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20p from each sale goes to your parish Issue 110 NOVEMBER 2013

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ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL

Come and See INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Building Strong foundations in St Helens

Best care of the Dying Conference

Jack Topping aiming for Number One

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contents 20p from each sale goes to your parish

Welcome

Issue 110 NOVEMBER 2013

The first two days of November set the tone for our praying and remembering during the month to come. The Feast of All Saints and All Souls Day, two days set aside in the year when we specifically remember those ‘who have gone before us with the sign of faith’. Our relatives, friends, and everyone with whom we share that ‘sign of faith’.

Our remembering continues next Sunday as we mark Remembrance Day, a time to pray for those who lost their lives in two World Wars and in other conflicts. Our remembrance is heightened this year as we approach the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War on Monday 4 August next year.

Today we celebrate LAMP Sunday, the Liverpool Archdiocesan Missionary Project, a time to remember Father Denis Parry and Father Simon Cadwallader and the people they serve in Latin America.

On Sunday 17 November the Church gives us a Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their Dependants. We may remember that one of the first acts of Pope Francis following his election was to wash the feet of offenders on Holy Thursday.

On the last Sunday of the month, 24 November, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King. A day of special significance for our Archdiocese as it is the Titular Feast of our Metropolitan Cathedral. The same day is also Youth Sunday, a time to pray for our young people, particularly those at Animate Youth Ministries who consistently show incredible dedication to their work.

From the Bishop’s desk Remember – Remember On 10 November it will be my great honour and privilege to place the Poppy Wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of the Catholic Parishes of the City of Liverpool. I have asked my brother, Richard, to be the Wreath Bearer for me, and he is also ‘chuffed to bits’. It is worth considering why.

On a personal note, not just our Dad, Richard, but many uncles and aunts, family and friends played their part, and gave their lives, in the two Great Wars, but also it is a time to ponder and remember that we all owe a debt of gratitude to the many sacrifices that have been made for us. We all have a family history; we all have stories to tell, and maybe medals to show (and if anyone has my Grandfather’s, and my Uncle Frank’s medals I’d like them back, please, they were stolen some 40 years ago).

But the whole month of November is one of remembering. It begins with remembering the Saints of the Church, All Saints Day, then our personal saints, All Souls Day, and each day of the month those on our ‘Pious List’ of Masses said daily.

It’s important to remember the dead, the faithful departed. As my Mam would say, ‘don’t forget where you come from, you may be grateful for it someday.’

Editor Peter Heneghan Editorial Catholic Pictorial Magazine Liverpool Archdiocesan Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool L17 1AA Tel: 0151 522 1007 Email: catholicpictorial@rcaol.co.uk Pictures: Main feature: Tom Murphy; Profile: Decca Advertising Andrew Rogers 0151 709 7567 Publisher 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS

Copy deadline December issue 8 November 2013 CPMM Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced copied or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publishers written permission. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Catholic Pictorial Ltd. can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by advertisers.

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ARCHDIOCESE OF LIVERPOOL

Come and See INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Building Strong foundations in St Helens

Best care of the Dying Conference

Jack Topping aiming for Number One

Contents 4

Main Feature The Gift of the Spirit Prayer and Reflection at ‘Come and See’

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News From around the Archdiocese

14 Spotlight Nugent Care New Lives Fostering Service 15 Sunday Reflections Liturgy and Life 16 What’s On Whats happening in the Archdiocese 18 Animate Youth Ministry Hitting the ground running 19 Profile Jack Topping Liverpool chorister aiming for top spot 25 Justice and Peace Pausing for thought in Prisons Week 25 Cathedral Record Remembering in November 26 Pic Extras Mums the word News from the KSC 28 Pic Life Why clashing egos are a cause of harm 29 Join In Family Fun More Mullarkey

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The gift of the Spirit Prayer and reflection at the Come and See conference MORE than 250 people from all over Liverpool Archdiocese and beyond gathered in Southport last month, taking time out from their busy lives to reflect and pray at the annual Come and See conference.

For visitors to Come and See, there was a definite sense of just how important it is to make space for prayer and reflection, to share insights and wisdom, and to walk with others on the journey in faith.

Father Chris Thomas from the Irenaeus Project which organises the conference, said: ‘People are always looking for the spiritual. Maybe we’re growing tired of the materialistic attitude to life which seems so dead-ended, so we look and we search. For many people in the world, that search leads down many paths, and as a Church we are called to try and help people recognise the Christian way, with all that entails.

‘Within the Christian context, spirituality seems to be about encounter – an encounter with God and a world and humanity that is graced by the presence of God. This is an encounter that takes place everywhere we are, but only those who have eyes that see are able to recognise and know that truth.’

The Irenaeus project, which has been in existence for 11 years, is run by people who work hard around the Archdiocese trying to provide opportunities for that all-important encounter to take place.

They have had great opportunities to work, they say, with many ‘wonderful 4

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individuals and groups’, leading days of prayer and reflection, as well as weekend retreats and morning and evening events. Every autumn they stage the Come and See Conference, giving people a chance to gather together and listen to authors and broadcasters share their experiences.

The latest conference was held at Christ the King School, Southport on 5 and 6 October. The organisers opened the doors to a variety of people, some of whom they knew and others who were strangers, but as they listened to them, it became apparent, yet again, how important it is to pause for thought if we are to make connections between faith and life. Some people were really struggling to make those connections, while others were just grateful for the chance to think and pray.

This year’s keynote speakers included Daniel O’Leary, a priest from the Diocese of Leeds, who is a well-known author and regular retreat-giver. He discussed with depth and beauty the radical nature of God’s love and challenged people to let go of false images of God and to know the truth of our dignity and value in the sight of God. The second speaker, Edwina Gately, born and raised in Lancaster, now lives and works in the United States, and is a prolific author and founder of the Volunteer Missionary Movement. She has a wide experience of working around the world with those who live on the edge, and she shared stories of her experiences with the poorest of the

Fr Chris Thomas

poor, with prisoners and with prostitutes. It was a speech to both empower – and move to tears.

Fr Chris said: ‘She was both challenging and comforting and her stories will long be remembered.’

The times of prayer were described as ‘beautiful’ by the participants, with silence and scripture and music from Jo Boyce and friends, the gifted liturgical group from the Archdiocese of Birmingham, who led people seemingly effortlessly through the conference. In many senses, they were the glue that held everything together. Steve Murray, the mime artist, meanwhile, enthralled with his interpretation of Gospel stories.

For the first time this year, there was a gathering on the Saturday evening. Margaret Duncan had been due to tell her story but unfortunately at the last minute contracted flu, so one of the workshop leaders, Pat Kennedy, stepped in. Pat works in the area of catechesis in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, and shared her story of how she has recognised the presence of God even when her life seemed to be falling apart. She moved many people to tears with her brave and poignant story, challenged those present to look for the goodness of God, even in the darkest places.

The workshop leaders also included Fr Pat Collins, a popular writer and lecturer, who draws a crowd wherever he goes. Fiona Castle, widow of the entertainer Roy Castle, had much to share in a gentle and persuasive way, while for those who wanted to do something practical, there was a pottery workshop led by Eileen Convey, a potter from Southport. Participants were invited to pray and reflect with clay.

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feature ‘People are always looking for the spiritual. Maybe we’re growing tired of the materialistic attitude to life’

Elsewhere, Liverpool Archdiocese’s own Steve Atherton offered words of encouragement from the perspective of Justice and Peace work, which always has to be the practical expression of spirituality. David Matthews, who worked tirelessly for peace in Northern Ireland before moving to England, shared deeply from his wide experience and years of ministry. And Christine Dodd, a former adult education worker from Hallam Diocese, helped people explore what their own personal vocation might be.

The workshops were well-received, and the buzz palpable as people shared with each other the impact of the speakers’ words. Many delegates reflected how what they had heard touched on their own lives and helped them to take a step forward on their own particular journey.

Fr Chris said: ‘I spoke to one woman who said that she had felt able to ask questions that she had always wanted to ask, but didn’t know where to go.’ He praised the volunteers who worked tirelessly in the background to make the conference happen. ‘Despite tired legs

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feature

and aching arms, our hospitality team, helpdesk and general dogsbodies just kept on going with smiling faces, and I thank God for their big hearts.’ Credit was also due to Christ the King School – represented over the weekend by Maria Parker, the chaplain, and caretakers Dave and Wayne – and ‘a credit to Catholic education’.

‘We realised again just how important it is in the Church to make space for prayer and reflection’ 6

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up inside. So my dream, that I shared with the participants over the weekend, is that the next time we run Come and See, we fill the sports hall at Christ the King with over a thousand people, so that many more will have the experience that our delegates had.

Fr Chris concluded: ‘As people were leaving the weekend, mostly with happy smiles on their faces, we realised again just how important it is in the Church to make space for prayer and reflection, to share insights and wisdom and to walk with others on the journey in faith.

‘Come and See is over for the moment, but I’m sure that the fruits of the conference will carry on in people’s individual lives and in their enthused commitment to the Gospel. Those fruits will spill over into the life of the Church and many people will benefit from what has happened at Come and See 2013. Don’t miss it next time it happens!’

‘Sr Jose Hobday, a nun who works with the American Indians, says that without taking time to reflect and pray we dry

• For further information about the Irenaeus project contact 0151 949 1199 or email jenny@irenaeus.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: post@merseymirror.com

53rd Annual Family Rosary Procession in St Helens

Approximately 120 people, including many families, took part in the St Helens Annual Rosary procession on the afternoon of Rosary Sunday, 6 October.

Under sunny autumn skies the procession was led jointly by Father Colin Fealey, Parish Priest of Holy Cross and St. Mary’s, Lowe House and Father Jim Matthews, formerly of Holy Cross church. This year in a departure from tradition the Procession wound its way along a new route up Church Street, Hardshaw Street, via the Town Hall Piazza to Corporation Street and North Road, arriving at St Mary’s Lowe House for Benediction.

During the Procession, decades of the Holy Rosary were recited for a number of intentions, local, national and worldwide; including the family, sanctity of life, relief of unemployment and the progression of the Causes of Passionists: Blessed Dominic Barberi and Mother Elizabeth Prout, both of whom are buried at the Sutton Shrine in the town. A particular intention this year was for peace in the Middle East, especially in Syria.

During his short Homily at Benediction, Father Matthews highlighted the need for Faith within the family. Next year’s Procession will take place on Sunday 5 October 2014 and will conclude with Benediction at Holy Cross church.

A new history of St Vincent de Paul church The day after the Feast of St Vincent de Paul author Michael O’Neill launched a new ‘Brief History and Guide to the church of St Vincent de Paul, Liverpool’.

Speaking in the St James Street church he recalled his own childhood there and how the church has become so deeply rooted in the local community. He spoke of the vision and energy of founding Father, Bernard O’Reilly, in building the church and establishing the parish in 1857; later Father O’Reilly was appointed as the third Bishop of Liverpool by Pope Pius IX in 1873.

The church, referred to by Mr O’Neill as ‘an architectural treasure house’, was

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designed by Edward Welby Pugin, one of the leading architects of the nineteenth century and many of the artefacts contained in it are by leading craftsmen of the day. He concluded by paying tribute to those who have carried out restoration work in the church in recent years.

‘A brief history and guide to the Church of St Vincent de Paul, Liverpool’ by Michael O’Neill is published by Gracewing priced £7.99. Further details are available from: Gracewing, 2 Southern Avenue, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 0QF. Tel: 01568 616835. www.gracewing.co.uk

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news diary

Best Care of the Dying Patient Over 300 people attended a conference to look at the ‘Best Care of the Dying Patient in light of the Neuberger Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway’ held at the Conference Centre at LACE. Delegates came from across the Archdiocese and beyond to hear Speakers: Sister Margaret Atkins, who taught theology and is now based at Boarbank Hall in Cumbria, Dr Karen Groves, Medical Director of the Queenscourt Hospice in Southport and Dr Ged Corcoran, former Director of Woodlands Hospice, who is now attached to the Marie Curie Palliative Care institute in Liverpool.

Bishop Tom Williams, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese and Chair of the Bishops’ Conference Healthcare Reference Group, introduced the meeting saying that

there is a need for greater knowledge of the pastoral care of the dying. He said that Hospital Chaplains are part of a team dealing with life and death situations on a daily basis and stressed that they are there to care for the patient, for relatives and for staff. He praised the work of Catholics in Healthcare calling them ‘saints’ in recognition of the work they do.

Sister Margaret Atkins spoke of the ‘way forward’ after the Liverpool Care Pathway review saying that we must look forward and not back. She said that we have every right to be both proud of and grateful to Catholics who work in palliative care since they have led the field in raising standards and in best practice. She spoke on the three themes of ‘rules and growth’, ‘rules and judgement’ and ‘expertise

and motivation’, concluding by stressing the difference between knowledge and practical wisdom and charity.

Dr Karen Groves spoke on the theme of ‘Opening the Spiritual Gate: significant conversations with dying patients and their families’. She emphasised the importance of the spiritual saying, ‘if we don’t deal with the spiritual we deny people physical peace’. She emphasised the training which is going on in this area to encourage clinical staff to recognise and respond to spiritual needs.

Dr Groves finished by saying, ‘clinicians can address spiritual needs, can assess spiritual needs, be aware of religious needs, become more confident and empower people to find their own solutions and to work in teams with clergy and

chaplaincy. Why do we bother?

Because we only have one opportunity to get it right, for each individual and family there is no rehearsal’.

Dr Ged Corcoran spoke of the challenges faced in palliative care.

He said there is a need to provide optimal care and support for families pointing out that clinicians are ‘not helping people to die but helping people at the time of their dying’.

He concluded: ‘we have to have an ongoing debate, it’s not just about medicine, it’s about compassion, communication and fundamental humanity’.

Bishop Tom Williams thanked the speakers and spoke of the privilege of caring for the dying as a ‘humbling experience’.

Lieutenant Colonel Rothnie and the cadets at Oosterbeek cemetery where they laid a wreath at the grave of former St. Mary's pupil, Corporal Myles O’Shaughnessy.

St Mary’s Remember Students from St Mary’s College, Crosby travelled to the Netherlands to help commemorate one of the most important battles of the Second World War. Members of the school’s Combined Cadet Force were one of only two CCFs in the country to be invited by the Parachute Regiment to visit Arnhem to take part in annual events marking the anniversary of Operation Market Garden.

This exercise, the largest airborne operation of all time, was a bold but failed attempt by the Allies to end the war early. It involved parachuting thousands of troops behind enemy lines to secure vital Rhine bridges over which the British and American forces could advance.

Three officers and 15 cadets were involved in the trip which began with a visit to some of the key points of the battle. Parachute Regiment Liaison Officer Captain Sweeney led the cadets off the beaten track into dugouts and shell holes still visible from the fighting The most poignant part of the trip was a service of remembrance at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Oosterbeek where the CCF formed a guard of honour. Here they laid a wreath on the grave of former St Mary’s pupil, Corporal Myles O’Shaughnessy, who died fighting during Operation Market Garden at the age of just 27.

CCF Lieutenant Colonel Niall Rothnie commented: ‘During this very successful visit I received a huge amount of complimentary comments on the cadets’ turnout, behaviour and friendliness from veterans, regular forces and civilians alike.’

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news diary

Strong foundations at De La Salle, St Helens ‘Building Strong Foundations’ was the theme of a Mass celebrated to mark the opening of the newly refurbished De La Salle School, St Helens. The Mayor of St Helens, Councillor Andy Bowden, joined governors, staff, pupils and many friends of the school to celebrate the £20 million development.

At the end of the Mass celebrated by the Pastoral Area Dean, Canon Tom Neylon, the new school was officially opened by Brother Alvaro, Superior General of the De La Salle Brothers.

Crosses were blessed and taken immediately by students to each room in the building. Headteacher, Mr William Daunt, paid tribute to staff and students who had resolutely continued with their work and studies during the thirty month redevelopment which began in December 2010.

During the Mass writer, Frank Cottrell Boyce, read from the words of St John Baptist de la Salle and at the Offertory specially decorated bricks were brought forward by students to represent all the different areas of the school and its community.

Giant scarves, made by students in the House colours of the school, hung from the ceiling of the main hall to signify a community united in diversity.

As a sign of the outreach of the school the scarves will be reconstructed to form blankets and distributed to those in need.

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The celebration embraced not only the school community but the wider

Borough of St Helens and the Lasallian family worldwide.

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news diary

South Liverpool’s Emmaus Meal

Over sixty people attended an ‘Emmaus Meal’, organised by a group of parishes in the South Liverpool Pastoral Area, as part of the Cafod ‘Hungry for Change’ Campaign. The evening began with slides highlighting elements of Catholic Social Teaching and the gathering then divided into four groups to listen to stories from El Salvador, Bangladesh and Kenya.

The groups then shared their thoughts; participants spoke of their own lack of experience of real hunger, with no end in sight; of the horror they felt at one woman’s experience of only having enough food for two of her five children.

Some people spoke about the scandal of obesity in countries such as Britain and the United States.

Others spoke about the amount of food wasted in countries like ours.

They were also moved by the way in which people in such poor countries looked after one another and shared

the little they had. Groups recognised our responsibility as Christians who share in the Eucharist to our fellow human beings who experience such poverty.

Some people were concerned as to whether money donated always reached the people it was intended for. They recognised that if producers are to be treated justly and given a fair price for what they produce this might mean that standards of living in more affluent countries may have to be a little less high. Cheap food should not be at the price of leaving others hungry.

Each group then shared a small plate of food, just enough for a couple of spoonfuls for each person.

There was then a simple shared table which gave people the opportunity to meet old friends, make new friends and share ideas. £279 was collected for Cafod on the night in donations and ticket sales.

Reaching the high notes!

After 113 years as one of Merseyside’s formost choirs the Liverpool Welsh Choral Union was honoured with the Freedom of the City at a ceremony in the Town Hall on Tuesday 29 October. All 130 members sang ‘Zadok the Priest’ for the Lord Mayor and his guests who enjoyed looking at archives from the choir’s rich history which included such famous names as Malcolm Sargent, Maurice Handford and Caleb Jarvis. The present Patron is the popular composer Karl Jenkins OBE. The choir has been invited to sing for the BBC Radio Merseyside’s Christmas concert and also to record a track for the Lord Mayor's Charity CD. In 2014 the LWC joins with the Army to present a unique tribute to all who fought and fell in World War One, ‘Remember’ takes place in the Anglican Cathedral on Friday 28 March.

Having visited New York, Cologne, Dublin and Edinburgh as musical ambassadors for Merseyside, members will sing in Prague in May to further spread their ‘Simply-Dynamic’ sound! For further information see: www.lwcu.co.uk

Marie Curie ‘Lights to remember’ Marie Curie Cancer Care has extended an invitation for everyone to join them for their annual ‘Lights to Remember’ Service, and to sponsor a light in memory of a loved one. The Service will be take place in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King on Sunday 8 December at 5.00 pm.

People will be able to light a candle and take part in an evening of carols and readings; as well as see a children’s daffodil procession.

‘Christmas can be a very difficult time of year for those of us who are remembering loved ones, who have died,’ said Marie Curie fundraiser Antony Jones. ‘We hope that our service will be of some comfort to those people.’ A special book, with names of all those remembered and messages for them, will be on view in the hospice chapel from mid-December and throughout Christmas time.

Art Auction for St Vincent’s School St Vincent’s School for Sensory Impairment and other needs will be holding an Art Auction on 21 November at 5.30 pm hosted by ‘The Gallery’ in Stanhope Street. On offer will be a selection of art pieces from a wide range of highly acclaimed artists and sculptors.

The event will be hosted by Roger Philips of BBC Radio Merseyside and the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Gary Millar and other local celebrities have committed their support and will be in attendance.

Art work will available for viewing from 14 November at ‘The Gallery’ and further information can be found on the school website www.stvin.com St Vincent’s is a unique school catering for pupils aged 4-19 years who are visually impaired providing a range of placements both day and residential. All students are fully engaged in learning and achieve nationally accredited qualifications. They benefit greatly from the extended curriculum offered at the school which provides opportunities to develop independence and life-long skills. The school provides support for both pupils and families. The art auction will be an opportunity both to invest in quality art and to invest in an inspiring school and pupils.

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news diary Public Speaking at Archbishop Beck Archbishop Beck College Debating Society took part in a series of debates at the Athenaeum Club in Liverpool. Three major topics were debated by six schools resulting in a very lively morning for the students!

Lisa Shoka, Deputy Head Girl and leader of the Debating Society, said, ‘This was the place to argue and form opinions about a variety of topics and motions.’

Speaking afterwards student Lewis McCormick said, ‘If you loved an argument, or generally thrive on controversy, this was the event for you.’

‘Archbishop Beck also enters teams into a number of national competitions in debating and public speaking and run coaching session to help improve the students’ debating skills,’ said Assistant Headteacher Bruce Hicks. ‘Last year public speaking at the College was a great success and we have now started the season once again. Training has begun and we look forward to another successful year of debating and public speaking.

Cafod’s ‘Dream Team’ Cheque

The ‘Dream Team’, a group of charity fundraising pupils from St Bede’s High School, Ormskirk have presented a cheque for £2,975 to Cafod Regional Manager, Chris Lappine. The pupils from across the school raised the money in response to the recent Syria Emergency Appeal; as well as for Cafod’s other work in overseas development. Christopher Horrocks, Annette Southworth and Clare Guidi presented the cheque to a very grateful Chris.

Catholic Schools Secure Second Year of Strong Nominations at Merseyside Awards Judges have been overwhelmed by the quality of nominations from catholic schools for the second annual Educate Awards, which celebrates the successes and achievements taking place within Merseyside schools.

With well over 100 submissions from different schools across Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, Halton, Wirral and St Helens, the categories range from Career Aspiration, to a WOW Recognition Award that is open to any school that believes they have achieved an outstanding success in the last year, and catholic schools have secured nominations in nearly every category.

The awards aim to shine a spotlight on innovative education in the area, celebrating the diligence and dedication of teachers, students and schools, looking beyond statistics to acknowledge the hard work and creative energy that goes in to realising all varieties of triumphs inside the school gates.

To effectively judge the nominations, Educate has enlisted a panel of experts, including Mark Beedles, managing director of Connex Education, and local catholic businessman Patrick Richardson, whose green technology company ConceptLHP makes him the perfect expert to judge the Eco School Project of the Year award.

“It is really inspiring to see such a high standard of entries for the award”, says Patrick. “The fantastic projects demonstrate how well local

schools are educating young people to be environmentally conscious. It really is an encouraging sign for the future of Merseyside and the UK.” Previous award winners include St Laurence’s Primary School, who received the Outstanding Commitment to Sport Award in 2012, and have since gone on to win the Tri Golf tournament and Kirkby and Knowsley athletics, and St Albert’s, who used their Sustainable School Project of the Year Award as a springboard for further school ecological developments.

Executive editor of Educate Magazine, Kim O’Brien, says, “We are so pleased about the number of nominations we’ve received this year, and catholic schools make up close to half the total number. We believe the awards are a great opportunity to celebrate exceptional projects, staff and children, of which there are many, and encourage schools further with their creative approaches and innovative teaching strategies.

The awards ceremony, this year held at The Well in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, is a really fun way of getting the message across that we have education bodies in place in Merseyside that very much deserve to be celebrated.”

If you would like to find out more about the awards, including judges, past winners, and the nomination process, go to www.educateawards.co.uk/

80th Anniversary for St Anselm’s St Anselm’s College, Birkenhead, was founded 80 years ago in September 1933 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers at the request of Bishop Singleton of Shrewsbury. A Mass of Celebration was held at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Birkenhead, to give thanks for the continued success and well-being of the College community.

Mass was concelebrated by Canon Philip Moor, VG, and five priests who are old boys of the College, including Canon JP Marmion who was present on the day the College opened in 1933 and Father

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Anthony Cogliolo, former Head Boy and teacher at St. Anselm’s.

In his sermon Canon Moor referred to

the traditions of the College and the influence that the Christian Brothers had exerted on generations of students before handing their mission over to the laity in recent times. He also identified the dedication and commitment to the mission of generations of teachers and the high regard in which the College continues to be held.

At a reception afterwards Headmaster Simon Duggan, explained to the audience how the College had grown from an initial roll of 63 pupils in 1933 to more than 870 at present.

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spotlight

Nugent Care New Lives Fostering Service Nugent Care has provided a diverse range of care services for vulnerable adults and children in need of care and support since 1881 continuing to follow the mission and vision of Father Nugent.

Nugent Care Adoption Service has been finding adoptive families for children unable to live with their birth parents for nearly 100 years. Sadly, it is not possible to find adoptive families for all children in need of care and protection.

Some children are either too old or do not wish to be adopted and continue to have a degree of contact with their birth families. The majority of children in care in England and Wales (over 80%) live with foster carers who are normal families and often have their own birth children living at home.

Nugent Care believes that all children and young people have a right to enjoy a warm and caring family life where they will be loved and protected from harm. The establishment of New Lives Fostering Service is another milestone in attempting to follow Father Nugent’s vision of protecting children from harm.

New Lives Fostering Service has recently opened an office on Dale Street in the centre of Liverpool and will be working with Local Authorities on Merseyside and across the North West to provide safe and caring homes for vulnerable children in our community.

John Arnold, Fostering Manager, and Louise Williams, Administrative Assistant, are working hard behind the scenes to set up the New Lives Fostering Service. John and Louise have put together a marketing package with the help of Helen Pearce, Marketing and Communications Manager and others

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in Nugent Care and are ready to launch the service once it is registered with Ofsted.

The policies and procedures have been completed and the application to register the service is underway.

There are a number of legal and technical requirements that need to be met before the service can recruit foster carers and place children. These procedures are designed to make sure we keep children safe and recruit suitable foster carers.

Once the service is registered the recruitment campaign will begin to find suitable foster carers for the many children that need warm and loving homes. At New Lives we want to be able to help those children and young people that need the most support and we are looking to find homes for larger sibling groups; children with disabilities and complex needs and also older teenagers. We will be looking to recruit foster carers from Liverpool, Merseyside and across the North West of England.

Another legal requirement is for Nugent Care to set up a Fostering Panel which looks at all fostering assessments and recommends whether potential foster carers are suitable to look after vulnerable children.

The Fostering Panel acts as an independent body, very much like an Adoption Panel, and induction training for panel members will take place in September. The Fostering Panel has an independent

chairperson and other independent professional members.

A Steering Group has also been established to have oversight of the Fostering Service’s development.

The members of the group are drawn from other key Nugent Care services.

The plan is have children placed with New Lives foster carers by April 2014 following the recruitment and assessment of foster carers. We hope to have a launch event for the service in November in the centre of Liverpool following registration.

We are always looking for people to care for children, so if you are interested in fostering or would like any further information do not hesitate to contact Louise or John on 0151 229 5280.

They would be delighted to talk to you to help make children’s lives better.

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sunday reflections On a liturgical note This month is a time to remember those who 'have gone before us with the sign of faith' – families and friends who have lived their earthly lives in the fullness of faith and in the experience of the 'Communion of Saints'.

That word communion is used again in one of the greetings at the beginning of Mass: 'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’

Our first thought on hearing communion may be of Holy Communion, yet communion is not only received but also lived. In the life of the Church, in our communities, parishes and families, we try to live out that communion which we perceive as being at the heart of the life of the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is our vision, that our lives are not just random but have a significance found at the very heart of what we believe about God. Blessed John Henry Newman said: ‘God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has

Sunday thoughts It is not often that we see the stars. Cloud and light pollution mean that the odd twinkle is all we manage. Out in the countryside the view may be better but nothing beats the view of the heavens I grew used to when I lived in the Andes. It was possible to read by starlight alone and I felt as if I could reach out and touch the Milky Way. It is staggering to imagine both the number of stars in the known universe and their distance from earth: 19,000 to 81,000 years to travel to the nearest star, over 2000 human generations away. And there are not only millions of stars but millions of galaxies, too.

Without conjecturing whether any of the planets surrounding the countless number of stars can support life, recent discoveries encourage us to ponder the immensity of God’s creation. Only a few hundred years ago we believed that Planet Earth was the centre of the universe and as such was the only possible place to which God

Canon Philip Gillespie

committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught.’

Ideals do not come to fruition with talk, but by letting our daily lives give reality to our words. So it is with that vision of the communion of the Blessed Trinity as our guiding principle; it will take effort to put into practice the values of the Kingdom of God in the here-and-now reality.

We will not always get it right, and our ' holy souls', our loved ones, may not always have got it right: that is why we pray that ‘perpetual light may shine upon them’, because light scatters the darkness of this world, just as God's love scatters the darkness of sin.

Mgr John Devine OBE

could send his Son to redeem us.

Galileo never raised that question but the challenge his discoveries suggested was too threatening for the Church of the time.

At the end of November we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. A comparatively new feast, it was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to be celebrated at the end of October. In 1969 Pope Paul VI renamed it as the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe and placed it on the final Sunday of the Church’s year.

Although astronomers now speak of the likelihood of millions of universes, this re-naming of the feast at last accommodates the possibility of a Kingship of Christ extending way beyond the boundaries of the medieval solar system.

Be grateful Just recently I was in Blackpool speaking at a Year of Faith evening. There were about 40 people gathered.

During the evening there were opportunities for people to share their own reflections and thoughts. One elderly woman told the group how for nearly 60 years she had been in the practice of thanking God each morning for all that she had been given, even when her life had been hard and there seemed no reason to thank God. She went on to say that her practice of gratitude had spilled over into her daily life and she recognised the presence of God more and more in the ordinary experiences that she had. She had slowly experienced freedom from bitterness and resentment as gratitude took over her life.

It reminded me of something I read by the Canadian oblate Ronald Rolheiser who said that the only heart that can transform the world is the grateful heart.

I think it is because in the heart that is grateful there is no room for cynicism and the bitterness that has scarred so many of us. In the grateful heart there is room for acceptance, understanding, compassion and love. It is these things that transform our broken world and the key to it all is gratitude.

As I listened to that woman in Blackpool I knew that I was listening to a holy person. Holiness has its source in gratitude. It has to do with the recognition that everything is a gift; nobody owes us life, a living, service, or love and so when we receive these realities we should be grateful.

Sadly, we have made holiness to be about the religious practices that we undertake, as though they were a mark of something more than the routine of religious duties. The question always to ask is this: am I becoming more grateful because of my religious tradition? Am I becoming less bitter and cynical and resentful because of my relationship with God? Gratitude is the key to holiness. It is the value that underpins transformation. It is the reality that will save the world. So even if you have to do it through gritted teeth, and in the face of seeming disaster, cultivate gratitude and see the effect that it has on you and on those around you.

Fr Chris Thomas

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what’s on Friday 15 November to Sunday 17 November ‘The Word of the Lord endures for ever’ A look at the letters of Peter. Scripture weekend led by Father Chris Thomas at Irenaeus, 32 Great Georges Road, Liverpool, L22 1RD. Bookings and further details: Tel: 0151 949 1199 or email: jenny@irenaeus.co.uk

Sunday 10 November

‘The Path to Self Acceptance’ A residential weekend retreat that explores how we can heal the wound of our poor self esteem led by Philip McParland. St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1 PH. Details Tel: 07722 572753.

Bookings Tel: 01704 879665.

Friday 1 November Feast of All Saints Holyday of Obligation Embroidery for Pleasure Class 1.00 pm-4.00 pm in the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

All welcome from beginners to experienced embroiderers who would like to learn new skills. Cost £5 per session including refreshments. Bookings and enquiries: enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘New Life’.

7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

Saturday 2 November Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed All Souls Day. Sunday 3 November LAMP Sunday Wednesday 6 November UCM Bi-monthly Mass 7.30 pm at St. Helen, Alexandra Road, Crosby, L23 5TE. Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (offered for peace). 'Women as Peacemakers.'

Presider: Fr Michael Fitzsimons. Speaker: Sister Maureen McNally CP. 7.30 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, L4 1QL. Friday 8 November Embroidery for Pleasure Class 1.00 pm-4.00 pm in the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

All welcome from beginners to experienced embroiderers who would like to learn new skills. Cost £5 per session including refreshments. Bookings and enquiries: enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

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‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Receiving God’s Gift’. 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

Saturday 9 November Car Boot Sale 8.00 am onwards in the Cathedral Car Park. Pitches £10. Details from Claire Hanlon 0151 709 9222.

Carmina Burana 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk Sunday 10 November Remembrance Day Solemn Mass for Remembrance Day With Durufle’s Requiem. 11.00 am in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Merchant Navy Service 3.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Tuesday 12 November ‘The Ten Marks of a True Disciple’ A talk by Jeff Cavins, American Scripture Scholar and Director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota. 7.00 pm in the Gibberd Room of the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Places are limited to 120, and are on a strictly ‘first-come-first-served’ basis. For information and to register to reserve your place visit: http://catholicbibletour.com/ Wednesday 13 November Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (offered for peace). 'At peace in your Vocation.'

Presider: Fr Stephen Maloney (Vocations Director: Archdiocese of Liverpool). 7.30 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, L4 1QL.

Friday 15 November Embroidery for Pleasure Class 1.00 pm-4.00 pm in the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

All welcome from beginners to experienced embroiderers who would like to learn new skills. Cost £5 per session including refreshments. Bookings and enquiries: enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar ‘Baptism in the Spirit’. 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

Sunday 17 November Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their Dependants Wednesday 20 November Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (offered for peace). 'Peace and healthcare.' Presider: Fr Dominic Curran (Chaplain: Aintree Hospitals). 7.30 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, L4 1QL. Friday 22 November to Sunday 24 November ‘Men of Faith for the 21st Century’ Led by Father Chris Thomas.

Minsteracres Reteat Centre, Consett, County Durham, DH8 9RT. Details: Tel: 01434 673248.

Friday 22 November Embroidery for Pleasure Class 1.00 pm-4.00 pm in the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

All welcome from beginners to experienced embroiderers who would like to learn new skills. Cost £5 per session including refreshments. Bookings and enquiries: enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar ‘Growth in the Spirit’. 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

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november Saturday 23 November Viennese Classics Concert 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt Concert Room. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 707 3525 or www.cathedralconcerts.org.uk Sunday 24 November Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King Titular Feast of the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Youth Sunday Tuesday 26 November Cursillo Ultrya 7.30 pm at St Michael and All Angels, Kirkby, L32 0TP. Wednesday 27 November Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (offered for peace). 'The Advent of Peace.'

Presider: Fr Liam Collister (Assistant priest: Metropolitan Cathedral and St Vincent de Paul). 7.30 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, L4 1QL. Friday 29 November Embroidery for Pleasure Class 1.00 pm-4.00 pm in the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. All welcome from beginners to experienced embroiderers who would like to learn new skills. Cost £5 per session including refreshments.

Bookings and enquiries: enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Transformation in Christ’. 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

Looking ahead: Friday 6 December to Sunday 8 December ‘Preparing for Christmas’ A weekend retreat to help keep Christ at the centre of Christmas preparations led by Philip McParland.

St Joseph’s Prayer Centre, Blundell Avenue, Freshfield, Formby, L37 1 PH. Details Tel: 07722 572753.

Bookings Tel: 01704 879665.

Wednesday 4 December Closing Mass for the Annual Novena in honour of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (offered for peace). Presider: Bishop Tom Williams. 7.30 pm at St John the Evangelist, Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, L4 1QL. Friday 6 December Embroidery for Pleasure Class 1.00 pm-4.00 pm in the Art Studio at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. All welcome from beginners to experienced embroiderers who would like to learn new skills. Cost £5 per session including refreshments. Bookings and enquiries: enquiries@metcathedral.org.uk or Tel: 0151 709 9222.

Mersey Wave Christmas Concert With Kathryn Rudge (Mezzo-Soprano), Jason Ellis (Piano and Director) and the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Mersey Wave Choirs. 7.00 pm at St Ambrose, Heathgate Avenue, Liverpool, L24 7RS. Tickets £7 from www.merseywavemusic.com

‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar: ‘Evangelisation’. 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

Saturday 7 December Handel’s ‘Messiah Sung by the Choirs of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Liverpool Cathedral. 7.30 pm in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 708 7283 or www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk Sunday 8 December Marie Curie ‘Lights to Remember’ Service 5.00 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Friday 13 December ‘Life in the Spirit’ Seminar Mass of Thanksgiving and Commissioning. 7.30 pm at St Anne’s, Overbury Street, Liverpool, L7 3HJ. Details: Prince of Peace Community Tel: 0151 228 0724 or St Anne’s Tel: 0151 709 4434.

Saturday 14 December ‘A Dickensian Christmas.’

Carols and seasonal music from the Metropolitan Cathedral Choirs and local primary schools. 7.30 pm in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Tickets and details Tel: 0151 708 7283 or www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk

World of Atherton

Friday 22 November Sunday 24 November

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profile

Jack Topping Liverpool chorister aiming for top spot By Ann Todd Eleven-year-old choirboy Jack Topping may be grabbing the headlines in the race for the Christmas number one as a solo artist, but it is business as usual for the talented youngster in his work for Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

Jack’s single Tomorrow will be released

by Decca Records on 16 December, thus entering a battle of David v Goliath proportions for the coveted top spot, yet despite his rising profile, his routine has not changed as far as his beloved Cathedral choir is concerned. The St Edward’s College pupil still gets up at 6am for rehearsals before school from Tuesday to Friday, and sings Mass with them three days a week. ‘It is a busy schedule but I do manage to fit everything in,’ he says. ‘I’m really loving life, it’s all so exciting, but singing with the choir is very important to me.’

He joined the choir at eight and adds: ‘I’ve always loved singing in the Cathedral choir and looked up to the older boys with their medals, hoping one day I would get one.’

Jack has already achieved some

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significant milestones of his own. The youngest solo artist to sign to Decca, he is also the youngest singer to be appointed as a Save the Children ambassador and sings on the charity’s Christmas TV advert. His debut album, Wonderful World, meanwhile, is out on 2 December, featuring a mix of sacred and secular music.

Asked how his fellow choristers feel about the attention surrounding him, Jack says: ‘I think they quite like it and are proud to be on the CD with me and happy to support me, because it helps out children in the Third World.

‘All the publicity over the race for the Christmas number one is a bit weird but it is an amazing recording. I would love it to get to number one to get lots of money for the Save the Children fund.

That is the most important thing,’ adds Jack, who has visited South Africa and seen for himself the difficulties faced by children of his own age living in a shanty town.

Proceeds from the sale of Tomorrow will help fund Save the Children’s work and Sue Allchurch, the charity’s executive

director of marketing and communications, says: ‘We are delighted Jack is one of our new ambassadors. We always need strong young people to support our life-saving work and to give a voice to vulnerable children.

‘As one of Britain’s fresh new talents, Jack will be able to shine a light on important issues and raise funds for vital projects that will help change children’s lives for the better.’

Jack’s impressive self-assurance is, according to his mother Anita, a tribute to the training he has received as a Metropolitan Cathedral choirboy. She says: ‘Jack surprises me at times at how he handles everything, but when he became a chorister I was told he would be trained to behave like this. It has given him the skills and confidence and ability to deal with everything and it is wonderful to see him coping with it all and enjoying his singing so much.’

That is the one constant through all of this, as Jack, now a team leader with the choir, acknowledges: ‘Singing is just a joyous thing that I love.’

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youth ministry

Hitting the ground running Anita-Marie McGlynn, 27, recently completed a Master’s degree in Pastoral Theology and has come over from Ireland to join the Animate team. Here she reflects on the team’s first couple of months together.

We have just finished our first halfterm and what a busy time it has been. We have gone from meeting up for the first time and learning how Animate works to delivering our first school mission.

We have only worked together as a team for eight weeks. Our induction process started on 30 August when the new members – Sean, Mike, Amy, Beth and myself – met those already here before, namely Fr Simon, Becca, Sarah and Dom. We started by getting our heads around community living and getting to know St Helens, our new home. There was a first Youth Alive mass and a reunion Mass for the Lourdes pilgrimage and World Youth Day in Rio and it was great to see so many young people turn up and share their experiences.

The induction period also saw us learn movements for sign language and drama. A Catholic theatre company, Rise, came to Lowe House and worked with us on our stage presence and drama skills. We also went to LACE to meet the staff working for the Archdiocese of

Liverpool.

Our first day retreats were with Year 7 pupils from De La Salle, St Helens and over four days we explored the theme of ‘Being LaSallian’ – what it means to be a student in a De La Salle school. The week after, we welcomed Hope Academy, NewtonLe-Willows for the first time to Lowe House. The Year 7s from St John Fisher, Wigan were also with us that week, so the team split into two groups and worked with each school on two different retreats – ‘New beginnings’ and ‘Let your light shine’.

We next welcomed students from All Hallows, Penwortham to Lowe House. We shared the small group work with their teachers, working with the pupils on prayer stations and teamwork sessions.

For our first mission, we travelled outside our own Archdiocese to the Diocese of Salford, to St Mary’s, Brownedge, in Bamber Bridge, Preston. We worked with the school chaplaincy team and the Extended Animate Team (EATS) for a week.

The theme was ‘Opening Doors’, looking at how to open the door of faith and welcome Jesus into your life. We had sessions with the five house groups, year group sessions

and also small group work with all the pupils in the school. We also had a community mission showcase where the students got to show what they had learned during the week to their family and friends. Then we celebrated a final Mass with all the house groups and each pupil walked through their ‘door of faith’ and took a pledge to do something positive in their lives.

To keep up to date with our activities throughout this year, follow us on Facebook (Ani Mate) and Twitter (@animateyouth) or on our website (www.animateyouth.org).

Events for the diary 2 November: Saturday Night Soul Food (for over-18s) – Talk and discussion begins at 6pm, Mass at 7pm, Social at 8pm.

3 November: Super Sunday Youth Alive – Day retreat starts at 12noon, Mass at 3pm. Social at 4pm. Lunch available. All welcome.

5 November: Lourdes application forms will be available from 8am, so get your form into the office early to be in with a chance of getting a place.

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justice & peace

Pausing for thought in Prisons Week

By Steve Atherton, Justice and Peace fieldworker November begins with two great feasts: All Saints Day and then All Souls Day (the commemoration of the Faithful Departed) when we remember the dead who are in purgatory rather than in heaven, those ‘who die in God’s grace’ but are not yet able to stand in the glorious radiance of God’s presence.

The doctrine of purgatory is merciful and kind on two counts: 1) it says that we can still enter heaven even if we are not saints when we die, and 2) the prayers of the living can help the dead ‘to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.’ (Catechism #1030) Even a saint would welcome our prayers.

The other group we remember during November are prisoners, regarded as sinners by most of us and labelled as criminals by the state. Late November brings ‘Prisons Week’ when we are invited to remember those affected by crime and those who are in prison. Prisons and prisoners need our support, not least our prayers.

There are frightening statistics around the subject of prisons and prisoners. The

prison population is more than 88,000 – twice what it was in 1975.

There are 200,000 children who have a parent in prison. Of the 10,000 young men in prison today, six out of 10 had a parent who went to prison.

A prison chaplain said recently, ‘Prison walls can’t stop prayer’.

Maybe this can help us to carry out one of Jesus’s most difficult teachings: ‘I was in prison and you visited me.’ (Matt 25:36) There is a theme for the prayer on each of the days: Sunday 17th: For those who work in prisons – to have the grace not to become hardened and remain able to help prisoners turn their lives around.

Monday 18th: For those who are prisoners – to acknowledge wrongdoing, to escape from shame and to believe that God is merciful.

Tuesday 19th: For victims of crime – to have courage at a time of loss and pain so that they can ask God for healing and for the grace to forgive.

Wednesday 20th: For those who work in the criminal justice system – to carry the heavy

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burden of difficult and life-changing decisions.

Thursday 21st: For the families of prisoners – to stay generous and loving in the face of darkness and pain that is not of their own making.

Friday 22nd: For our communities – to support victims and to welcome back those who have been punished.

Perhaps your church could say this prayer together on Prison Sunday: The Prisons Week Prayer Lord, you offer freedom to all people.

We pray for those in prison.

Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist.

Support with your love prisoners and their families and friends, prison staff and all who care.

Heal those who have been wounded by the actions of others, especially the victims of crime.

Help us to forgive one another, to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly together with Christ in his strength and in his Spirit, now and every day.

Amen

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cathedral

LAMP: a beacon of light Today is LAMP Sunday, the Feast of St Martin de Porres, Patron of the project which enables our priests to work with the Missionary Society of St James the Apostle in Latin America. We look back at the origins of LAMP and at the first journey of Archbishop Derek Worlock to visit priests in Latin America.

Canon Anthony O’Brien – Cathedral Dean

‘Mission Accomplished. LAMP is lit. Deo Gratias.’

With these stirring words, Archbishop Derek Worlock finished the diary of his historic visit to Latin America thirty-four years ago, marking the start of the Liverpool Archdiocesan Missionary Project.

In his pastoral letter of November 1979, the Archbishop urged: ‘Please help to make this LAMP Sunday a day to remember in the history of the Archdiocese, a day when we try to forget our own needs and take our share in the missionary work of the Church.

‘And may the Lord bring the strength of his love to those in Latin America for whom our priests are caring in his name.’

This vital work is still being faithfully carried out by Father Denis Parry and Father Simon Cadwallader in Peru. For over three decades Liverpool priests have volunteered to serve in Latin America, standing alongside the poor and deprived, and supported by the people of the Archdiocese.

In the diary Archbishop Worlock tells of how the plane he was travelling on ‘had webbing seats along each side, with maximum capacity for 30 passengers.

There were 63 persons aboard, plus luggage down the middle, several babies, and a chicken or two.’

And again an insight into conditions: ‘Tomorrow we are to visit a village some miles away, cut off by landside, so there is talk of horses. But just now my thoughts are of cockroaches which have reached my bed and my suitcases and of 24

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Cathedral Record

the overflowing WC from which the water is now spreading across the floor.’

Conditions were no better when Archbishop Worlock set up an altar in a school hut in a clearing in Peru and was handed a bottle of mosquito lotion.

‘Gratefully, liberally and apparently successfully we applied this anywhere within reach as the bugs committed suicide in the candles.’

Thirty-four years later the missionary work continues, vital as ever, to sustain Catholic communities across the world.

Today we support that work in prayer and in practical ways too as a collection is taken in our churches, to make that giving more effective tax payers may use the Gift Aid envelopes.

May we give thanks for the work of our LAMP priests.

For the last few weeks the supermarkets have been full of Halloween outfits. For a society that is less concerned and less involved in religious belief the fascination with ghosts and witches at Halloween seems to be a strange paradox.

However the focus for us in the first week of November has been the celebrations of All Saints and then All Souls on Friday and Saturday. Today, the first Sunday in November, the feast of St Martin De Porres, 3 November, falls on a Sunday this year and as he is one of the patrons of the Archdiocese and we have a statue of him in the Cathedral associated with the LAMP Missionary Project we will pray for the parish communities that Fathers Simon Cadwallader and Denis Parry work amongst in Peru.

Next weekend is Remembrance Sunday.

The 11.00 am Solemn Mass lasts slightly longer than normal this Sunday with the choir singing Durufle’s Requiem setting for Mass and a wreath will be laid on the sanctuary to remember all those fallen in war and other conflicts. The Merchant Navy hold their service of Remembrance at our Cathedral in the afternoon at 3.00 pm.

We celebrate our Patronal Feast of Christ the King on 24 November; Bishop Williams will preside at the Solemn Mass at 11.00 am.

One of our young Choristers, Jack Topping aged 11, has been signed up for a recording contract and Decca will be releasing an album at the end of the month featuring Jack and the choir entitled ‘Wonderful World’ which they anticipate will be a big seller in the Classical Charts. Part of the proceeds from the album will be going to Save the Children so look out for it in the run up to Christmas.

You can find out more about Jack in this month’s Profile.

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Pic extras Mums the Word November, I think I have said before, is not my favourite month of the year.

All summer clothing must be put away and winter clothing got out and ironed ready for the cold and rain.

Mind you, it is not all bad: the cold is an excuse to indulge in some comfort food and curl up in front of the fire and have a chocolate or two while watching a good programme on TV. The month starts with the celebration of All Saints, not just those we know by name but the unnamed ones who we may have come into contact with during our lives. Not all saints have done great things evident to all but may have done small things quietly.

You may not have realised that your life has been touched by a saint, but God knows and has rewarded them and will reward them in the next life.

From celebrating the lives of the saints we then acknowledge and remember all those who have gone before us – not just friends and family but people who we may have only known briefly but who have touched our lives in some way.

During the past year we have lost some longstanding members of the UCM and they will be missed not only by their friends but by the wider UCM family.

We remember too those who gave their lives for us in the conflicts of the last 113 years. I think everyone within the UCM has been touched in some way by these deaths and we continue to pray for them, their families and for peace in the world, particularly those places suffering religious conflict.

Congratulations, finally, to Angela Batey, from St Margaret Mary’s, who was presented with the Benemerenti medal for her work on the National Committee at our Centenary Mass at Westminster Cathedral. I look forward to seeing you all at St Helen’s, Crosby for our bi-monthly Mass on 6 November.

God Bless, Ann Hogg, media officer

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News from the Liverpool Province of the Knights of St Columba

Provincial chaplain made Member of Honour Our provincial chaplain, Rev Tom Wood, who has just celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, has been created a member of honour by the order and he is seen here receiving his certificate from provincial grand knight John Hamilton. We congratulate Fr Tom and take this opportunity to thank him for the tremendous support he gives the KSC. • It has been a busy period for our members with the visit of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Metropolitan Cathedral in October. We devoted all of our space in last month’s Catholic Pic to the history of the image and the preparations for the visit and we wish to thank Peter Heneghan, editor of the Pic, for his assistance in spreading the word to parishes in advance of the event.

Next month we will be reporting on the actual visit.

• The Annual Steve Dooley Memorial Walk took place on Sunday 29 September from the Albert Dock to St Austin’s Church, Aigburth Road and there was an excellent turnout of knights, their families and friends. This year the amount raised will be donated to Nugent Care and we are hoping it will exceed the £2,800 donated to Jospice last time. We thank all who have contributed to this worthy cause and will let you know the final amount when all returns are in.

• Isle of Man council has continued its admirable fundraising achievements by donating £1,331 to Manx DECAF, which supports people with dementia and other memory problems. The amount was obtained by means of a sponsored cycle ride on the island by KSC members.

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

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PIC Life Why clashing egos are a cause of harm

By Moira Billinge The wind and the sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveller coming down the road, and the sun said: ‘I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger.’

So the sun retired behind a cloud, and the wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller. But the harder he blew, the more closely did the traveller wrap his cloak round himself, till at last the wind had to give up in despair. Then the sun came out and shone in all his glory upon the traveller, who soon found it too hot to walk with his cloak on. The moral of Aesop’s fable is ‘kindness achieves more than severity’.

I was enthralled by this fable at the age of seven. At face value it had all the ingredients to delight a child – culminating in a villain receiving his comeuppance as kindness and gentleness overcame brute force.

Looking back on the story now with the experience of life and hindsight, I have come to believe that both the sun and the wind were manipulators to some extent. If the traveller had not taken his cloak off because of the heat, how long would the sun have continued to shine on him?

How much more intense would it have had to become to produce the desired effect if he had insisted on keeping it on? He was, after all, only removing his cloak because the sun had made him so very uncomfortable.

If we need somebody to understand our position or opinion and want them 28

Catholic Pictorial

to meet us even halfway, then they are not likely to listen if we become aggressive and start shouting at them.

And if they are less able to deal with confrontation and back down under the onslaught, unresolved issues could well be left to fester in the background and probably make a bad situation worse.

Our Prayer for November Christ will raise them up We are a people who have put our hope in Christ and His resurrection.

Many holy men and women have gone before us to the Lord and we pray for their eternal happiness.

Life is an ongoing process through death into unending life.

One day we will all be united as one happy family in the home of the Lord, please God Please send your favourite prayer to: Barbara, Catholic Pictorial, 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS Please include your contact number (not for publication) and which parish you are from.

Worth a visit

Perhaps mutual empathy, respect and listening might have prevented the problem in the first place or at least helped towards resolving the difficulty.

Both the sun and the wind were unjust in their treatment of the unsuspecting man, who became the unwitting and innocent victim of their selfishness and greed. Determined to prove which was stronger, bigger and better than the other, they used the traveller for their own ends, ignoring his rights and their duty of care.

In today’s world it is the innocent who are too often trapped between the conflicting egos of the self-centred.

Wars are declared and fought, often with great violence and bloodshed. Far too many are needlessly hurt, killed and bereaved.

When peace finally comes to Syria, will history judge the conflict to have been worth the tens of thousands of deaths, hundreds of thousands of injured, millions of refugees and the destruction of some of the world’s greatest and most irreplaceable historical treasures?

When traumatised and shattered families can rebuild their lives, will they be grateful for the conflict and hardship forced upon them? Will they not, rather, wish that they might have been left alone in the security of their homes and villages?

Lovers of antiques will be intrigued by Fair fax House’s boast that it holds the finest assembly of Georgian furniture in one space, writes Lucy Oliver.

The 1760s-built Georgian townhouse was built in York as a dowry for Anne Fair fax, daughter of Lord Fair fax. A glance at the stucco ceiling in the great hall reveals that the family were fervent Catholics: emblems of the devil fly the Union Flag in reference to Protestant England, with the ‘putti’, the cherubic symbol for the Catholic faith, in opposition.

In material affairs at least Anne Fair fax’s housekeeping does not appear to have suffered – visiting the elegant library, and dining room, it is not difficult to imagine the days of lavish entertaining. An illustration of Aesop’s fable of the wolf and the crane presides over a handsome fireplace with the poem of the tale and its moral holding pride of place: ‘Well meaning Love is often paid with Hate; And a good nature’s Lost on an Ingrate.’

Fair fax House at Castlegate in York is open from February-December.

For more information, call 01904 655 543.

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join in Eating Out

Children’s word search The great feast of All Saints is celebrated on 1st November. Your clues to the saints lives are in our word search, try to follow their example

SAINTS

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PRAISE

A pub meal is always a good choice during the dark damp November nights - here are a few for you to consider.

Red Squirrel Orrell Hill Lane, Ince Blundell 0151 929 4801 Morris Dancers Southport Road, Scarisbrick 01704 880201

REJOICE GLORY

HEAVEN LOVE

More Mullarkey

White Horse Acrefield Road, Woolton 0151 428 1862 Derby Mill Muirhead Avenue East, Liverpool 11 0151 226 5268 Hen and Chicken Prescot Road, Maghull 0151 520 1121 Robin Hood Blue Stone Lane, Mawdesley 01704 822275

Recipe from the Monastery Kitchen

From Johnny Kennedy Father Mullarkey is a keen follower of the junior school football team and went to watch them play in Stanley Park.

They are as keen as mustard but never manage to win a game and had lost the previous one 6-0. The teacher who looks after the team asked Fr Mullarkey if he would give them a pep talk before their match last Thursday and the auld fella was happy to oblige.

The boys gathered around as he told them the school was proud of them and they should be proud to play for the school.

He then had a little chat with the centre-forward and said: ‘When you are playing today, just pretend you are a great goalscorer like Wayne Rooney.’

‘OK Father, I’ll do that,’ said the youngster.

Then Fr Mullarkey said to the goalie: ‘Just pretend you are Ray Clemence.’

They lost 5-0 but the two boys in question still ran over with big grins on their faces at the end. ‘Never mind, Father, just pretend that we won!’

Audio copy of the Pic out now An audio version of the ‘Catholic Pictorial’ is available free of charge, compiled by students, technicians and Chaplain, Helen Molyneux, at All Hallows RC High School, Penwortham Anyone interested in receiving the audio copy should contact Kevin Lonergan Tel: 01772 744148 or 01772 655433 (home).

Tortilla 1 kilo bite sized chunks of cooked potatoes 1 Large sliced onion 1 Clove of chopped garlic 6 Skinned tomatoes, chopped Beaten egg, 1 for each person - add a desert spoon of cold water to every two eggs Grated cheese Salt and pepper Fresh herbs Cooking oil Heat oil in frying pan, add onions and herbs, saute and add garlic. Cook slowly over a low heat, add potatoes and fry together, add tomatoes and toss around until heated through - pour in beaten egg, cook slowly and sprinkle over cheese, brown under grill.

Cut into wedges and serve with a crisp green salad.

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Samples available from 26 Holm Hey Road, Birkenhead CH43 0TP

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