adults who are vulnerable and at-risk.

In the years ahead, it will be vitally important that we redouble our fundraising efforts and think creatively about how we generate vital resources. We hope and trust that Nugent will prove able to continue to draw upon the goodwill and kindness of our community.

You can find out more information about our work, and how to support us, by visiting wearenugent.org

Normandie Wragg Chief Executive Nugent

A moment to reflect As I write, my mind draws back to the National Day of Reflection on Tuesday 23 March 2021, which marked the anniversary of the first national lockdown.

It is hard to believe it has been over a year since Covid-19 upended our lives; it separated us, almost completely, from the people, places and routines that ground us and articulate our lives – work, school, worship, social events, celebrations, holidays and all the things we plan for and look forward to. Virtually no one has been left untouched after 12 months of such dramatic disruption.

The National Day of Reflection provided us all with a fitting moment to pause and take a breath, to remember those we have lost, to support those who have been bereaved and to pray for each other. I believe we should also use this moment to remind ourselves that we can find immense strength in each other.

I invite you to continue to pray or send thoughts of support for Nugent’s beneficiaries, staff and volunteers, to keep them in your thoughts during this time.

Here at Nugent, staff and volunteers continue to demonstrate considerable strength and fortitude in their work. I am extremely proud of the dedication and empathy that Nugent staff and volunteers have demonstrated during these unprecedented times. As we move through and beyond the pandemic, I am confident that we have the team and infrastructure in place to continue to support our beneficiaries and adapt to meet the changing needs of children, young people and adults who are vulnerable and at-risk.

In recent days, I have communicated to my colleagues about building resilience against the challenges we face. I have underlined that building resilience requires intentional compassion and care for both self and community. This contemplation is relevant to us all.

As one community, we must continue to display kindness and empathy towards each other. A compassionate approach is vital should we wish to remain connected, mentally healthy and productive.

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Pope Francis – Worldwide Prayer Network The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network promotes the monthly prayer intentions of Pope Francis. People from around the world suggest papal prayer intentions in each country to their national office, which selects some of them and sends them to the international office of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network at the Vatican. After the Pope’s prayer and discernment, the official set of monthly prayer intentions, are then translated into the major world languages and published in print and digital formats.

Universal intention - Fundamental rights We pray for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorships, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis.

by Father David Stewart SJ Fundamental Human Rights April, this year, is Resurrection Month.

Everywhere, all the brothers and sisters of the human family, whether explicitly or not, are longing for new life, desperate for the deadly pandemic to end, for the fullness of life to free us from the terror of illness and death that has hung over us for over a year. We’ve seen so much selfless fraternity but we’ve also seen discord, violence and the spread of a harsh politics of hostility, even hate. It’s timely, then, that Pope Francis asks us, this month, to pray with him ‘for those who risk their lives while fighting for fundamental rights under dictatorship, authoritarian regimes and even in democracies in crisis’.

Human Person Human Dignity Praying with the Pope this month is associating ourselves with his frequent assertion that human rights cannot be ignored, because of the basic dignity of each human person. This month is not the first time he has raised this. When, in 2018, the world marked the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Francis recognised that, with this landmark document, ‘the family of nations wanted to recognise the equal dignity of every human person’. Human rights, which he described as ‘universal, indivisible, interdependent and interconnected’, derive from the nature of the human person, an ‘inseparable unity of body and soul’. We need to be particularly vigilant about the poor and dispossessed because, when they are denied these rights, they ‘see their dignity ignored, despised or trampled on and their most basic rights ignored or violated.’

That dignity is, of course, God-given.

Pope Francis in Iraq Recently, Pope Francis has given us another example of combatting the virus of authoritarianism that has become a 16

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pandemic, even in democracies. His risky visit to Iraq included a historic meeting with the most revered Islamic Shi’ite cleric, the 94-year-old Ali al-Sistani. Their significant encounter came just when xenophobic nationalism, ugly populism and dangerous fissures in even democratic political systems are eroding fundamental rights worldwide. The Pope had spent time and prayed in ruined Christian places of worship, in solidarity with all those who had suffered – and been killed – by the forces of intolerance and hate. Both religious leaders thus promoted the rights of all oppressed religious and ethnic groups. But hardliners within their own religions, and populist, authoritarian politicians, have opposed their peacebuilding efforts.

St Oscar and Father Rutilio Many of those who risk their lives under authoritarian dictatorships, for the sake of fundamental rights, are killed. They know the risks yet do not keep quiet. In our epoch, Oscar Romero is a notable example. We celebrated his feast-day as a Saint of the Church just last month, on the 24th, that being the date of his assassination, while celebrating Mass, in March 1980. We recalled how this rather shy and bookish archbishop of San Salvador had been seen by the ruling elite as no threat to their oppressive dominance. These few rich families had the government and army in their pocket and were sure they had the prelate there too. There was no risk that he would ally with those priests who stood up for the trampled rights of the poor. Many brave clergy and religious did speak out; contemporary eyewitnesses reported graffiti slogans appearing on city buildings,

declaiming, ‘Be a patriot – kill a priest’.

Assassinated for Justice and Human Rights Things changed suddenly. Father Rutilio Grande, his close Jesuit friend, was murdered by the state’s death-squads because of his advocacy for oppressed communities. Romero, seeing the bulletridden body of his best friend by the roadside later than same day (beside the murdered corpses of two parishioners) knew what he had to do. He began to denounce injustice and state violence.

Poor and exploited people in villages across El Salvador tuned into his weekly radio homilies. Many called him the voice of the voiceless—and he encouraged others to become advocates too. This was too much for the powerful elites.

Archbishop Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass in the cancer hospital where he lived simply. He spoke out rather than remain silent, following the example of his great friend Rutilio three years earlier – and of his leader, Christ the King. St Oscar and Rutilio ask us now if we really can remain spectators, not speaking out.

Pray with the Pope Praying with the Pope each month is praying with each other, as the people that God’s Holy Spirit gathers and inspires.

Ours is his own personal prayer-group, the largest in the Church, following a daily prayer pathway, a way of the heart that anyone can follow. Since the early days of the Apostleship of Prayer over 176 years ago until now, we’ve been devoted to the heart of Christ, from which flows salvation and nourishment for the world. The Pope entrusts to this Network each month, to make known to all people of good will, the concerns of his own heart as he surveys the challenges that face humanity and the Church’s mission. We, the Church, whether gathered or dispersed, join him in praying for these intentions, asking to place our own hearts next to Jesus’s Sacred Heart. Our morning offering prayer is how we express that deep desire.

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200th anniversary of St Patrick’s Father Silviu Climent, Parish Priest of St Patrick's, Liverpool, welcomed Bishop Tom Williams for Mass on the Patronal Feast Day, to mark the 200th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the church.

One of the chalices used at the Mass was presented to St Patrick's by Bishop Robert Brindle (1837-1916) who was born in Liverpool and was a former Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster and Bishop of Nottingham, in memory of his parents. It had been in turn presented to him by Princess Victoria Eugenie, niece of King Edward VII in 1906 when he received her into the Catholic Church prior to her marriage to the King of Spain. Another chalice at the Mass had been presented in 1923 to Father William Weston who was curate at St Patrick’s from 1914 to 1922.

The church's enormous silver Benediction monstrance was on display together with a large, nineteenth century music book, which had been used at the opening of St Patrick's in 1827 and subsequently lent to St. Anthony's for its opening in 1833.

The story of St Patrick's began in 1816 when a group of Liverpool businessmen formed the Society of St Patrick, the purpose of which was to raise money and to construct a large, new church to cater for the needs of the rapidly growing Catholic population of south Liverpool.

Since so many of these Catholics were of Irish descent, an early decision was that the new church would be dedicated to St Patrick. Funds were slowly raised, a plot of land was purchased from the Earl of Sefton, John Slater was commissioned to design the new building, the foundation stone was laid in 1821 and the completed building was opened by Bishop Thomas Penswick, who celebrated High Mass there on 22 August 1827.

The Society of St. Patrick owned the freehold and agreed to lease the church and the land on which it stands for a term of 5,000 years to Bishop Penswick and his associates on the condition that they and their successors should keep in good repair the entire building, the ground floor of which should in perpetuity be freely accessible to the poor at no charge, with a plaque to the latter effect publicly displayed for ever on the outside wall of the church.

The west front of the church is dominated by a large statue of St Patrick, presented by the sugar refiner James Brancker in 1827, standing on a plinth immediately above the plaque. In front stands a tall

Celtic cross, a monument to the ten Catholic priests who died in the cholera epidemic in Liverpool in 1847 and of whom three are buried in the crypt almost adjacent to the cross.

Father Francis Murphy was the first Rector of St Patrick's from 1827 to 1837.

When he left the parish, he volunteered to go to Australia, where he became the first Bishop of Adelaide, a diocese with which St Patrick's has established close

connections. He founded the parish school in 1830 which is currently establishing a link with St Patrick's Primary School in Adelaide, which he also founded. Father Murphy is buried in St Francis Xavier Cathedral which he built there.

To date St Patrick's has had 18 further rectors and 74 curates, the longest serving priest being Canon Edward Goethals from 1863 to 1921.

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profile

Lady Anne Dodd ‘The Squire of Knotty Ash and his Lady’ - by Peter Heneghan Lady Anne Dodd used to introduce Ken Dodd with the words ‘Please welcome the Squire of Knotty Ash, King of the Diddymen, Sir Ken Dodd’, and whenever he introduced her, he always said ‘and this is my lady, Anne’ Now Anne, Lady Dodd, has teamed up with scriptwriter and television producer, Tony Nicholson, to publish ‘The Squire of Knotty Ash and his Lady – an intimate biography of Sir Ken Dodd’. Following Ken’s death on 11 March 2018 Tony produced a highly successful BBC 2 documentary ‘How Tickled We Were’ which aired the following Boxing Day. Ken was a very private person, and the documentary gave a glimpse into his human side and its success led to the book.

Sybil Anne Jones was born in 1941 into a middle-class family in the north-west of England, one of four siblings. Her mother, Erika, was German by birth, but had left Germany before the Second World War to marry Anne’s English father, Tom Jones, who was a lawyer; they married in 1936. Anne was keen on dance, especially ballet and also took piano

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lessons as a child. By the age of fifteen she was a proficient pianist and a competent, and extremely enthusiastic, stage dancer. At Manchester High School she did well academically and undertook a sixth-form secretarial course with languages.

Anne left full-time education at eighteen and took an office job with nationalised airline BEA, at Manchester Airport, but she continued with dance classes and successfully auditioned for the Bluebell Girls. After a television series in Rome and performances in Glasgow the troupe moved to the Manchester Opera House in 1961 where she first met Ken - ‘We’d been warming up at the Opera House one morning just after we transferred to Manchester, and then all of us Bluebells moved down off the stage and sat in the front stalls to let Ken rehearse. I still hadn’t met him or even seen him at this point. He bounced out on to the stage and ran through a few of his opening lines – “How tickled I am! Have you been tickled missus?” and he was doing all these slightly cheeky lines straight down to us on the front row and making eye

contact with us girls…I thought, “He looks nice.” I’m not sure whether I fancied him straight away, but I can still remember exactly how he looked that day. Perhaps I did fancy him but hadn’t yet realised it. I have no idea what he thought of me, but he did start singling me out and speaking to me fairly soon into the run.’

Ken and Anne were together for forty years, but never formally engaged as Anne remembers: ‘We were just together.

People and the press made assumptions. I was even referred to as Ken’s fiancée in court, during the tax case, and we never bothered to correct anybody, but there never was an official day when…Well – put it this way – I certainly don’t ever remember him going down on one knee and putting a ring on my finger… although he did give me a beautiful eternity ring a few years ago, which meant a whole lot more to me’.

They were married in a specially arranged ceremony in the late evening of Friday 9 March 2018 at the comedian’s lifelong home in Knotty Ash – a civil

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ceremony followed by a blessing given

by Rev Julia Jesson of St John’s, Knotty Ash, Ken’s home church. Anne describes the beauty of the ceremony, ‘Somehow that day is a total mist. Ken was fully with it though. He said his vows, and I said mine, just like any normal wedding ceremony. Then Julia read a short passage from the Bible before blessing our makeshift wedding rings, and blessing our marriage, which was all very beautiful. Ken grinned and put his thumbs up afterwards and he had a little drop of champagne, just enough to wet the whistle, as it were.

And then he had a drop of his favourite rosé wine, which he loved, the tiniest drop though really. But we were married…’

Always a man of faith Ken had made high-profile guest appearances on programmes like BBC TV’s ‘Songs of Praise’, ‘The Heaven and Earth Show’ and ‘Summer Praise’, as well as ITV’s ‘My Favourite Hymns’. He and the then Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, became great friends and Anne recalls an occasion when Ken had a high-profile episcopal audience.

‘In 2008, because Liverpool was the European City of Culture that year, James was hosting an annual gathering of Christian Church leaders from Belfast, Glasgow and Liverpool – all cities with perennial tensions between Catholics and Protestants. Clergy from both faiths met every year to discuss ways to bridge the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, trying to find a more harmonious way into the future…James asked Ken if he would address this select gathering of around twenty senior clerical figures, which included a Roman Catholic Cardinal and several Anglican Bishops.

Another tough crowd!

‘Ken began by talking about a concept dear to his heart – “the rainbow of laughter”. This was something he felt strongly about. Ken often told interviewers, “The most beautiful sound in the world is the sound of laughter.”

‘His metaphorical rainbow had white light at one end of the spectrum, representing the complete innocence of an infant’s laughter and the joyous happy sounds of children at play; then yellow, the whimsical happy laughter of clowns and jesters; followed by the slightly cheeky warm colours of red and orange, representing double entendre and ribaldry; passing by naughty blue jokes; to the darker violets and purples of

ridicule, insult, sarcasm, cynicism and satire, to the inky blackness of sick and cruel humour, which of course Ken detested.

‘Next Ken surprised them all by drawing a direct link between being a comedian and being a priest. James says they all sat up and listened attentively at this.

Ken explained his intriguing hypothesis by saying that both comedians and priests are natural observers of life, and both are trying to use the right words to get their message across. Then he took them aback by adding that both jobs are lonely callings…you could have heard a pin drop.’

Since Ken’s death Anne has continued his charity work including large donations to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Clatterbridge Hospital and to a performance garden at the Shakespeare North project in Prescot. Anne’s special delight is the funding of the renovation and extension of what was originally Ken’s first school in Knotty Ash and then became St John’s Church hall in the sixties. This will be reopened shortly as ‘The Sir Ken Dodd Happiness Hall for Church and Community’. Anne’s

royalties from sales of the book will be donated to The Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation.

The book reveals many of Ken’s qualities which his audiences may not have known about and it is these which Lady Anne values most as she says, ‘the thing I’m most proud of though is that he was still a normal person underneath, with normal values, good values, and could talk to anybody, from royalty to ordinary people in the street, and was comfortable. And, somehow, in amongst all the madness of showbusiness, he kept sane, totally sane. He didn’t have any ‘side’ to him. We used to get so many wonderfully heart-warming letters from every level of society. There were any number of moving and touching stories of how Ken had helped people through their darkest hours of ill health and bereavement, by making them laugh again, allowing them to carry on living. I continue to receive such letters to this day. That makes me very proud of him.’

‘The Squire of Knotty Ash and his Lady – an intimate biography of Sir Ken Dodd’, is published on 1 April by Great Northern Books, price £17.99.

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Issue 163 April 2018 Issue 199 April 2021

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READ ONLINE www.catholicpic.co.uk

Easter

Joy

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE:

Peter Woods appointed High Sheriff

Celebrating

marriage and family life

How you can help?

Are you an avid knitter, stitcher, artist, maker or up-cycler?

Volunteer your time and talent to up-cycle old fabrics, clothing, timber, bric-a-brac and furniture.

For more information, please contact Francesca D’Arcy, Community Fundraiser:

francesca.darcy@wearenugent.org 07552 870 609

N126. Corporate Trustee: Nugent Care 2019 Ltd (Company No: 12227571), Registered Charity 1187072. Nugent Care Registered Charity: 1187072-1.

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•

Create unique, sellable items for Nugent’s charity shop and new online eBay and Etsy stores.

•

Help raise the vital funds we need to support children and adults across Merseyside who are vulnerable or at risk.

This is a fun volunteering opportunity to do something creative with friends, old and new, and all for a very worthy cause.

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education news

Christ the King pupils complete Everest challenge for Mrs Griffin The pupils and staff of Christ the King Primary School in Childwall have come together to complete a virtual climb of Mount Everest as part of a fundraising campaign in memory of former head teacher Kate Griffin.

Every pupil at Christ the King participated in the ‘Step up for Mrs Griffin Challenge’ on 24 March, with each class undertaking a step aerobics session and teachers adding up all the steps taken. Overall, 58,070 steps equate to a successful scaling of Everest, which stands 8,849m high.

The ‘Kate’s Everest’ fundraising project was devised by family and friends of the popular teacher who passed away aged 40 last summer. Six other schools have taken part with more than £15,000 already raised (Gift Aid included). This will be donated to Rainbows, a charity which provides bereavement support and which Kate had long championed.

Matt White, head teacher at Much Woolton and St Ambrose Catholic Primary Schools, helped set up the ‘Kate’s Everest’ challenge and explained: ‘Head teachers, schools, friends and family have been doing it in their own ways. I’ve climbed stairs and done some hill climbing on my bike. There are other people who’ve walked the equivalent distance. Others have run.’

He added that the scale of participation was no surprise given the ‘huge impact’ Kate had had on people. ‘She had unbelievable warmth and a sense of giving to others, as well as a rock-solid determination to do the best for children in her school and children in Liverpool.’

Dave Delaney, head teacher at Christ the King, said the school was determined to continue the connection with Kate's favourite charity. ‘We remembered her on her birthday and talked a lot

about Rainbows. The charity is really important to us as a school, and staff will be taking part in Rainbows training on our inset day after the Easter holiday to enable us to make sure all children are supported in that way.

‘For the children, the Everest challenge was another way of expressing their thanks and gratitude for what Kate did,' he added. 'It’s been a huge event and it’s nice for our school community to do something together. She valued sporting activities and we were thinking about her as we did it.’

To find out more or to make a donation, please visit: https://rainbowsgb.org/a-new-fundraising-initiative-in-memory-ofkate-griffin/

St Matthew’s Rainbows of Hope The last year has been tough for us all. The pandemic has brought challenges that many of us would never have envisaged having to face.

At St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School, we have lost friends and family, beloved members of the parish and valued members of our close community, like many schools and parishes have

throughout the country. Throughout the pandemic as a school community prayer has been a constant and important. Weekly prayer assemblies have continued throughout lockdown delivered by the head teacher Mrs Sime. The school Religious Education co-ordinator Mr Edwards has worked hard to ensure prayer resources have been shared with families on the school website to help families continue to reflect and pray at home at during the unprecedented time.

As a school community we decided to remember a year since national lockdown on Tuesday 23rd March- the National Day of Prayer with a symbol that not only encompasses the spirit of our school but has been adopted by the whole country over the last year as a sign of hope, the rainbow.

To gather as a school community of children, staff, parents, governors and clergy we had to make sure it was a socially distanced event outside on the school playground. Each class released a rainbow of balloons as we shared poems, reflections, scripture and hymns in memory of those we have lost and as a sign of hope for the year to come.

Our Reception class also planted a tree at the front of the school so that we will always remember the events of the last year.

Reception chose the tree as a sign of new life. Father Connor Station-Pollard finished off the service with a blessing and a message of hope that we will all have a brighter future ahead of us this year as we all head for the end of the rainbow.

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education news

St Cuthbert’s award-winning ‘Legend’ returns from retirement to help the school community A St Cuthbert’s cleaning legend will return to the school site in helping to slow down the spread of the virus, in the school’s new testing centre.

Lil Mea, will return to her old stomping ground to help the testing team roll out testing to 900+ students and staff.

Something that started as a ‘favour for a friend’, saw Lil stay at the school for over forty years before retiring in the Summer of 2019.

The winner of the Friend of St Cuthbert’s Award said on her return: “It’s such a strange time but I am delighted to be back.

“Although things are very different, it’s still the same St Cuthbert’s, full of people looking out for one another and being a family.”

Headteacher, Catherine Twist said: “We are so appreciative of Lil, and others like her, who have come forward in helping our school community.

“We are at the heart of our community and our young people have always and continue to be at the heart of everything we do. The education and wellbeing of all our students remains our priority.

“Things may be different on the return to the school building but just as we’ve done over the last 12 months, we will adapt, work together and make it as safe as possible to continue to reassure everyone with the plans we have in place.”

The school have created a step-by-step video with one of their student ambassadors that has been sent out to all their parents. This will go some way to alleviating any concerns or anxiety that the students and parents may have.

As part of the school’s control measures, its technology department and site team have been busy creating their own bays for the mass testing which begins from 8 March.

Wayne Kevlin, site manager at St Cuthbert’s said: “I would personally, and also on behalf of the full site, like to thank our dedicated testing team for their huge role in keeping our community safe and controlling the virus.

“By their actions they’ve made our school site safe and no doubt protected many of us from this awful disease.”

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Back to school for Lil Mea

site manager Wayne Kevlin

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education news

Skelmersdale school earns environmental sustainability award St Richard’s Catholic Primary School in Skelmersdale has received a CAFOD ‘LiveSimply’ award for its efforts to reduce waste, recycle and improve the environment, both close to home and further afield.

Despite the lockdown restrictions, St Richard’s implemented successfully a number of projects which highlighted the importance of caring for creation and community – including making strong links with residents of the local neighbourhood, providing food hampers and delivering cards.

Staff and pupils collated photographs of activities expressing their appreciation of nature and the joy of caring for each other, using them to create a ‘LiveSimply’ display which included the following quote from Pope Francis: ‘To

live simply is not a lesser life or one lived with less intensity.

On the contrary, it is a way of living life to the full.’

The award from the overseas development charity was presented to the school community on 3 February.

Reflecting on why they had been inspired to aim for the award, Mrs Carr, St Richard’s RE co-ordinator, said: ‘Our children are dedicated to serving the local and wider communities and working towards this award was a way of demonstrating just what a difference they make to others.

‘We’re also privileged to have such supportive families whose generosity and care enables us all to live out this call by living simply, living sustainably and living in solidarity with people who are in need in many different ways.’ In the case of one family, they

planted flowers and seeds in their garden to attract bees and turned milk containers into bird houses and bird-feeding stations.

Siobhan Farnell, CAFOD’s community participation coordinator, said: ‘It’s wonderful to see St Richard’s Catholic Primary School achieve the ‘LiveSimply’ award. They’ve really embraced caring for

nature and supporting communities both locally and in our wider global family too.

What is also inspiring is to hear how some of the pupils' families have embraced the ‘LiveSimply’ ethos at home too.

We all have a part to play in developing a better world and St Richard’s are leading by example, so well done to them all.’

Superheroes open a new school playground When the staff at Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary School asked some of its youngest pupils (3 5 years old) who they would like to open their brand-new playground, they were both delighted and surprised to hear the children wanted their heroes to do the honours - their heroes being doctors and nurses!

Expecting to receive answers such as footballers or singers, the staff couldn’t have agreed more with the idea of having parents who work on the front line to come and officially open the new outdoor play area.

A fireman, two policemen and four nurses, came to the school to do a fantastic socially distanced unveiling.

The playground boasts a new climbing frame, a balance beam, sand pit, a den, weaving poles, a water wall and an outdoor reading area too! It was created

by Creative Play and the design was done in conjunction with the EYFS Lead, Nikki Lindsay.

During lockdown, the school became increasingly concerned about the physical wellbeing of its pupils, so it has invested in developing this new playground to

ensure that they can play outside in all areas and improve their mobility.

Headteacher, Claire McKinnon said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the development of the playground and we know it is so important, even at an early age, to be able to spend time outdoors.

There is nothing better than to be able to play in an exciting and engaging space with your very best friends!

“It was fantastic that our new playground was opened by true life superheroes! We owe all of our local frontline workers a debt of gratitude for keeping us safe, especially over the last 12 months, so it was lovely to be able to thank them in this very small gesture by making them our very own VIPs.”

Being active is widely encouraged at Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary School and it was particularly important that staff and pupils continued to be active during lockdown. With so many benefits for both mental and physical health, the school is keen to keep conveying this message and, therefore, created this wonderful space so that nursery and reception pupils can still play outside in all weathers.

Claire added: “The playground is part of our continuous provision in nursery and reception and so it will be used all day.

We are really looking forward to when our parents and families can come onsite so that they can share it too, as well as our friends in Key Stage 1!”

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Join us for our VIRTUAL Open Event:

Thursday 22nd April, 4pm-6pm Take a virtual tour and discover why St. Mary’s Prep is rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).

To T o register, register, please please visit www.stmarys.ac/prep www.stmarys.ac/prep St. Mary’s College Preparatory School 0151 924 6302 www.stmarys.ac/prep The independent Catholic school for boys and girls of all faiths aged 0–18

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cathedral

by Dr Christopher McElroy Director of Music, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

Lockdown – an opportunity to learn more

During the last two weeks our choristers have once again returned to singing together in school in small groups. This follows two months of school closures, during which time our chorister training programme once again moved entirely online.

During this time music staff spent up to six hours each day working with small groups of choristers working on music reading, theory and aural skills. Whilst it is tempting to think of this time in a negative way (eg, ‘It’s a shame we can’t sing God’s praise in our beautiful Cathedral each day at the moment’) we have instead looked at this time in a positive way. An opportunity to revisit many of the skills that are taken for granted. An opportunity to learn more about the liturgical cycle, to learn more about the architecture of our Cathedral.

Our choristers have been fabulous throughout this lockdown. They attend the daily zoom sessions, undertake theory tutorials and homework and play an active part in choir life. It has not been an easy time, but I am convinced that we will emerge as a stronger group of musicians as we gradually return to some semblance of normality.

Reflecting on the experience of this lockdown, M, one of our senior girl choristers commented: ‘I have thoroughly enjoyed being in the choir: it has been a privilege and an honour to be part of something like this.

The choir is like my second family and I have really missed seeing people physically during lockdown, but our music staff have continued to give me and every other member of the choir the opportunity to gain new skills with theory sessions and to still interact with others in choir via zoom which has been extremely enjoyable. It has helped my mental health and I am grateful for the efforts the cathedral music department have put into keeping in touch with us.’

Quite how things will return to normal over the next few months is unclear at the time of writing. However we know that we have much to look forward to. The privilege of leading God’s people in the praise and worship of God in our amazing Cathedral is something which we very much hope to be able to resume as soon as it is safe to do so. We also look forward to late 2022 when our Grand Organ, currently being dismantled and removed for restoration, will return.

Holy Week recordings from the Cathedral Choir on the Metropolitan Cathedral YouTube Channel Tenebrae from Sunday 28 March The ancient office of Tenebrae (Latin for ‘darkness’) sung by members of the Cathedral Choir by candlelight. The concludes with Allegri’s famous ‘Miserere Mei’ and its spine tingling top C’s.

Holy Thursday Office of Readings from Thursday 1 April The office of readings for Holy Thursday features psalms, readings and responsories set to music by Spanish renaissance composer Tomas luis de Victoria.

Good Friday Office of Readings from Friday 2 April As the Cathedral lay empty on Good Friday, there is an opportunity to hear readings and enter into choral music by Victoria and Anerio led by members of the Cathedral Choir.

Holy Saturday Office of Readings from Saturday 3 April On the final day of the Triduum the Youth Choir sings psalms, readings and hymns in preparation for the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.

Easter Sunday Choral Evening Prayer on Sunday 4 April at 7.00 pm

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Pic extras

Mums the Word April – what a wonderful month.

We will be celebrating Easter and the joy of Our Saviour's Resurrection.

At the time of writing this month's column I feel sure that we are looking forward to better times, when we will be able to celebrate our bi-monthly Masses together again with friends that we have not seen for 12 months.

Father David Potter, our spiritual adviser, celebrated an unusual March bi-monthly Mass for us on the 10th at his parish of St Albert the Great.

Twenty-seven members managed to get there on a wet and windy evening. We were all suitably masked and socially distanced, but it was lovely to see some familiar faces again.

Maria Bruns, our deputy president, led us in the UCM prayers, especially for all sick members including Maureen Finnegan, our Liverpool president who has been in hospital.

We also prayed for our departed members and their families, including national president Margaret McDonald, who has lost two daughters within months of each other. Our hearts and prayers go out to her and her family in their great loss.

The Committee are hoping to organise an outdoor bi-monthly Mass on the afternoon of Wednesday 19 May at Our Lady's, Lydiate, with a procession to their grotto. Please God that restrictions will be lifted and this will be allowed, so that we can have a wonderful reunion. For now, put the date in your diaries; more information will follow in next month’s column.

I close with with a lovely quote from Pope Francis: ‘Let us not quench the wavering flame that never falters, and let us allow hope to be rekindled.’

May God Bless us all, Madelaine McDonald, media officer 26

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

Knights mourn passing of Father Peter Fox It is with the most profound regret that we report the sudden death of our esteemed and longserving chaplain of KSC council 18 in Widnes.

Father Peter Fox died suddenly on 24 February after over 50 years of active priestly ministry during which he was also a dedicated supporter of the Knights of St Columba. His Requiem Mass was celebrated on Monday 15 March at St Luke's, Whiston, followed by his burial in the cemetery at St Peter and Paul’s, Crosby.

Fr Peter was born in Waterloo on 23 May 1944, the eldest of three children, and was educated at St Edmund of Canterbury Primary School and later at St Mary’s College, Crosby. Aged 12, he entered Ushaw Seminary and was ordained priest at St Joseph’s, Blundellsands, on 8 March 1969.

Following ordination he served a number of parishes in the diocese as an assistant priest before he obtained his first appointment as parish priest at Our Lady of Walsingham, Netherton, in April 1986. This was followed by his appointment in September 1991 as parish priest of St John Fisher, Widnes, where he was to spend the next 20 years.

An avid Everton supporter and a life member of Ainsdale Golf Club, Fr Peter had been parish priest at St Luke’s, Whiston, since September 2011 and was planning to retire in May this year after a half-century of

priestly service to various communities across the diocese.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Fr Peter’s family and to the members of St Luke’s Parish to whom he gave devoted service.

Deep sympathy is also extended to his brother Knights in Council 18 whom he served so long and so devotedly. May he and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

Websites: www.ksc.org.uk www.kscprov02.weebly.com Email: dpokeane@aol.com

‘May he and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace’

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youth ministry

Light of faith still shining in these challenging times Animate Youth Ministries team member Jonno reflects on the trials of the past year – and finds reasons for cheer from his experiences of working with young people in the Archdiocese.

It is crazy to think that it is over a year now since the first Coronavirus lockdown began. I did not expect it to last this long. I remember being with the team on a Friday afternoon last year, after a day retreat, and speaking with Tom, Lauren, and Father Simon. We all thought we would be in lockdown for a couple of weeks and that would be it.

Whatever the circumstances in which we celebrate Easter – hopefully with our families – I hope we all have a safe and happy time. After spending Lent in prayerful reflection, we can

now joyfully celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Even if, of course, Easter this year will be very strange once more for most people.

Our work on the Animate Team has been really strange too. We only managed to work with a small number of schools before the second lockdown came into force. I missed out on some work too as I caught the virus around that time and having to self-isolate back at home was hard. Hopefully, we can get back to working with schools before the academic year ends.

Being with Animate for the past year and a half has been good for me.

Working with schools has given me more confidence, especially when it comes to speaking in front of young people. It has given me some ideas of what I want to do in the future too. Yet the best thing for me about Animate is living in a community. I have met some great people in the time I have been there and shared great moments with the team, such as going on trips and working with schools just before lockdown started.

I love sharing my faith with people. And teaching young people that having a faith and going to church is nothing to be ashamed of, because I think this is a big thing with many of them. When I was their age, I was scared of telling my friends that I went to church and had a faith but now I can tell them not to be afraid – and can underline to them how important faith is.

I have spoken about this to some young people on day retreats and now I see they are taking part in the Faith in Action award scheme, which is brilliant.

Lauren and Fr Simon have made it an amazing, fulfilling scheme for people to get involved in, and if you’re a school pupil reading this and want to try it, I suggest that you give it a go because it is really is highly rewarding.

• Please visit our YouTube channel (Animate Youth) to see the latest reflections from the team, including our Pillars of Lent series.

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PIC Life Gethsemane and the plight of the insomniac

By Moira Billinge At a guess, the Apostles Peter, James and John did not suffer from insomnia.

According to the Gospels, they were pretty good at falling asleep, apparently without too many difficulties. Even in Gethsemane, while Jesus agonised about the inevitability of his imminent suffering and crucifixion, in spite of their promises to the contrary, the Apostles slept. In fact we hear that Jesus needed to personally wake them lest they slumber through the arrival of the soldiers and the Temple Guard.

By and large, there are two main categories of people: sleepers and nonsleepers. The former group has no understanding whatsoever of the trials and tribulations of the latter, who long, with every tortured, aching fibre of their being, to join the ranks of those who merely have to close their eyes in order

to find themselves in Slumberland.

Yet listen to the complaints of a sleeper after a night with one or two hours of insomnia. Nothing, since the beginning of time, has been a bigger disaster or caused such cataclysmic disruptions to the following day. Non-sleepers listen with incredulity to what appears an infantile creation of a mountain from a mound that does not even merit to be called a molehill. Conscious that an uninterrupted night’s sleep is the longedfor treasure which occurs once or twice during the course of a month, they organise their lives according to what will or will not help sleep. The longing for sleep becomes obsessional and allconsuming... and just in case the sleepers howl that I am being unjust, then I admit that there are those who shrug off the occasional sleepless night with the promise of better acquaintance with their pillow the following night.

Not that insomnia needs a particular

cause. Certainly, it might originate as a result of bereavement, illness, family or financial worries, but it might equally have no apparent reason. Infuriatingly, hearing snores from the rest of the household generates not contentment, but resentment: ‘It’s not fair. Why are they sleeping and I can’t?’ Resentment inspires tension, which nurtures further insomnia and even more efforts to resolve it. Find a chronic insomniac and you will discover an expert on all of the recommended methods of sleepinduction which do not work. Generally, suggestions for sleep are written by those who have no problems finding it and even the warning on the back of the packet mocks those who just long for sleep, ie ‘This product may cause drowsiness’. In other words, what they really mean is: ‘Don’t bank on it, mate!’

Sleepers, who sink into the land of Nod immediately they put their heads on the pillow and then remain unconscious until the alarm clock heralds the dawn, are truly blessed. Daytime physical and mental exhaustion holds few fears because, at its close, sleep generously cascades into every cell of their body, coursing through their tired brain, so that they wake refreshed, bright-eyed and ready to accept every challenge of the new day.

One of my consolations when sleep is desperately problematic is the knowledge that the Poor Clares and Carmelites are praying for us all in those bleak, early hours. The Psalmist wrote: ‘I lie down to rest and sleep comes at once.’ Oh, really? A non-sleeper’s waking dream is of sleep! When Jesus roused his Disciples in Gethsemane, did he wish there were a few insomniacs among them?

Worth a visit - Maldon Warmer weather beckons, and it is with hopeful hearts that we plan a visit to the maritime town of Maldon near the River Blackwater in Essex, writes Lucy Oliver. Perhaps the most famous of the Viking invasions, the Battle of Maldon took place during the reign of Aethelred the Unready in 991AD and is the subject of a great Old English epic poem. A statue of Byrhtnoth, the heroic Ealdorman of Essex who died leading the Anglo-Saxons in battle against the invaders, can be found in the promenade park.

Today, a modern embroidery depiction of the battle can be found in the Maele Heritage Centre on Market Hill. To visit the battlefield, intrepid visitors can cross the causeway to Northey Island in the Blackwater estuary, under protection of the National Trust.

Set off at low tide and enjoy the saltmarsh of the Blackwater estuary, with its fascinating animals and plants, and look out for the small plaque commemorating the battle. It is essential to telephone in advance to take the causeway on 0344 249 1895. For more information on the battlefield, visit Tourist

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Information for a walking trail past the historic 12th-century St Mary’s church and the picturesque Hythe quay, with its historic boats and their distinctive ochre sails.

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McCallum & Tritton & Sons Independent Family Funeral Directors

0151 931 2002

www.mccallumandtritton.co.uk Catholic Pictorial

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Dialogue and Unity Better Together – Building Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Partnerships - Liverpool and Köln

by Ultan Russell We will be sharing the work of what is a mouthful…The Commission for Dialogue and Unity but so important in the Liverpool Archdiocese where ‘Better Together’ is a brand so central to our work. The Commission embraces interchurch relations, interfaith relations and interchurch social and community action – issues which Archbishop Malcolm sees as central to our life as an archdiocese.

There is a lot going on - prayer, people, projects and partnerships, so there will be lots of initiatives to share and to celebrate.

One long term ecumenical partnership is between Churches Together in the Merseyside Region and Cologne (Köln in German and yes Eau de Cologne is from there.)– Liverpool’s twin city. The Church link actually dates back to a delegation of seventy people from Köln who came to look at the building of Liverpool Cathedral in 1908. Liverpool’s Civic partnership with Köln started in 1952. A vibrant Church partnership between the Churches in the Liverpool and Merseyside City Regions began in 1990 when a party came from Köln to reflect on the Faith in the City Report, from that relationships blossomed.

Friendships and an enriching relationship were forged as clergy and laity came and went. The Choirs from Köln Cathedral have visited and sung here, and our two Cathedral Choirs have gone to Köln.

Church Leaders have visited cementing and strengthening links.

One initiative led to the Annual Two Cathedrals Epiphany Schools Service which alternates between the two Cathedrals when children can again wear their Nativity gear (a joyous ecumenical highlight). This builds on the Three Kings Festival which is significant in Köln – the Kings arrive in Köln by boat and it’s a great celebration which was replicated here for the first Schools’ Service.

In 2019 there was an event to commemorate the beginning of World War II at Liverpool Hope’s Creative Campus in drama form around the theme of Women and War. In 2020 a Merseyside 30

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delegation went to Köln to look at new forms of mission and representatives from the archdiocese went from Animate and the Missionaries of Africa(now settled at St Vincent de Paul). Terry Duffy from the Metropolitan Cathedral has been a prime mover in the link since its inception and masterminded many of the arrangements notably Choir exchanges.

Special exchanges have taken place on new styles of mission, interfaith relations and youth work. Commemorations of the two World Wars have been marked in sensitive ways focusing on peace and partnerships. Liverpool Hope University now has a partnership with the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in North Rhine Westphalia whose main campus is based in Köln. There have also been a number of art exhibitions travelling between both cities hosted by our Cathedrals.

Sadly, the return visit planned for 2020 from Köln was postponed due to Covid as was a visit by Dean Sue Jones from Liverpool Cathedral and Provost Tony O’Brien from the Metropolita Cathedral to attend the commemoration of the end of World War II including specially commissioned music. While it was possible to watch the 2021 Köln

Commemoration Peace Service on Zoom - now Zoom meetings are being held which helps to maintain the relationship.

One person who has visited Köln is Nadine Daniel. Nadine is an Anglican who worked on refugee issues nationally for the Church of England, and currently is Director of Campaigns, Media and Communication for UK Welcomes Refugees, as well as being a member of our own Justice and Peace Commission.

Nadine said about our links with Köln: ‘When I first heard about the Liverpool Köln link, I imagined something akin to the often seemingly misaligned town twinning schemes. However, I soon realised how important maintaining such an imaginative and fruitful link is. Together we have shared joys and grief, new ways of being church, and tackling the difficult stuff too.

It was so important to come together to mark the Centenary of WWI. On a personal note, having been awarded the Josephine Butler Travel Scholarship, I was very grateful to our friends in Köln for facilitating more than one research trip, which have greatly informed the work I continue to contribute to. My prayer is that this link shall continue to flourish and to grow.’

Picture: Nadine Daniel

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Keep up to date with all the news from around the Archdiocese online at: www.catholicpic.co.uk You can now follow us on twitter at:

@PicCatholic

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